East Asian Martial Arts as Philosophical Practice (original) (raw)
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The Japanese and Korean Martial Arts: In Search of a Philosophical Framework Compatible to History
The popular discourse about Asian martial arts has often been surrounded by an aura of esotericism, so pervasive that it even influenced the academic discussion to some degree. Moreover, nationalistic motives to promote certain martial arts narratives often prevail. This article focuses on the frequently flawed philosophical and historical discourse surrounding the Asian martial arts. In particular, this study concentrates on the academic discussions of the Japanese and Korean martial arts, and the search for a philosophical framework compatible with historical narratives. The Japanese created a romantic but also nationalistic martial arts narrative that aligned with the ideals of the Meiji Restoration. This romanticized image was naively accepted in the West, often imported along with esoteric ideas of the East. And, as most modern Korean martial arts originated in Japan, the Korean martial arts discussion aligns with that of Japanese martial arts, and this alignment has been a point of heated dispute. Discussions of Korean martial arts reflect a search for a definitive identity of the Korean martial arts community as well as the desire to establish a martial arts tradition independent of those of Japan as well as China. However, the discourse has often been influenced by western, albeit biased and perhaps faulty, historical views and ideas about martial arts traditions.
Japanese Philosophy and Global Sociology: Possibilities for an International Martial Arts Studies George Jennings Cardiff School of Sport Cardiff Metropolitan University Email: gbjennings@cardiffmet.ac.uk This talk stems from a dialogue with colleagues (Brown, Cynarski & Jennings forthcoming) on the expansion on the term “self-cultivation” from a sociocultural angle in terms of concepts of “shared cultivation” (Jennings, 2010) and “social cultivation.” In a disciplinary and theoretical overview of this argument, I advocate a potent combination of mind-body philosophies from Japan with sociological theory from "the West" and other regions to explore the social practice of martial arts originating not just from Japan, but all cultures. This combination of disciplines and theory is inspired by earlier academic calls to consider and apply Japanese mind-body models such as that of Yuasa (1987, 1993) in the sociology of the body (Ozawa-de Silva, 2002) with a growing interest in a global sociology moving away from its Eurocentric tradition via projects operating in "the global South" and through postcolonial theory, as expressed recently by (Bhambra & de Souza Santos, 2017). The aim of this theoretical model is thus to encourage discussion on Japanese theories of the body, embodiment, pedagogy, education, etc., and how they might connect to academic disciplines such as sociology and may also be utilized in the study of martial arts beyond “the West” and “the East,” as considered by the examples of the Chinese martial arts in Britain and the emerging martial arts of Mexico. Presenter biography Dr. George Jennings is Lecturer in Sport Sociology / Physical Culture at Cardiff Metropolitan University. His academic background is in sport and exercise sciences, and his research operates between the anthropology and the sociology of alternative body cultures such as traditional martial arts from China and Mexico. He is also interested in novel approaches to qualitative research and merging comparative philosophy, social theory and cultural critique. George has studied numerous Asian martial arts, and is an instructor of Wing Chun Kung Fu.
Martial Arts as Embodied Knowledge: Asian Traditions in a Transnational World
2011
A wide-ranging scholarly consideration of the martial arts. This landmark work provides a wide-ranging scholarly consideration of the traditional Asian martial arts. Most of the contributors to the volume are practitioners of the martial arts, and all are keenly aware that these traditions now exist in a transnational context. The book’s cutting-edge research includes ethnography and approaches from film, literature, performance, and theater studies. Three central aspects emerge from this book: martial arts as embodied fantasy, as a culturally embedded form of self-cultivation, and as a continuous process of identity formation. Contributors explore several popular and highbrow cultural considerations, including the career of Bruce Lee, Chinese wuxia films, and Don DeLillo’s novel Running Dog. Ethnographies explored describe how the social body trains in martial arts and how martial arts are constructed in transnational training. Ultimately, this academic study of martial arts offers a focal point for new understandings of cultural and social beliefs and of practice and agency. “…a significant and very innovative piece of work that is a must read for everyone interested in martial arts studies. Martial Arts as Embodied Knowledge shows that traditional martial arts cannot be studied as static entities; the social, cultural and historical context needs to be taken into consideration … this book provides insights for further work in several directions … offers food for deep thought and adds substantially to our understanding of traditional Asian martial arts.” — idrottsforum.org “The book successfully demonstrates that martial arts and other traditional art forms are not static entities. Instead they respond to changing environments by a process of constant reinvention.” — Thomas A. Green, coeditor of Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation “Taken together, these essays give a new picture of Asian martial arts as a transnational phenomenon, ranging from Singapore’s preservation of Chinese traditions to British adaptation of Indian martial arts for the stage and African usage of Okinawan traditions. Since martial arts are one of the most famous traditions to have originated in Asia, it is useful to see exactly how they are viewed or practiced around the world, from a scholarly perspective.” — Margaret B. Wan, author of Green Peony and the Rise of the Chinese Martial Arts Novel
Physical Philosophy: Martial Arts as Embodied Wisdom
Philosophies
While defining martial arts is not prerequisite to philosophizing about them, such a definition is desirable, helping us resolve disputes about the status of hard cases. At one extreme, Martínková and Parry argue that martial arts are distinguished from both close combat (as unsystematic) and combat sports (as competitive), and from warrior arts (as lethal) and martial paths (as spiritual). At the other extreme, mixed martial arts pundits and Bruce Lee speak of combat sports generally as martial arts. I argue that the fine-grained taxonomy proposed by Martínková and Parry can be usefully supplemented by a broader definition, specifically the following: martial arts are systematic fighting styles and practices as ways of embodying wisdom. A possible difficulty here is that such views face the charge of overemphasizing the “philosophical” aspect of martial arts. My definition can, however, avoid this apparent problem. If martial arts essentially aim to embody wisdom, this applies no l...
Traditional martial arts versus martial sports: the philosophical and historical academic discourse
Revista de Artes Marciales Asiáticas (RAMA) , 2023
There have been a variety of attempts by scholars to neatly define and categorize Asian martial arts terminology, often in connection with martial arts history, philosophy, and practical training activities. Overall, the English term 'martial arts' is typically linked to East Asian fighting activities. In comparison, Western fighting methods, such as boxing and wrestling, are almost never referred to as 'martial arts' but mostly labeled 'sports' or 'combat sports.' This is reflected in the basic split of the broader martial arts community, which is between the so-called traditionalists and the modernists. The former often stress spirituality and mysticism and claim that the primary aim of martial arts is self-defense, while the latter are commonly affiliated with sports training and competitive events. The rift between the two camps is not settled and it represents the main reason of the many conflicting opinions and arguments articulated in the martial arts discourse. The principle method of this study is an extensive literature review with the aim to clarify the confusion by pointing out the many paradoxes present in the historical and philosophical narratives in connection with practical training activities of the martial arts. Besides, this article represents also a critique of the general, academic discourse about the Asian martial arts, which often appears disingenuous and is generally dominated by the traditionalists.