‘Old style’, modern meaning:

An ethnographic exploration of the value of a

traditional martial art in contemporary Japan.

Anna Seabourne, University of Manchester

European Association of Japanese Studies

University of Ljubljana, 26 – 30 August 2014

古流 ‘old style’ koryū

bujutsu• Recognised as koryū by other koryū

• Pre-Meiji Restoration

• Secretive

• Few members

• Lineage

• System is passed from teacher to student

• Traditional training methods

• Do not compete

• Formal curriculum of techniques

Few

members

Lineage

kata geiko

Curriculum

makimono

• Founded in 1532

• Comprehensive system

• Known for kogusoku and bo

• Forerunner of Judo

Does it have meaning?

[I have learnt…] the importance of doing and being myself.

(Fujiwara, 20s, student, F)

[It] has become a part of me, and if I don’t train, I get frustrated. It’s like eating.

(Maeda, 50s, senior management, M)

It’s part of life, like breathing.

(Ishida, 50s, banker, M)

Spiral curriculum - kihon形kataforms

基本kihonbasics

演武embu

performance

口伝kuden

oral teachings

beginner

assistantteacher

dōjō head

kihon

Spiral curriculum - kata形kataforms

基本kihonbasics

演武embu

performance

口伝kuden

oral teachings

beginner

assistantteacher

dōjō head

kata

Spiral curriculum - embu形kataforms

基本kihonbasics

演武embu

performance

口伝kuden

oral teachings

beginner

assistantteacher

dōjō head

enbu

enbu

Spiral curriculum - kuden形kataforms

基本kihonbasics

演武embu

performance

口伝kuden

oral teachings

beginner

assistantteacher

dōjō head

kuden

Calendar - brief

Understanding the body

Individual

• Exercise

• Basic movement

• ‘body work’ through kata

• Posture, balance, coordination

• Awareness of own aging

• Ukemi

Other people

• Understanding how people move

• Reading posture

• Awareness of aging as process

• Physical contact

Environment

• Ability to deal with different conditions

• Weapons, space

• Enbu as a test

Perhaps the most important

thing is communication through

the body. Waza and kata are

living things. They can not just

be taught by words. This is a

wonderful thing. (Ishida, 40s, banker, M)

Understanding the mind, kokoro

Individual

• ‘Being myself’

• Overcoming adversity

• Self-worth

• Learning to think, learning to learn

Other people

• Communication skills

• Teacher-student relationship

Environment

• Awareness

• Strategy

• Management

In terms of life, jinsei, it’s more than doing work, it’s the “know how”, things I’ve learnt from Kancho, from senpai. …hikidashi, I have my own drawer in which I keep various things, to which I have added. For example, when it comes being put on the spot to sing, doing enbu, it [prepares you] for giving a speech. Being able to rely on this at any point.

The five ways of learning, seven ways of teaching narai no gokajō, is very useful. It’s about how to relate to humans, how to enjoy things, to do things straight away. It has been extremely useful and has taught me lots of things.

(Uetake, late 40s, civil servant, M)

‘Know how’

Five principles of learning

1. gratitude for being taught

2. prompt action

3. devising your purpose

4. comparison with other things

5. teaching

Work

Tachi-machi

So what?

School of Arts, Languages

anna.seabourne@postgrad.manchester.a

c.uk

@lucubrat

http://lucubrat.wordpress.com

Thank you...

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures