The Neuroscience of Martial Arts: How Training Rewires the Brain - Dr. Guy Shpak

What if every punch, block, and breath in martial arts wasn’t just building muscle, but actively rewiring your brain? Could training in combat sports enhance cognitive flexibility, emotional control, and even stress resilience?

This lecture dives into the two-way relationship between martial arts and neuroscience, uncovering how disciplined practice reshapes neural circuits and cognitive function, while brain activity, in turn, refines movement, reaction time, and decision-making.

Using breathing and cardiac regulation as case studies, we’ll explore how the brain governs physiological processes during training—and why these mechanisms are key to mastering both martial arts and mental resilience.

By the end of this talk, you won’t see martial arts as just a physical skill set. You’ll recognize it as a scientifically backed method for rewiring the mind, optimizing emotions, and training the brain for adaptability.

Dr. Guy Shpak is a neuroscientist exploring how everyday practices—especially martial arts—shape our physiology and behavior. He has served as a Senior Lecturer in the Life Sciences Department at Erasmus University College, Rotterdam, and as a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at Erasmus Medical Center. He recently founded a consultancy dedicated to researching and applying neurophysiological principles from mind-body practices, with a strong focus on martial arts, to enhance mental well-being.

Doors open at 18:30 – Arrive early, grab a seat, and settle in.

Talk starts at 19:30 and runs until around 21:00.

Drinks and snacks can be ordered throughout the talk, so no need to choose between thinking and sipping.

Stick around afterward—good conversations don’t have closing times.