IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE

Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology

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Abstract - Values associated with practicing modern karate as a form of cultivating old Japanese Bushido patterns

Many masters of martial arts derived from the nobility, therefore, the principles of Bushido continuously penetrated the social systems with which the tutors were identified. The moral values such as righteousness and justice, courtesy, kindness, goodness, and honor determined the key to understand the major goals of teaching karate as a sport discipline. Bushido as a chivalrous system of values emerged with the development of war crafts in the medieval Japan, pointing direction towards educating and functioning of Japanese chivalry namely people skilled in the art of war. Righteousness and justice are distinguished in terms of many features of the warriors. They are associated with an obligation to respect orders dictated by reason and act in a just cause. The actions were entirely supported by bravery and courage, where the fear of death ceased to exist. The most valuable items owned by a warrior were his weapon and his self-esteem. Japanese culture strongly emphasizes politeness as the feature which already in ancient times has been regarded as one of the most important virtues and associated with a favor of respect for other people and their feelings. Karate cultivates the tradition of performing monastic training, derived from Buddhist practice. The stages of initiating and finishing the training with meditation, the atmosphere of discipline, specific relationship between a master and his learner in which the teacher is a guide on the way of gaining personal knowledge and skills. In conclusion each element of training process makes karate become a practical field of acquisition and exploring the truth concerning ourselves and life and the truth which pursues a sense of excellence. The research objective is to examine an opinion of the contestants practicing shotokan, on the values they perceive which result from cultivating martial arts.