A study of martial art thought using anthropological method: Case study of Shinkage-ryu

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K13133
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Ibaraki University
• Principal Investigator: Nakajima Tetsuya 茨城大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (30613921)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 新陰流 / 武道 / 形 / 刀法 / 表太刀 / 砕き / 非切

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study did fieldwork in training hall of Shinkageryu-ryu, the ancient Japanese swordsmanship. This study set three research questions: first, what kind of thought is put into the Kata(set movement), and the second is how the Kata is practiced, and finally is how the kata is restored in training hall.
As for the first issue, this study analyzed the procedures of kata and argued that we can find an idea that is not just a technique for killing each other. As a concrete evidence, it was confirmed that there were many moments when one could handle the opponent's attack and maintain a dominant position while not hitting the opponent's body with the sword. With regard to the second research question, in Shinkage-ryu, they use kata as a model to learn how to basically handle the sword. After learning how to handle the sword, the practice was relatively free to deviate from the kata and experiment with various movements.
Because of COVID-19, the third issue could not be investigated.

Free Research Field

スポーツ人類学、武道論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義としては前近代に成立する流派武術の実践形態の参与観察はこれまでの研究では　行われてこなかった。そのため、史料を用いた歴史学的研究がなされるにしても、当該流派の実態をブラックボックスのままに史料の考察が進められてきたといえよう。本研究は新陰流に限定されるが、実践形態を約15年間参与観察した結果を民族誌的にまとめてきた。これによって、歴史学的研究をする際にも有用な知見を提供できるのではないかと考えられる。
社会的意義としては、武道の形の捉え方を豊かにできたのではないかと考える。