Women And Martial Art In Japan

This book, based on extensive original research, examines the practice by women in a university sport setting of kendo, the Japanese martial art which, using bamboo swords as well as protective armour, and descended from traditional swordsmanship, instils in its practitioners, besides physical skills, societal values of etiquette and resilience as well connecting them to a “traditional” outlook, which includes a gendered cultural identity. The book therefore illustrates an unexplored example of identity construction in Japan, one which legitimises women’s sport experiences within a male-centric physical culture, unpacks the notion of “tradition” in kendo and unravels its stultifying control over women’s kendo participation, and discusses the androgenicity of women’s participation to highlight its subversive potential to develop women as leaders in sport, politics, and other fields which continue to be very male dominated in Japan.

This unique history of Japanese armed martial arts--the only comprehensive treatment of the subject in English--focuses on traditions of swordsmanship and archery from ancient times to the present. G. Cameron Hurst III provides an overview of martial arts in Japanese history and culture, then closely examines the transformation of these fighting skills into sports. He discusses the influence of the Western athletic tradition on the armed martial arts as well as the ways the martial arts have remained distinctly Japanese. During the Tokugawa era (1600-1867), swordsmanship and archery developed from fighting systems into martial arts, transformed by the powerful social forces of peace, urbanization, literacy, and professionalized instruction in art forms. Hurst investigates the changes that occurred as military skills that were no longer necessary took on new purposes: physical fitness, spiritual composure, character development, and sport. He also considers Western misperceptions of Japanese traditional martial arts and argues that, contrary to common views in the West, Zen Buddhism is associated with the martial arts in only a limited way. The author concludes by exploring the modern organization, teaching, ritual, and philosophy of archery and swordsmanship; relating these martial arts to other art forms and placing them in the broader context of Japanese culture.

Winner of the Norbert Elias Book Prize 2020 This is the first long-term analysis of the development of Japanese martial arts, connecting ancient martial traditions with the martial arts practised today. The Historical Sociology of Japanese Martial Arts captures the complexity of the emergence and development of martial traditions within the broader Japanese Civilising Process. The book traces the structured process in which warriors’ practices became systematised and expanded to the Japanese population and the world. Using the theoretical framework of Norbert Elias’s process-sociology and drawing on rich empirical data, the book also compares the development of combat practices in Japan, England, France and Germany, making a new contribution to our understanding of the socio-cultural dynamics of state formation. Throughout this analysis light is shed onto a gender blind spot, taking into account the neglected role of women in martial arts. The Historical Sociology of Japanese Martial Arts is important reading for students of Socio-Cultural Perspectives in Sport, Sociology of Physical Activity, Historical Development of Sport in Society, Asian Studies, Sociology and Philosophy of Sport, and Sports History and Culture. It is also a fascinating resource for scholars, researchers and practitioners interested in the historical and socio-cultural aspects of combat sport and martial arts.

In 1895, the newly formed Greater Japan Martial Virtue Association (Dainippon Butokukai) held its first annual Martial Virtue Festival (butokusai) in the ancient capital of Kyoto. The Festival marked the arrival of a new iteration of modern Japan, as the Butokukai’s efforts to define and popularise Japanese martial arts became an important medium through which the bodies of millions of Japanese citizens would experience, draw on, and even shape the Japanese nation and state. This book shows how the notion and practice of Japanese martial arts in the late Meiji period brought Japanese bodies, Japanese nationalisms, and the Japanese state into sustained contact and dynamic engagement with one another. Using a range of disciplinary approaches, Denis Gainty shows how the metaphor of a national body and the cultural and historical meanings of martial arts were celebrated and appropriated by modern Japanese at all levels of society, allowing them to participate powerfully in shaping the modern Japanese nation and state. While recent works have cast modern Japanese and their bodies as subject to state domination and elite control, this book argues that having a body – being a body, and through that body experiencing and shaping social, political, and even cosmic realities – is an important and underexamined aspect of the late Meiji period. Martial Arts and the Body Politic in Meiji Japan is an important contribution to debates in Japanese and Asian social sciences, theories of the body and its role in modern historiography, and related questions of power and agency by suggesting a new and dramatic role for human bodies in the shaping of modern states and societies. As such, it will be valuable to students and scholars of Japanese studies, Japanese history, modern nations and nationalisms, and sport and leisure studies, as well as those interested in the body more broadly.

Tells of women who have achieved excellence in judo, karate, kung fu, t'ai chi chuan, tae kwon do, kendo, and aikido.

With extensive, step-by-step photographs and instructions, this jiu-jitsu guide is an effective tool for mastering this ancient martial art. The original Japanese martial art developed by the elite samurai class during Japan's feudal era, Jiu-jitsu is the forerunner of Judo and the precursor of today's ultimate fighting styles, such as mixed martial arts (MMA). For centuries, this method of unarmed self-defense proved so successful in combat that it was kept secret and taught only to a select few. Based on the author's study with instructors at the Tokyo police academy, this book presents all the traditional techniques of Jujitsu, also known as Jiu-jitsu. These techniques teach you valuable restraining methods that force your opponent to submit without abuse by using pressure points. It shows you tips for search and seizure, and the almost extinct art of Hojojutsu—how to tie people up without using any knots. Japan's Ultimate Martial Art addresses and demonstrates the full range of Kaisho Goshin Budo Taiho Jitsu Ryu (Tokyo police self-defense). Learn specific techniques such as:The use of handsThrowing an opponentThe use of weapons Designed as a training manual, this fascinating Jiujitsu book also serves as a remarkable illustrated guide to the secret art of Japanese samurai self-defense.

This anthology is filled with content specifically selected for readers who have a strong interest in women’s participation in the Asian martial traditions. In addition to combative theory and practice, topics include aspects of theatrical performance, music, dance, gender studies, and insights for embodying philosophical elements into daily life. The twelve chapters that were written by noted authorities will certainly educate and inspire. These focus on the martial traditions of Japan, China, India, Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines. All of the historical and cultural details add much to the scholarly perspectives on these Asian arts. At the same time they add to the appreciation of how and why martial elements are infused in artistic performances, such as theater, music, and dance. Throughout can be seen the unifying thread of the womans’ role which will increase our appreciation of the feminine presence in Asian martial traditions.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Fighting Spirit of Japan" by E. J. Harrison. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.