Fighting Women of Kabuki Theater and the Legacy of Women’s Japanese Martial Arts

Authors

  • Deborah Klens-Bigman Iaikai Dojo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18002/rama.v5i2.116

Keywords:

Onnagata, characters, stage fighting, martial skills

Abstract

The fighting woman character has been a staple of Japan’s kabuki theater almost since its inception. Audiences accepted these characters, especially fighting women of the samurai class, as part of the depiction of Edo period (1603–1868) life. This paper explores several of these characters and suggests that they help form the legacy of women’s practice of martial arts today.

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References

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Published

2012-07-12

How to Cite

Klens-Bigman, D. (2012). Fighting Women of Kabuki Theater and the Legacy of Women’s Japanese Martial Arts. Revista de Artes Marciales Asiáticas, 5(2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.18002/rama.v5i2.116

Issue

Section

Articles