Traditional martial arts versus martial sports: the philosophical and historical academic discourse

Authors

  • Udo Moenig Youngsan University
  • Minho Kim Youngsan University
  • Hyun Min Choi Youngsan University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18002/rama.v18i1.7604

Keywords:

Martial arts, combat sports, martial arts terminology, martial arts philosophy, invention of tradition

Agencies:

The authors received no funding for this work.

Abstract

There have been a variety of attempts by scholars to neatly define and categorize Asian martial arts terminology, often in connection with martial arts history, philosophy, and practical training activities. Overall, the English term ‘martial arts’ is typically linked to East Asian fighting activities. In comparison, Western fighting methods, such as boxing and wrestling, are almost never referred to as ‘martial arts’ but mostly labeled ‘sports’ or ‘combat sports.’ This is reflected in the basic split of the broader martial arts community, which is between the so-called traditionalists and the modernists. The former often stress spirituality and mysticism and claim that the primary aim of martial arts is self-defense, while the latter are commonly affiliated with sports training and competitive events. The rift between the two camps is not settled and it represents the main reason of the many conflicting opinions and arguments articulated in the martial arts discourse. The principle method of this study is an extensive literature review with the aim to clarify the confusion by pointing out the many paradoxes present in the historical and philosophical narratives in connection with practical training activities of the martial arts. Besides, this article represents also a critique of the general, academic discourse about the Asian martial arts, which often appears disingenuous and is generally dominated by the traditionalists.

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Author Biographies

Udo Moenig, Youngsan University

Udo Moenig, PhD (South Korea), is an associate professor at the Department of Taekwondo, Youngsan University, in South Korea. He earned a PhD in Physical Education from Keimyung University. He was appointed as the first foreigner to teach taekwondo at a Korean university in 2005, and is at the moment the only non-Korean in the field. He researches in the domain of Asian Studies with a focus on martial arts related issues, such as history, philosophy, and the technical aspects of martial arts. He has extensive practical experience in taekwondo (with a focus on competition) and other martial arts for over forty years. E-mail: udomoenig@yahoo.com

Minho Kim, Youngsan University

Minho Kim, PhD (South Korea), is a professor at the Department of Asian Martial Arts, Youngsan University, in South Korea. He earned a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from University Bordeaux II, France, in 1999. He researches broadly in the domain of practical and theoretical martial arts studies, but his main research area is cultural martial arts studies and health-related issues. He has been training and instructing martial arts at Youngsan University since 2001. E-mail: menhkim@ysu.ac.kr

Hyun Min Choi, Youngsan University

Hyun Min Choi, PhD (South Korea), is an assistant professor at Youngsan University. He researches in the fields of martial arts, taekwondo, and sports. He coached the Afghan taekwondo national team at the Beijing Olympics (2008) and the Thai taekwondo national team at the London Olympics (2012). He specializes in sports sociology and is a training expert. He previously worked at the Kukkiwon Research Institute and the World Taekwondo Federation. E-mail: sbvfef@hanmail.net

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Published

2023-05-13

How to Cite

Moenig, U., Kim, M. ., & Choi, H. M. (2023). Traditional martial arts versus martial sports: the philosophical and historical academic discourse. Revista de Artes Marciales Asiáticas, 18(1), 41–58. https://doi.org/10.18002/rama.v18i1.7604

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