IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE

Background. Karate has been understood as an Eastern martial art and is especially related to Japanese culture, where it was originally developed in Okinawa. Along with cultural changes in Japanese society and in international relations, karate practices have also undergone adjustments to their techniques and teaching methods.
Problem and aim. Drawing from existing phenomenological studies on karate, we understand this mode of combat not only in terms of technique, but also through the concept of intentionality. The objective of this paper is to describe an immersion in karate in Japan (mainland) and Okinawa undertaken by Western practitioners, the authors of) this paper, and to discuss it through a phenomenological and transcultural perspective.
Material and methods. Technical visits to Tokyo and Okinawa occurred in 2017, including training sessions by both researchers. The results were analyzed and discussed using the phenomenological perspective.
Results. As a main result, we have learned not only through the masters’ discourses but also through our bodies in such bodily activities. We have described the investigation based not only on narratives and reflexive data, but have also considered the important role of the body in its pre-reflexive aspect, to understand the bodily nuances of training.
Conclusions. It is hoped that this type of research can boost a growing trend of studies that encompasses the pre-reflexive character of the body, although there is still a scarcity of works which consider immersive training by the researcher. Phenomenology can be pointed out as a fertile ground for the development of investigations and methodological procedures in this field.