Educational aspects of Karate: discussing their representations in filming

Abstract

Karate is a fighting style that originated in Okinawa, an island in the south of Japan. Historically, it spans over three periods: from the seventeenth century, as bujutsu, a clandestine fighting technique; later, as budo, when it was turned into a traditional Japanese combat form in the late nineteenth century, promoting educational and identity values; and finally as a fighting sport, when it was associated with motor performance and competitiveness in the twentieth century. In considering the role of karate as a carrier of values of an idealized Japan – Japaneseness –, the present study analyzes representations of this fighting style in filming. The analysis focused on the educational aspects portrayed in the American film The Karate Kid (and its two sequels) and in the Japanese film Kuro Obi, being conducted according to three categories: the relationship between theory and practice; noises and conflicts between teacher and student; and student training as a future teacher. Results show that these cinematographic works criticize the sportivization of karate while emphasizing the representation of educational aspects associated with the periods of bujutsu and, specially, of budo. They also collaborate to reaffirm and actualize Japaneseness by treating the principles of budo and its educational transmission in an idealized way, without alluding to its modern form. Moreover, the films diverge from the contemporary proposal of a pedagogy of martial arts based on the science of human motricity. On the other hand, these cinematographic productions contribute to the educational area in that they allow discussions about educational processes and their mishaps, which are portrayed in an original way, using the concepts of yin/yang related to the Zen Buddhist principles of budo.