Embodied power and identity: bodily discipline and sociocultural transformation in the Guangdong Chin Woo Athletic Association

Haidong Chen; Lianzhen Ma

doi:10.18002/rama.v20i2.2512

Authors

Haidong Chen School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7251-4018
Lianzhen Ma School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8213-0495

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18002/rama.v20i2.2512

Keywords:

Martial arts, Chinese martial arts, combat sports, sport history, bodily discipline, identity, leadership, Republican Era China

Abstract

This study aimed to deeply examine how the Guangdong Chin Woo Athletic Association, within the specific historical and regional context of Republican Era China, shaped members’ bodily concepts, behavior patterns, and values through its unique system of bodily discipline. It examines the intricate relationships between this process and individual identity, group identification, and national identity. This paper applies Foucault’s theory of bodily discipline to address the lack of previous research on the bodily disciplinary practices of specific regional Chin Woo branches and their sociocultural implications. Based on a meticulous review and analysis of primary archival materials, including the works Jing Wu Ben Ji and Jing Wu Yue Chuan, this study systematically analyzes the diverse bodily disciplinary practices of the Guangdong Chin Woo Athletic Association, encompassing the modernization of Chinese martial arts training, the organization of diverse cultural activities, and the establishment of strict institutional norms. The research reveals that the bodily discipline of the Guangdong Chin Woo Athletic Association was not merely a simple physical skills training, but a complex social process that integrated the call of the times, the leadership and promotion of social elites, organizational operational guarantees, and cultural inheritance and innovation. This disciplinary system effectively internalized specific bodily standards, behavioral norms, and values into members’ daily practices, not only enhancing members’ self-confidence and sense of group belonging but, more importantly, closely linking individual bodily experiences with national cultural identity and national identity, making the body a symbol carrying the hope of national rejuvenation. The study concludes that the bodily discipline of the Guangdong Chin Woo Athletic Association is a vivid embodiment of Modern China’s sports modernization transformation, bodily cultural changes, and the intertwining of power, identity construction, and social mobilization. It profoundly reveals the historical process in which the body was discovered, disciplined, and endowed with symbolic meaning under specific historical conditions.

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Author Biographies

Haidong Chen, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University

Haidong Chen (China) is a doctoral candidate in Ethnic Traditional Sports at South China Normal University, where he also earned his master’s degree. His research interests include sports history and culture and the preservation and development of intangible martial arts heritage. He leads one project under Guangzhou’s 14th Five-Year Plan and has participated in four National Social Science Fund and provincial/ministerial-level projects. E-mail: 2968241505@qq.com

Lianzhen Ma, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University

Lianzhen Ma (China), PhD, is professor at South China Normal University (SCNU) with a PhD, is an expert in Chinese martial arts and sports history. Born into a martial arts family, he excels in various traditional disciplines. Ma has contributed substantially to researching martial arts literature, promoting duanbing practice, and internationalizing Chinese martial arts through conferences and projects, including partnerships with the Shaolin Temple. E-mail: malianzhen@qq.com

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