Sportization of Budo: The Effects of Competitions on Budo

「試合」の導入によって，武道に何が起こるか。試合には，ルールと審判が存在する。選手の競技力は，このルールと審判という外的システムによって測定・評価されるので，必然的に，競技の技術はこの外的システムの影響を受けて発達する。もともとスポーツとして成立した野球やサッカーなどの競技の場合，こうした外的システムの下で選手やチームの競技力が測定・評価され，また，競技の技術が発達することは至極当然であり，何ら疑問や違和感はない。本来，スポーツとはそういうものである。逆に言えば，ルールと審判が，スポーツの面白さや奥深さを支えている。しかし，本来武道であったものが，「試合」を導入することでスポーツ化した場合には，事情が異なる。すなわち，武道の場合はそもそも，ルールや審判といった外的システムとは無関係に，すでに技が存在するのである。技の善し悪しや武道家の力量は，外的システムによる測定や評価の対象ではないし，そもそも，測定されたり評価されたりするものでもない。しかし，武道がスポーツ化する，つまり，「試合」を導入することによって，次第にそこでのルールや審判という外的な評価基準に沿って，武道本来の目的や技が変容することは免れ得ない。武道修行者は次第にスポーツ選手と化し，「試合」に勝つための，すなわち，ルールにしたがって審判に評価されやすいような技術を洗練させていくことになる。こうなると，日々の「稽古」や「修行」はすでに，試合のための「練習」と化してしまう。こうして，「試合」を導入することによって，武道はスポーツとなり，その結果，存在理由のみならず技術的な中身まで，大きく変容する。

What would happen to budo if it introduced "competitions" into itself? There are rules and judges in competitions. The abilities of players participating in "competitions" are measured and evaluated by such external system as these rules and judges, and inevitably the skills in competitions develop under the influence of this external system. For something like baseball and football which are originally developed as sports, it is only natural that the abilities of players and teams are measured and evaluated, and their skills are formulated by this external system. We have no question or nothing wrong with it. Essentially, sports is something like it. Conversely speaking, rules and judges support the attraction and profoundness of sports. However, matters are different in the case that activities, which was originally budo, have been sportized by introducing "competitions" into themselves. In the case of budo, there have already been skills formed before such external system as rules and judges. Whether the skills of a budoka are good or bad, or his competence is not a target measured and evaluated by the external system, and can not be measured or evaluated basically. But, if a school of budo was sportized, that is to say, it introduced "competitions" into itself, it could not avoid allowing purposes and skills originated with budo to gradually change along such external evaluation standards as the rules and judges in competitions. In that case, a person who practiced budo has been becoming an athlete without notice, and he/she has been trying to polish various skills which are right to win at "competitions", that is, to be evaluated well and scored high by the judges along the rules of the competitions. Then, "keiko" or "shugyo" have already changed to "renshu" for competitions. As stated above, budo is sportized by introducing competitions into itself, and as a result, the quality of skills as well as the reason for presence changes dramatically.

Sportization of Budo: Transformation from Budo into Sports by Competitions

本来，武道とスポーツとは異なるものである。しかし，ある武道が「試合」を導入すれば，スポーツ化を免れることは難しい。武道修行は一見，目的性のない漠然とした活動に見えるので，特に初心者の場合，武道稽古への動機づけを保とうとするとき，具体的な目標を求めたがる。その目標に設定するものとして，当人や指導者にとって好都合なのが，「試合」である。「試合」に向けて稽古する，という図式は極めて分かりやすく，また，具体的で明確である。また，稽古の成果を，何らかの具体的な結果（得点や勝ち負けなど）として知りたいという欲求も出てくる。ここからも，自分にとってより良い結果を出そうと，試合に向けて稽古する，という図式が成立する。こうして，ある武道が仮に「試合」を導入すれば，それはどうしてもスポーツ化することは免れず，同時に，武道修行者はスポーツ選手と化する。

Essentially, budo and sports are different from each other. But, if a school of budo introduced "competitions" into themselves, there would be no way to avoid sportization for them. Budo training seems to be a vague activity without explicit purpose, and then especially beginners or younger pupils are eager to seek a specific goal in order to maintain their motivation for practice of budo. It is "competitions" that is convenient for them and their teachers to set for their goal. The framework that people train for "competitions" is extremely understandable, concrete, and clear. In addition, they gradually begin to have a desire to know the fruits of their practice as any concrete results like scores, win and loss, and so on. This desire makes the framework that people train for "competitions" in order to produce better results for themselves. Thus, if a school of budo introduced "competitions" into themselves, they would be forced to be sportized, and simultaneously with it, pupils of the school would become athletes.

Rules and Judges in Sports

スポーツにはルールがあり，審判がいる。選手はルールに則って競技し，勝敗は審判によって決められる。つまり，スポーツ選手は，ルールという外的な制限・枠組み・縛りを受け，審判という外的な他者の目によって評価される。したがって，選手の競技力とは，こうしたシステムに沿った軸で測られる能力といえる。そして必然的に，スポーツにおける技術は，こうした外的な基準や評価のシステムに適応した形で発達せざるをえない。スポーツの技術や選手の競技力は日々変化していくが，ルールと審判という外的システムが，その変化の方向性を規定している。

There are rules and judges in sports. Players take part in a game with the rules, and the outcome of the game is decided by the judges. That is, athletes are affected by the external limitations, frameworks, or binds named rules, and evaluated by the external viewpoints of others named judges. Therefore, the athletic abilities of players are considered to be ones that are evaluated on the measure along this system. Inevitably, it forces the skills in sports to develop along the lines that they adapt to the external standards or evaluation system. The skills in a sport and the athletic abilities of players are making steady progress, but the orientation of progress is determined by the external system as rules and judges.