KARATE AS A SPORT

Background: Nowadays, many karate organizations hold their own competitions at various levels, up to and including the world championships. They are positioned as separate sports, although the content, rules and regulations of many of them differ only in details. A large number of similar sports versions of karate interfere with the correct understanding and objective assessment of karate in the modern world. Materials and Methods: Based on 40 years of practical experience in studying and teaching karate and on the results of his own research in 2019-2022, the author presents his point of view on the unification of sports versions of karate based on common systemic features into three separate sports. Like any sport, karate reflects the social phenomenon from which it originated. Using civilization-historical, functional and social approaches, the author suggests that the paradigm shifts in combat systems lead to the emergence of new forms that have deep systemic differences. Accordingly, these differences are also manifested in sports disciplines that have arisen on the basis of these forms. Results: Three forms of karate have a component with pronounced features of modern sport and form three systemically different competitive disciplines: 1) Style (Traditional) karate; 2) General karate; 3) Sports (Olympic) karate. The differences between them stem from the differences between the forms of karate from which they arose. Conclusions: Style, General and Sports karate are sports which require consideration in different paradigms. They are selfsufficient and equal in value and public demand.

Abstract book. 13th International Conference of IMACSSS & 5th GSMACC 2024 , 2024

This analytica1 study is devoted to the rоlе and significance of Gепеrаl karate in protecting Japanese karate in the mоdеrп West from two threats to its authenticity: 1) complete transformation into а typical Western sport, 2) primitivization and complete loss of features of the fighting system. Summarizing the results of previous studies and relying оп mапу years of practical experience, the аuthоr concludes that General Karate сап Ьесоmе а сощрrоmisе in the competition for influence in Western society between the two paradigms of modern karate: Budo and Sport. In 1993, the IOC recognized General karate as one of the sports disciplines of karate that meet the Olympic requirements. This recognition makes General karate an authoritative рlаtfоrm where апу karate style сап meet the need for high-level competition without losing its identity, changing the overall training strategy, and compromising its philosophical principles. On the оthеr hand, General karate creates conditions for the newly created styles and schools of karate, authentic оr marginal, to сопfirm the reality of thеir declared advantages Ьу comparison in direct competitions with classical styles.

2014

Aim. From the perspective of the “humanistic theory of martial arts” [Cynarski 2004, 2006a] and the “general theory of fighting arts” [Cynarski, Sieber 2012] the author tackles the problem of the main directions of changes and institutional development of karate in Europe. He puts forward a hypothesis that sportification is not a dominant direction of changes in karate. Method. Three complementary test methods for qualitative analysis were used: an analysis of subject matter literature; long-term participatory observation and the method of competent judges / expert courts. There were five questions to karate experts (prepared in 3 languages). 1. What is the main purpose of the karatedō? 2. What are the trends in karate (in Europe)? 3. How is karate spreading – how many people are participating in different countries? 4. What is the percentage of people participating in sports karate (for competitions)? 5. How compatible is the karate now practised in your country with its Japanese a...

2017

Attitudes and motivations of people practicing Karate are studied by a relatively small group of researchers. Such surveys have not yet been conducted among the national Karate squad of the Polish Traditional Karate Association for this age group. The anthropology of martial arts provides a scientific framework for this study. The scientific problem was formulated as the following questions: What is the perception of karate and attitude toward karate in the Polish junior squad in relation to their values? What are the preferences of the surveyed in terms of value hierarchy? Does gender variable differentiate the selection of the most important values? The main method of empirical research here is a diagnostic survey. The tools are: a direct extended questionnaire by Cynarski, auxiliary questionnaire A, survey questionnaire "Perception of martial arts by the practicing youth. Motives and effects of training, values of martial arts against other values", and the Rokeach sca...

KARATE: POWER, SELF-CONTROL AND EVOLUTION (Atena Editora), 2023

This article aims to present the processes of evolution that Karate has gone through, the power intertwined with it and the self-control of practitioners in their daily relationships of interdependence in the environments of the training space (dojo), on the competition court (koto) and in social relationships. The work is supported by a bibliographic review, in an approach with a qualitative emphasis, based on the conceptual theoretical foundation of Norbert Elias in dialogue with Michel Foucaut, and with the field experience of a professional with graduations 5th Dan of Karate Shorin-Ryu Shinshukan, by the Confederation Brasileira de Karatê (CBK) and 3rd Dan of Kobu-Do (fighting with ancient weapons from Japan), by União Shorin-Ryu Karatê-Do Brasil (USRKB), or Shinshukan.

SECURITY DIMENSIONS. INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL STUDIES, 2013

The authors describe budo karate as one of the aspects of safety culture. Nowadays, there are three pillars of karate: traditional karate, sports and self-defense. Karate is a particular feld of physical culture that forms the foundation for all three pillars of safety culture: the mental, organizational and material pillar. Karate meets the modern expectations of increasing the quality of life, feeling of security and protection against the dangers of the modern world. The authors also note that all style karate is a system that symbiotically combines tradition with appropriately construed modernity, while simultaneously enabling self-fulfllment.

The contemporary Asia is not only in the process of making industrialization and democratization, but also establishing Asian homogeneity and intercommunity through universal cultural phenomenon of sports originated from the West. This paper is a personal article to observe the future of Asian traditional martial arts through Allen Guttmann's seven characteristics of modern sport. Future Asia, especially Northeast Asia; South Korea, China, and Japan are likely to become the world leading powerhouses based on their infinite potentialities in human, material, and ideological resources. The Olympics will be hosted by the three Asian countries in 4 years: 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea, 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics in Japan, and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in China respectively. I had examined which types of efforts like as globalization, study, legislation have been put into traditional Asian martial arts after the modernization in Asia. Moreover, discussions regarding impediments to the efforts and measures for improvement are provided. Asian martial arts have been transformed in forms and contents at last will be change the notion of characteristics of modern sports Guttmann proposes is prominent.

Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 2004

This article seeks to explore and to rethink popular narratives that commonly surround the martial art known as karate. Adopting a dynamic and less exclusive definition of terms such as culture or tradition, I intend to provide a more critical and historically grounded understanding of karate's technical evolution and ideological foundations. In doing so, this will reveal that contemporary and popular perceptions of karate as a "martial tradition" are more historically complex and politically contingent than what has often been widely accepted.