日本本土の空手を代表するのは，いわゆる試合を中心に据えた「スポーツ空手」である。戦前戦後に大学を中心に広まった沖縄の伝統武術である空手は，本土ではことごとくスポーツ化し，現在の国際化に結びついている。スポーツ空手は，いわゆる古流の沖縄伝統空手とは，技術的にも見た目にも異なる。また，大山倍達先生が創始した極真空手も，全日本空手道連盟を軸にしたスポーツ空手と，技術的にも見た目にも異なる。日本本土を経由して国際化した空手はこのように，様々な身体様式へと多様化している。その一因は，スポーツ化（競技化）である。スポーツ化によって，武術の本質は失われていく。一方で，スポーツ化をあえて進めないことで，武術としての本質を維持することは可能であると考えられる。本土における空手をいかに武術として維持するかは，スポーツ化をいかに避けるかにかかっている。
The representative of karate in the mainland of Japan is so called "sports karate," which makes much of competitions (games). Karate, the Okinawan classical martial art, which has been popularized mainly among universities and colleges before and after the world war II, is being wholly sportized in the mainland of Japan and its sportization leads to its internationalization today. Sports karate is different from that old-style Okinawan traditional karate in techniques and appearances. Kyokushin Karate, which was found by Masutatsu Oyama sensei, is also different in techniques and appearances from sports karate that is represented by Japan Karatedo Federation. In this way, karate, which has been internationalized via the mainland of Japan, has increased in variation of physical forms. One of the reason is sportization (introducing tournaments). Sportization gradually makes martial arts lose their own essence as they intrinsically have. To put it the other way around, we can see that it is possible to maintain the essence of martial art in itself by keeping away from sportization. How well we can maintain karate in the mainland of Japan as a martial art depends on how well we can avoid sportizing it.
September 21, 2012
Okinawa and Karate
空手は，沖縄の伝統的な身体文化である。明治期に徐々に体系化され，戦前の昭和期に日本本土に紹介され，伝播した。本土では主に大学を中心に広まり，戦後は，スポーツとして発展した。現在では，主に「スポーツ空手」の愛好家が世界中に数多くいる。本土や世界でスポーツ化が進んだ一方で，戦後の米国統治の中，沖縄では，空手が純粋培養され，かつての本来の形を色濃く残した空手が継承されていると考えられている。ただ実際は，ガラパゴス的進化の結果，独特の現在の沖縄空手が形成された可能性も捨てきれない。つまり，明治期に体系化される以前の空手（手），少なくとも明治期当時の空手が一体どのようなものであったのかは，口伝による身体文化のために，今となっては客観的な検証は難しい。そのため，果たして本当にかつての本来の形を色濃く残しているのかどうかは定かではない。ただ，いずれにせよ，少なくとも言えることは，運良くスポーツ化を免れたが故に，武術として維持されているのが，沖縄の空手だろう。
Karate is a traditional body culture in Okinawa. It had been gradually systematized during Meiji era, and introduced and popularized in the mainland of Japan during Showa era before the world war II. In the mainland of Japan, karate had spread mainly between universities, and after the WW II, it has developed as a sport. Today, there are a lot of fans of mainly "sports karate" in the world. While karate has been sportized in the mainland of Japan and the world, it seems that the karate in Okinawa, which strongly keeps an essential style once as it had because of pure culture under the sway of United States after WW II, has been inherited. But actually, there is a slight possibility that the current unique Okinawa karate has been shaped through something like biological evolution in Galapagos. That is, it is difficult for us today to objectively determine what kind of thing karate (tiy) before systematized in the Meiji era or at least during the Meiji era was, because karate was a body culture handed down by word of mouth. Thus, it is not certain whether it really remains to be as it was then. But, anyhow, what we can say at least is that it is Okinawan karate that remains to be martial arts due to having escaped from sportization fortunately.
Karate is a traditional body culture in Okinawa. It had been gradually systematized during Meiji era, and introduced and popularized in the mainland of Japan during Showa era before the world war II. In the mainland of Japan, karate had spread mainly between universities, and after the WW II, it has developed as a sport. Today, there are a lot of fans of mainly "sports karate" in the world. While karate has been sportized in the mainland of Japan and the world, it seems that the karate in Okinawa, which strongly keeps an essential style once as it had because of pure culture under the sway of United States after WW II, has been inherited. But actually, there is a slight possibility that the current unique Okinawa karate has been shaped through something like biological evolution in Galapagos. That is, it is difficult for us today to objectively determine what kind of thing karate (tiy) before systematized in the Meiji era or at least during the Meiji era was, because karate was a body culture handed down by word of mouth. Thus, it is not certain whether it really remains to be as it was then. But, anyhow, what we can say at least is that it is Okinawan karate that remains to be martial arts due to having escaped from sportization fortunately.
August 21, 2012
Subjective Judgment on Genuineness of Masters
ある人にとっては，ある師の技術や考えが正しく，別の人にとっては別の師のそれが正しい。その意味で世の中には「本物」と評される武道家が星の数ほどいる。ただ，客観的な基準として有名かどうかは，「本物」かどうかの判断材料には一切ならない。重要なのは，この人は「本物」だと，自分自身が心底から思える武道家に巡り会うことである。もちろんその判断は自身の修行の程度に依存するるものの，「本物」かどうかの究極的な基準はおそらく，主観的な体感だろう。武道は身体技芸であるからこそ，「本物」かどうかの理解は，理屈ではなく身体感覚に基づいていると考えられる。ただし，その体感の理解は，主観的な枠組みや基準に依存している。修行段階によって，得られる体感は異なる。結局のところ，ある武道家を本物と判断するかどうかは，徹底的に修行者個人の主観であるといえる。
A master's techniques and thoughts are right for some people, while another master's ones for other people. In that sense, there are thousands of martial artists described as "genuine" in the world. But, whether a master is famous or not is never information as a subjective criterion to decide whether he/she is "genuine" or not. The important thing is that people meet a martial artist who they themselves can regard as "genuine" from the bottom of their heart. Though the decision naturally depends on the level of their own mastering, the ultimate scale to decide whether a master is "genuine" or not may probably be a subjective sense of body. Comprehension of the genuineness is considered to be based on not a logical theory but a sense of body, just because marital arts are body crafts. However, understanding that sense of body depends on a subjective framework or standard. Felt sense of body varies according to the stage of mastering. As it turned out, it is said that deciding whether a martial artist is genuine or not is thoroughly the person's own subjective judgement.
A master's techniques and thoughts are right for some people, while another master's ones for other people. In that sense, there are thousands of martial artists described as "genuine" in the world. But, whether a master is famous or not is never information as a subjective criterion to decide whether he/she is "genuine" or not. The important thing is that people meet a martial artist who they themselves can regard as "genuine" from the bottom of their heart. Though the decision naturally depends on the level of their own mastering, the ultimate scale to decide whether a master is "genuine" or not may probably be a subjective sense of body. Comprehension of the genuineness is considered to be based on not a logical theory but a sense of body, just because marital arts are body crafts. However, understanding that sense of body depends on a subjective framework or standard. Felt sense of body varies according to the stage of mastering. As it turned out, it is said that deciding whether a martial artist is genuine or not is thoroughly the person's own subjective judgement.
Genuine Master for Experts
いちじるしく誤った師の元でない限り，ある程度そこで修練を積めば，多様な経験や知識が徐々に蓄積されるために，その人にとっての「本物」の枠組みや基準が少しずつ醸成されるはずである。もし仮にこの段階で，我が師は本物でないという判断に至れば，本物を他に求めることになる。あるいは，師を求めることなく自分一人で修行する，さらには自流を立てることになるかもしれない。この際，「本物」の枠組みや基準は，極めて主観的なものであるといえる。自分個人にとって，すなわち，あくまで個人的主観的な枠組みと基準において理想とされる技術や考えを持つ武道家かどうかによって，「本物」かどうかが決まる。したがって，「本物」とは，百人百様である。自分の目から見て，この人は偽物だ，この人は本物だと判断するのだから，本質的に，他者の評価や意見は関係ない。
Unless the master is extremely wrong, if we learn martial arts under him/her to some extent, we must bring about the framework and standard to estimate "genuineness" for ourselves little by little, because we gradually accumulate various kinds of experience and knowledge about the art. At this stage, if we reached to a decision that our master was not a genuine martial artist, we would seek for another master who is genuine. Or, while some would practice by themselves without seeking for a new master, others might establish his own school. On this occasion, the framework or standard of "genuineness" can be said to be extremely subjective. Depending on us individually, that is, whether the master is a person who have techniques and thoughts we idealize on our subjective framework and standard to the utmost, is a point to decide whether the master should be "genuine" or not. Therefore, concerning the "genuineness," so many men, so many minds. Essentially, other people's evaluation and opinions are not relevant to the decision whether a person regard his/her master as a genuine martial artist or a fake one from his/her own subjective viewpoint.
Unless the master is extremely wrong, if we learn martial arts under him/her to some extent, we must bring about the framework and standard to estimate "genuineness" for ourselves little by little, because we gradually accumulate various kinds of experience and knowledge about the art. At this stage, if we reached to a decision that our master was not a genuine martial artist, we would seek for another master who is genuine. Or, while some would practice by themselves without seeking for a new master, others might establish his own school. On this occasion, the framework or standard of "genuineness" can be said to be extremely subjective. Depending on us individually, that is, whether the master is a person who have techniques and thoughts we idealize on our subjective framework and standard to the utmost, is a point to decide whether the master should be "genuine" or not. Therefore, concerning the "genuineness," so many men, so many minds. Essentially, other people's evaluation and opinions are not relevant to the decision whether a person regard his/her master as a genuine martial artist or a fake one from his/her own subjective viewpoint.
Genuine Master for Beginners
初学者の場合は，経験や知識といった材料が少ないために，目の前の武道家が本物かどうかを判断する枠組みや基準がない。そのため，たまたまついた師匠を「本物」と信じるしかないだろう。修行の過程でその信念が変わらない限り，その人にとってその師匠は永遠に「本物」である。たとえ他者の目から見れば（客観的には）いかがわしくても，本人にとっては（主観的には）本物であり続ける。
In the case of beginners, they have no framework or standard to judge whether a martial artist in front of them is genuine or not, because of few matters such as experience or knowledge. Then, they would have no other way than to believe their master, whom they follow by chance, genuine. Unless their belief changes in the process of practicing, the master is "genuine" for them forever. Even if the master was doubtful in the eyes of others outside (objectively), he would continue to be genuine for themselves (subjectively).
In the case of beginners, they have no framework or standard to judge whether a martial artist in front of them is genuine or not, because of few matters such as experience or knowledge. Then, they would have no other way than to believe their master, whom they follow by chance, genuine. Unless their belief changes in the process of practicing, the master is "genuine" for them forever. Even if the master was doubtful in the eyes of others outside (objectively), he would continue to be genuine for themselves (subjectively).
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