Martial Arts

La Hakama

by Luis Antonio Monzón

La hakama es el símbolo más distintivo del Aikido, aunque su uso es compartido con otras artes marciales como el... more La hakama es el símbolo más distintivo del Aikido, aunque su uso es compartido con otras artes marciales como el Kendo, Kyudo y el Iaido. En el presente texto se presentan algunos aspectos básicos sobre su historia y uso.

The hakama is the most distinctive symbol of the Aikido, though his use is shared by other martial arts as the Kendo, Kyudo and the Iaido. In the present text we present some basic aspects on his history and use.

Criminal lifestyles, sexuality and the martial arts Appropriating blaxploitation in hip-hop music videos

by Rachel Mizsei Ward

BAAS 2012 (Manchester University)
Cine Excess 2012

Hip-hop culture has been heavily influenced by blaxploitation. This cycle of films embodied excess through their... more Hip-hop culture has been heavily influenced by blaxploitation. This cycle of films embodied excess through their glamorous black heroes, with elaborate costumes and violent, sexualised stories. This is emulated in hip-hop and specifically gangsta rap which frequently use lyrics emphasising violence and sexual themes and performers engage in excessive displays of clothing and jewellery.  It therefore seems appropriate that hip-hop artists should also appropriate blaxploitation films in their music videos. Blaxploitation appears to feed into a shared global identity for black hip-hop stars who reference it in their work, as well as something that is still relevant for a wider black community. This runs counter to the expectations of the fans of cult texts and alternative music genres. It is suggested that both are ‘frequently marginalised, white, middle class, and well educated’ (Cherry 2010: 132).

There are several examples but this article will concentrate on two, the video for Who Cares (2006) by Gnarls Barkley which references Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973); and Beggin’ (2008) by Madcon which references several key blaxploitation films, including Coffy (1973), Foxy Brown (1974), Shaft (1971), and Superfly (1972). Cherry argues that ‘many music videos make references to other narratives in order to strengthen the otherwise "weak narrative chain" and these may well depend upon the shared cultural competencies of the viewer’ (Cherry 2010: 125). The paper will consider this and look at key elements including the concentration on criminality, black sexuality and the martial arts.


Reference:

Brigid Cherry, ‘From Cult to Subculture: Re imaginings of Cult Films in alternative Music Video’, in Cultural Borrowings: Appropriation, Reworking, Transformation ed. by Ian Robert Smith, (Scope e-book, 2009) pp. 124-137. <http://www.scope.nottingham.ac.uk/cultborr/Cultural_Borrowings_Final.pdf>; [accessed 20 January 2010]

La pensée-en-acte: une compétence tout en action

by Domenico Masciotra, PhD

Poster présenté aux  7° J.O.R.R.E.S.C.A.M. Journées de Réflexions et de Recherches sur les Sports de Combat et... more Poster présenté aux  7° J.O.R.R.E.S.C.A.M. Journées de Réflexions et de Recherches sur les Sports de Combat et les Arts Martiaux. Jeudi 11 et Vendredi 12 Avril 2002, Toulon (France).

La présente étude a pour but de contribuer au développement du cadre théorique de la cognition située (Suchmann, 1976 ; Lave, 1988). Cette dernière fait partie d'un programme de recherche relativement récent et intéresse diverses disciplines en sciences humaines et sociales. Des expressions relativement équivalentes y renvoient, dont "énaction" (Varela, 1993), action située (Gal-Petifaux et Durand, 2001), «réflexion-en-action» et «savoir-en-action» (Schön, 1983) ou encore «pensée-en-acte» (Masciotra & Roth, 2001).

La notion de compétence s'explicite également en termes de cognition, pensée et action et situées. Le concept de pensée-en-acte recouvre et articule ces termes. Autrement dit, la compétence en combat se mesure par la capacité à penser en acte, c'est-à-dire à se faire tout action -ce que je pense, c'est ce que je fais et réciproquement. Penser en acte nécessite de pourvoir sa garde d'un système d'actions éprouvées pour établir une relation d'adversité et laisser ce système opérer comme de lui-même sans rien faire d'extra. Dans les paragraphes qui suivent, les principales caractéristiques de la pensée-en-acte ainsi que ses conditions de réalisation seront présentées en cinq points : 1) d'abord penser en acte nécessite une « prise de garde » ; 2) penser en acte c'est aussi disposer d'un réseau d'actions virtuelles ; 3) Penser en acte ne signifie pas se représenter la situation, mais se la présenter ; 4) Pour penser en acte, il faut être tout action ; 5) Penser en acte repose sur des actions intériorisées. Mots clés : pensée-en-acte, compétence, action située, garde, énaction.

Le dispositionnel, le positionnel et le gestuel: trois formes de savoir dans la perspective de l'énaction

by Domenico Masciotra, PhD

Film Culture Crossover: Cultural Translation and Post- Bruce Lee Film Fight Choreography

by Paul Bowman

Keynote given at East Winds conference, Coventry University, 3rd March 2012

This paper reads the emergence of ‘Oriental style’ in Hollywood (Park 2010) as an exemplary case of what Rey Chow... more This paper reads the emergence of ‘Oriental style’ in Hollywood (Park 2010) as an exemplary case of what Rey Chow calls ‘cultural translation (Chow 1995). The paper explores the intimate yet paradoxical relationship between ‘Oriental’ martial arts and the drive for ‘authenticity’ in both film choreography and martial arts practices; plotting the trajectories of key martial arts crossovers since Bruce Lee. It argues that, post-Bruce Lee, Western film fight choreography first moved into and then moved away from overtly Chinese, Japanese, Hong Kong or indeed obviously ‘Oriental style’; a move that many have regarded as a deracination or westernisation of fight choreography. However, a closer look reveals that this apparent deracination is actually the unacknowledged rise of Filipino martial arts within Hollywood. The significance of making this point, and the point of making this kind argument overall boils down to the insight it can give us into how ‘cultures’ and texts are constructed, and also into our own reading practices and the roles they play, sometimes in perpetuating certain problematic ethno-nationalist discourses.

MARKETING IN THE TRENCHES: THE APPLICATION OF MARKETING CONCEPTS TO A MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY

by Daniel Millsap

Successful organizations are the ones able to determine what potential customers value most and how to give customers... more Successful organizations are the ones able to determine what potential customers value most and how to give customers what they want better than competitors are able to. Value is the subjective perception of satisfaction based upon the relationship between what is given and what is received. Martial Arts academies are no different.  The purpose of this interview is to find out how martial arts businesses are able to know and satisfy their customers.

Martial Arts and Philosophy Mediated

by Paul Bowman

Return of the Dragon: Handover, Hong Kong Cinema and Chinese Ethno-Nationalism

by Paul Bowman

Draft of Chapter for the Blackwell Companion to Hong Kong Cinema

Pursuing the Ancient Shinmyōken

by Luke Crocker

draft only, independent research.

As initiated by a late night discussion, this short essay was originally going to be a short transcript, but then it... more As initiated by a late night discussion, this short essay was originally going to be a short transcript, but then it grew as I looked for more sources and use of the term 心妙剣 in relation to Buddhism, bujutsu and ninjutsu.

This is a rather early stage and will be better compiled in the future.

Bushido's Role in the Growth of Pre-World War II Japanese Nationalism

by William Patterson

Published in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts.

Though some attention has been given to the role that Bushido (the ethical system of the samurai) may have played in... more Though some attention has been given to the role that Bushido (the ethical system of the samurai) may have played in the development of nationalism in post-Meiji Japan, the martial arts themselves have largely been absolved of any complicity. I argue in this article that the martial arts did in fact play a role in the rise of Japanese nationalism and therefore share some of the blame for the events that took place leading up to and during the Second World War. The article demonstrates how the martial arts were used to popularize the precepts of Bushido and how these precepts in turn lead to the growth of expansionist nationalism. It also shows how the martial arts were used in the educational system and the military to inculcate the Bushido notions of honor and loyalty in the general public.

A Performance Theory Analysis of the Practice of Kata in Karate-Do: Self Resolving Contradictions of Ritual, Spontaneity, Violence, and Morality

by Meron Langsner

Published in the Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences (reprinted from the Brandeis Graduate Journal)

"Paul Wagner, Stephen Hand. Medieval Sword & Shield: The Combat System of Royal Armouries MS I.33." review for De Re Militari

by Mark Geldof

Art martial et travail social (file: p. 14-17)

by Domenico Masciotra, PhD

Jacques Hébert, Domenico Masciotra, Anne-Marie Beaulieu et Mohamed Loutfi

To Know is to Relate: The Art of Distancing in Human Transactions

by Domenico Masciotra, PhD

Domenico Masciotra
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Universit du Qubec Montral (UQAM)
Edith Ackermann
Mitsubishi Electronic Research Laboratory (MERL)
Paper presented at The 12th Annual Adult Development Symposium of the Society for Research in Adult Development (SRAD), Best Western Boston - The Inn at Children’s Hospital, June, 27-29, 1997.

The way people develop has a great deal to do with how they adaptively relate to the world and get in tune with each... more The way people develop has a great deal to do with how they adaptively relate to the world and get in tune with each other. They do so, in large part, via living and nonverbal acts such as distancing, spacing, syncing, timing... Distancing is related to the Japanese notion of <maai> (ma = space-time; ai = encounter) which integrates the notions of spacing, syncing and timing.

Distancing is connected with the construction of an ever better relation with "Other". We propose a three developmental steps in this construction: the genesis of the relation with "Other", which appears to be a symbiotic one at the start (fusion of the S with the O), is progressively transformed in a relation of exteriority (separation of the S from the O) and becomes, at the highest level, a relation of interiority (union or S-O oneness) (Masciotra, 1996). It is only at the last level that distancing becomes an art and the presentation focuses on it.

The art of distancing is studied in a discipline (karate) practiced as a DO. DO (Way, Road or Method) implies that the purpose of a practice is not the mastery of the discipline itself. The discipline constitutes a mean, method or way for self-perfection and for achieving a harmonious relationship with the environment and people.

A Healthy Body in a Healthy Mind: Striking Out in Time & Space

by Domenico Masciotra, PhD

Domenico Masciotra and Manuel A. Monzon
Journal of Asian Martial Arts . Volume 12 Number 1- 2003, 25-33

During a violent conflict, a combatant may find himself in a reality in which his “body becomes a mind,” since one’s... more During a violent conflict, a combatant may find himself in a reality in which his “body becomes a mind,” since one’s mind actually envelops and prolongs the body within space-time. Therefore, the maxim “a healthy mind in a healthy body” must be inverted. From this point of view, the mind is not only located in the brain, it has ramifications, via the nervous system and the blood circulation, in the whole body and branches out in space and time to constitute in it a spielraum, i.e. a room to maneuver in. Borrowed from Heidegger (1977), the term spielraum represents the field of action generated by an individual involved in a situation (eg., combative encounter).
Within this theoretical frame, the embodied mind is a minded body that constitutes the Self-prolongation within space and time. In this paper Self-prolongation is related to:
• Mind availability and reality as a structural coupling
• Distance and the invisible bubble in the Western tradition
• Spielraum: spatial aspect of maai
• The intentional threads of the karateka’s guard
• Temporal aspect of Spielraum
• The folding and unfolding spielraum, and decisive actions

We argue that the adversary in martial arts and the spielraum in which he acts are not pregiven to a mind empowered to transform them in “representational knowledge”, as presumed by cognitivism. The combatant does not debate with the accuracy of his representations, he combats against the opponent facing him here and now. The combatant must “enact” the adversary by means of his minded guard. The guard is defined as a system of virtual actions whose intentional threads enable the combatant to existentially link himself with the adversary.

Le projet karaté-do: proposer une voie aux élèves à défis

by Domenico Masciotra, PhD

Reportage de Domenico Masciotra
Vie pédagogique – Numéro 153 – Février 2010 »

L’enseignement du karaté-do est-il pertinent pour des élèves présentant des difficultés sur le plan de... more L’enseignement du karaté-do est-il pertinent pour des élèves présentant des difficultés sur le plan de l'apprentissage, du comportement ou de la santé mentale? Peut-il contribuer au développement des compétences chez des élèves qui éprouvent des difficultés sévères et qui sont souvent enclins à s'exprimer par des comportements violents? Les membres de l’équipe responsable du projet karaté-do en sont convaincus et ils se sont déjà engagés dans l’action pour relever le défi dans deux écoles : l’école secondaire Hélène-de-Champlain, à Longueuil (Commission scolaire Marie-Victorin), qui accueille des élèves présentant des troubles graves du comportement, et l’école secondaire des Patriotes-de-Beauharnois, à Beauharnois (Commission scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands), qui offre un service spécialisé pour les élèves ayant des problèmes de santé mentale.

“Maai”: The Art of Distancing in Karate-Do Mutual Attunement in Close Encounters

by Domenico Masciotra, PhD

Domenico Masciotra, Edith Ackermann, Wolff-Michael Roth
Journal of Adult Development (2001)
Volume: 8, Issue: 2, Publisher: Springer Netherlands, Pages: 119-132-132

Human development implies an evolution of the individual’s physical spielraum (room to maneuver) as an adaptively... more Human development implies an evolution of the individual’s physical spielraum (room to maneuver) as an adaptively changing dialectical Self-Other relationship, which is achieved through appropriate distancing. In the Japanese culture, distancing is maai (ma, spatiotemporal interval ai, harmony). Maai integrates space, time, and rhythm, dimensions of being that are deeply rooted in all human actions and relations. Maai is the art of relating and communicating within constructed space-time intervals in and through which people interact. The purpose of the present study is to elaborate a phenomenological and genetic understanding of highly developed forms of distancing, that is, of our understanding of mastery in maai. Although there exist several good descriptions of distancing in everyday life, little is known about how it operates in experts. As a case in point, we analyze maai in the martial arts (karate), where distancing is taught, mastered, and conceptualized to various degrees by teachers and students, and therefore rises to the level of consciousness.

Ideology or Philosophy: Which Side is Martial Arts Discourse On? Bruce Lee's Philosophy versus Alain Badiou and Slavoj Zizek's Ideology

by Paul Bowman

This is the 2nd draft of a chapter for a book on Martial Arts on Philosophy. It is under consideration

Don't Think! Just Act!

by Koji Tanaka

Co-authored with Bronwyn Finnigan. Martial Arts and Philosophy: Beating and Nothingness, Graham Priest and Damon Young (eds.), Chicago and La Salle: Open Court, pp. 25-33, 2010.

Kenzo saw a slight movement of his opponent. "Now is the time to strike!" he thought. He started moving. But... more Kenzo saw a slight movement of his opponent. "Now is the time to strike!" he thought. He started moving. But before he had time to raise his shinai (sword) he was struck on the men (head) by his opponent. "Ippon!" the judge called.

Kenzo stepped back to face his opponent again. He took a deep breath. This time he would succeed in his counter-attack. He had been taught by his sensei (teacher) to enact the Shinkageryu philosophy:waiting for his opponent to make a move, then counter-striking at exactly the same time. He waited and watched his opponent. Suddenly his opponent raised his shinai to strike. Kenzo immediately saw his opponent was exposing his do (side of abdomen). "I can see an opening," he thought, "I should now counter-strike!" But before he had time to strike, his opponent struck on the men. "Ippon!" the judge called.

How can Kenzo successfully enact the Shinkageryu philosophy of "waiting" and counter-strike at the same time? If he realises his opponent is about to move and thinks, "Now is the time!" it's too late. But if he doesn't think it's the right moment, how can he act at all? It's easy for his sensei to say, "You just have to do it!" The questions is: how is this possible?

The Karate Kid (2010) Film Review

by Rachel Mizsei Ward

Published in Scope