Nationalism of the Roundhouse Kick: Traditional Japanese Martial Arts

There are many aspects of Japanese culture and gild that make it one of the close to well-liked countries in the world today, at least according to the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index. The technological innovations stemming from the country and the reputation of companies much(prenominal) as Honda, Toyota, Nintendo, and Sony make for an international focus on Japans industrial prowess. Added to that is the ever-rising popularity of manga and anime, and altogether, they form a strong nationalist feeling in Japan, yet entirely different from the nationalism of the wartime period. However, there is another expression of Japanese culture rooted in historical significance that evokes an chute sense of pride within the population militant arts. It is important not only to look at the physical aspects of these martial arts tradition, barely the mental ones as well. Through the historical background of types of Japanese martial arts such as karate-do, jujutsu, aikido, and kenju tsu, the progression of the arts and a escape from their origins, and eventually their place in Japanese sports and society today (karate, judo, kendo, and sumo), we go out see how Japanese martial arts shifted back and forth betwixt military and physical philosophy, and pacifist and Zen-like philosophy.To begin, it is generally difficult to pinpoint a consensus date for the commencement of a martial arts tradition in Japan because the learning of these arts was mostly done orally and by means of practice. It is by and large agreed upon that all of the Oriental martial arts have their roots in China, from the founder of Zen Buddhism, the Indian monk Bodhidarma (Daruma for the Japanese), in the 6th century. The principles of Zen Buddhism would later be reflected in most of the ph... ...sian Martial Arts 3, no. 4 (1994) 63-75.Official Website of the Olympic Movement. Athletes. http//www.olympic.org/athletes, (assessed April 3, 2012).Saotome Mitsugi. The Princples of Aikido. capi tal of Massachusetts Shambhala, 1989.Skidmore, Max J. Oriental Contributions to Western Popular Culture The Martial Arts, ledger of Popular Culture 25, no. 1 (1991) 129-148.Sumo. Japan Guide. http//www.japan-guide.com/e/e2080.html, (assessed April 3, 2012).Suzuki Tatsuo, Karate-Do. raw York Perigee Books, 1984.Tan, Kevin S. Y. Constructing a Martial Tradition Rethinking a Popular History of Karaet-dou. daybook of Sport and Social Issues 26, no. 2 (2004) 169-192, doi 10.1177/0193723504264772.World Karate Federation. twentieth World Karate Federation Championship Results. http//www.wkf.net/index.php? option=com_negligee&view=wrapper&Itemid=58, (assessed April 3, 2012).