Abstract - Karate’s tradition: the perception of masters and students
Background. This article investigates manifestations of karate traditions perceived, felt, and experienced by practitioners of different graduation levels.
Problem and aim. How are Karate traditions understood by its practitioners? The objective of this article is to explore the theme of tradition in Karate from the perspective of practitioners.
Material and methods. This article presents data and discussions based on descriptive and exploratory research, which sought to expand knowledge about Karate, especially exploring the theme of tradition. Several academic works were consulted (scientific articles, master’s theses, doctoral dissertations) to establish a dialogue with data from field research. The research included observations of Karate classes, recorded in a field diary, and interviews with practitioners. It started from the assumption that karatekas understand the traditions of Karate as the time of practice advances
Results. 1) throughout this research, it was found that the history of Karate is permeated by elements, often millenary, mythical, and ritualistic, from a past supported by oral tradition, 2) the interviewees associated traditions with norms of conduct, values, active interpersonal relationships, and rituals, 3) the master-disciple relationship was also identified as a relevant representative of tradition, 4) the Dojo was identified as a place of rituals.
Conclusions. It is understood that traditions can undergo transformations or even disappear – their representations can also vary, given that the karateka’s perception sees part of a whole, i.e., each one observes from a certain angle. Thus, the meaning often becomes ambiguous and is what makes it constitutive of existence.