Lincoln University Digital Thesis Copyright Statement The digital copy of this thesis is protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). This thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: you will use the copy only for the purposes of research or private study you will recognise the author's right to be identified as the author of the thesis and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate you will obtain the author's permission before publishing any material from the thesis. THE DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Science at Lincoln University by Diana Looser Lincoln University 2003 2 Abstract THE DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND This thesis examines the martial arts in New Zealand. It takes three approaches. The first is socio­ historical, with a particular focus on the history and development of martial arts practice in New Zealand. The second is socio-cultural and is concerned with the characteristics of the people . practising the various martial arts. The third is motivational and explores the reasons why people become involved in martial arts training and why they continue. The theories of risk and the risk society, and popular or mass consumer culture are used to help explain, and provide a social context for understanding, people's motivations. In addition, the black belt is examined in terms of its symbolic nature and its role in motivating people to begin, and continue with, their training. The research participants were drawn from four different martial arts with prominent profiles in Christchurch, New Zealand. These were: Zen Do Kai Martial Arts, Seido Karate, Aikido and Tai Chi Chuan. The respondents· represented a range of martial arts experience, and included beginners, trainees with some experience and trainees with long-term experience/instructors. The study employed a mixed qualitative and quantitative research strategy. The chosen methods related specifically to the three approaches of the thesis. Documentary research was the dominant mode of enquiry for the socio-historical section. For the socio-cultural and motivational approaches, a two-stage data gathering method was used. General information was gathered initially by means of a questionnaire, while more specific information about trainees' personal experiences with their martial arts was gathered subsequently through semi-structured interviews. It was found that an extremely diverse range of people was drawn to the study of martial arts. The respondents identified a wide variety of reasons for beginning martial arts training. Their reasons for continuing training were almost always different from those reasons that led them to begin. Despite the respondents' various motivations, three underlying influences were particularly evident: popular culture representations of the martial arts; fears and anxieties arising from risk consciousness; and the myth of the black belt. As respondents progressed with their training, their perception of their martial art changed. Many began by thinking of their martial art as a sport, but, over time, gained an appreciation of it as an art form. Eventually, some came to understand their martial arts training as a way of life. Keywords: martial arts, popular culture, risk society, black belt, motivation, leisure participation. 3 Acknowledgements In writing this thesis I have been grateful for the assistance of several people. In particular, I would like to thank: my chief thesis supervisor, Dr Kevin Moore, _Department of Environment, Society and I?esign, Lincoln University; my co­ supervisor, Mr Bob Gidlow, Lincoln University; Dr Stephen Espiner, Lincoln University; Dr Tiina Vares, Department of Gender Studies, University of Canterbury; Dr Graeme Dunstall, Department of History, University of Canterbury; Dr Cher Holt­ Fortin, SUNY University, New York; Dominic Moran; Peter Attwell, Research Librarian, Alexander Turnbull Library; staff at the Canterbury Museum Documentary Research Centre; Matthew 0' Sullivan, Archivist, New Zealand Defence Force Museum, Wi gram; Therese Angelo, Collections Manager, New Zealand Defence Force Museum, Wigram; staff at Christchurch Martial Arts Supplies; staff at the AotearoalNew Zealand Research Centre, Canterbury Public Library; and the many Christchurch martial arts students and instructors who contributed to this study, without whose help this project would not have been possible. In addition, -I extend sincere thanks to: Andrei, for his love and support; my family and family-in-Iaw for their warmth and humour; A viemore, the cat; and Shihan Eddie, fellow instructors and students at ZDK UC for their co-operation, and for allowing me the opportunity to discover more about my own martial arts practice by pursuing this study. 4 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures .................................................................................................................................. 6 Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................................ 7 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 7 1.1 What are the martial arts? ...................................................................................................... 7 1.2 A brief historical overview of the chief Asian martial arts .................................................... 9 1.2.1 Chinese martial arts ........................................................................................................ 9 1.2.2 Japanese martial arts ..................................................................................................... 12 1.2.3 Korean martial arts ....................................................................................................... 15 1.3 Social scientific research into the martial arts ..................................................................... 16 1.4 Research approach ............................................................................................................... 18 1.4.1 Research questions ....................................................................................................... 18 1.4.2 Research strategy .......................................................................................................... 19 1.4.3 The groups involved in this study ................................................................................ 19 1.4.3.1 Zen Do Kai Martial Arts ....................................................................................... 19 1.4.3.2 Seido Karate ......................................................................................................... 20 1.4.3.3 Aikido (Shinryukan) ............................................................................................. 20 1.4.3.4 Tai Chi Chuan ....................................................................................................... 20 1.5 Thesis structure .................................................................................................................... 21 Chapter ·Two: Methodology ........................... :............................................................................... 22 2.0 IntroductiOil ........ ·.......... ;· ...... : ................................................................................................ 22 2.1 Research process .................................................................................................................. 22 2.1.1 Documentary research .................................................................................................. 23 2.1.2 Fieldwork ..................................................................................................................... 23 2.1.2.1 Initial approach ..................................................................................................... 24 2.1.2.2 Questionnaire survey ............................................................................................ 25 2.1.2.3 Semi-structured interview ..................................................................................... 27 2.1.2.4 The interviewees ................................................................................................... 28 2.1.2.5 Issues arising from the data collection .................................................................. 30 2.1.3 Data analysis ................................................................................................................ 30 2.1.4 Additional research ...................................................................................................... 31 2.1.5 Ethical considerations .................................................................................................. 32 Chapter Three: A Brief History of the Martial Arts in New Zealand ............................................. 33 3.0 Introduction .........................................................................................................................