KAMPFSPORT
Portraying the tough guys
YEAR
2018
DURATION
16 Weeks
Context
University
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What drives these people to fight with their friends for fun?
Our goal was to find authentic stories of characters that go beyond the ordinary. We found them in the martial arts academy Kampfsport Bars in Stuttgart, home of multiple world champions. We covered the club's story in a 59-page-strong magazine.
Sparring – how we became part of the team.
Four interviews were added as inlay to the magazine
Personal interviews
To understand the social structure of the club, we spent a lot of time there. We did many interviews between taking photos, talking with the fighters, and even accomplished a very exhausting training session. The longer we knew each other, the more remarkable stories we got to hear and share in the magazine. We quickly understood that the club was more like a chosen family for the fighters than just a sports club.
The bigger context
In addition to the interviews, we wrote articles about the different types of martial arts and documented every small anecdote. In the final magazine, we added essays about women in material arts, the relationship between trainers and students, and the club's origins.
MMA was the most popular discipline
Gmund Heather - Lipstick - 300 g/m²
Packaging and presentation
Instead of a standard cover, we used an intense portrait without typography and unique packaging. Using handmade thread binding and leather-like red paper, we made the magazine cover resemble a boxing glove. We carefully selected an organic paper, which complimented the high black level of the photographs without making them too shiny.
Documentary and portrait
We used plenty of different cameras and set-ups for the shoots. We even took video footage inside the boxing ring with a gimbal. These experiments helped me to boost my photography skills.
Besides documenting the fights and training, we also asked some trainers and fighters for a portrait. We gave all images to the club to use for promotional material.
Portrait of the vice president
"We come here to learn something. Not to beat eachother up."
Gaining respect and trust by spending lots of time and training with the athletes made the project work, and we could take great photos. This project was a typography assignment I did with Miriam during our first year of university.
