The development and characteristics of the martial arts experience in New Zealand

Abstract

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.