Does image of Japanese martial arts in Euro-American pop-culture fits true budo? Cinematography examples Zdenko Reguli Masaryk University, Czech Republic Joachim, Put It in the Machine (1974) Martial arts cinema in different cultures •Film (an piece of art) and movie (commercial entertainment) • •Most known martial arts movies genres: • •Japanese jidaigeki and chanbara •Kung-fu movies (Hong Kong movies) •Western action movies (Hollywood) •Indian cinema (desi, or Bollywood films) Kung-fu movies Western action movies Indian cinema Sword in Japanese popculture: jidaigeki films •Japanese „period drama“ often set to Edo period •Showing lives of samurai, craftsmen, farmer, and merchant • •Using dramatic convetions: •characteristics of heroes and villains •using a high degree of formality and frequent archaisms in the language together with catch phrases •ritualised sword fight, little blood, and often do not even cut through clothing • Sword in Japanese popculture: chanbara •Sword fighting movies similar to western cowboy, swashbuckler, or sword and sandals movies • •Violence is stylized •Lot of blood (geysers ang buckets of blood) •Dismemberment and decapitation Western movies influenced by chanbara •Western remakes of Japanese movies •Yojimbo (1961) – Fistful of dollars (1964) •Seven Samurai (1954, Shichinin no samurai) – The Magnificent Seven (1966) •Rashomon (1950) – The Outrage (1964) •Steel Edge of Revenge (1969, Goyokin) – The Master Gunfighter (1975) •Zatoichi – Blind Fury (1989) •Using the basic ideas •The hidden fortress (1958, Kakushitoride no sanakunin) – Key inspiration for Star Wars (1977) •Reverse remakes •Unforgiven (1992) – Unforgiven (2013, Yurusarezaru mono) Yojimbo (1961) – Fistful of dollars (1964) Seven Samurai (1954, Shichinin no samurai) – The Magnificent Seven (1966) Rashomon (1950) – The Outrage (1964) Steel Edge of Revenge (1969, Goyokin) – The Master Gunfighter (1975) Zatoichi – Blind Fury (1989) Unforgiven (1992) – Unforgiven (2013, Yurusarezaru mono) Budo movies •Karate, the Hand of Death (1961) •The Challenge (1982) •The Karate Kid (1984) •No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) •DOA: Dead or Alive (2006) •The Sensei (2008) •Kickin' It (2011, TV Series) • •Lot of movies played by martial artists Budoka as an actor •Some claimed to be skilled in various martial arts: Chuck Norris, Bill „Superfoot“ Wallace, Benny „the Jet“ Urquides, Cynthia Rothrock • •Steven Seagal (aikido) •Dolph Lundgren (kyoukushin karate) •Jean Claude van Damme (shotokan karate) •Wesley Snipes (shotokan karate) •Michael Jay White (shotokan and goju ryu karate, kobudo) •Matt Mullins (shorei ryu karate) •Scott Adkins (judo, karate, and others) •Richard Norton (Goju kai karate) •Jeff Speakman (goju ryu karate) •Jim Kelly (shorin ryu karate) • • Fourfold model of acculturation •Assimilation. Adoption the cultural norms of a dominant or host culture, over their original culture. (El Mariachi, Star Wars, Kill Bill) •Separation. Rejection the dominant or host culture in favor of preserving culture of origin. (Showdown in Little Tokyo, The Last Samurai, Red Sun, James Bond) •Integration. Ability to adopt the cultural norms of the dominant or host culture while maintaining culture of origin. Seven Samurai (The Magnificent Seven), Yojimbo (A Fisful of Dollars) •Marginalization. Rejection both the culture of origin and the dominant host culture. (Peaceful Warrior) • Definition of budo (The Japanese Budo Association) •Budō is a form of Japanese physical culture that has its origins in the ancient tradition of bushidō – literally, “the way of the warrior.” Practitioners of budō develop technical martial skills while striving to unify of mind, technique and body; to develop their character; to enhance their sense of morality; and to cultivate a respectful and courteous demeanour. Thus, budō serves as a path to self-perfection. Budō as a general term refers to the modern Japanese martial arts disciplines comprised of jūdō, kendō, kyūdo, sumō, karatedō, aikidō, shōrinji kempō, naginata, and jūkendō. Can we see budo in movies? •Stylized fight: technics and tactics used in (The Sensei, 2008) •Using weapons and fighting skills as a symbol describing characters •Characteristics of hero and anti-hero •The goal of the training and using martial skills • • What can audience take from martial arts movies? •Knowledge about martial arts •Motivation to start studying budo •Learn a bit about Japanese culture •Popularize budo • •Movies are for entetainment •Budo is to be pracised • Thank you for attention •Zdenko Reguli •Masaryk University, Czech Republic • •reguli@fsps.muni.cz