The Spread of Karate in the People’s Republic of China

Preliminary Analyses by Factors of Encounter, Motivation, and Influence

Bibliographic Data

ID19595129
AuthorsJinwen Xie (0009-0006-8434-4338, Waseda University, corresponding author), Chang Liu (0000-0002-1198-6990, International Budo University), K Kawashima (0000-0003-2196-0556, Waseda University)
Year2024
Volume3
Issue1
Pages110-130
Publication date2024-01-02
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAsian Journal of Sport History & Culture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2769-0148 • E-ISSN: 2769-0156
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/27690148.2023.2286538
OpenAlexW4390876025
LanguageEN
Citations received1

Karate was introduced to China and began to spread in 1990. The Chinese Karate Association was established in 2008. Karate was promoted to an official National Games event in 2017. Today, karate dojos across China have increased to more than 20,000. What factors have supported this rapid development? Previous studies have found practical and ideological factors from the perspective of fixed-point observation based on questionnaire surveys. In contrast, this study conducted a qualitative research based on semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. It analysed interview responses from the perspective of chronological change in terms of encounter, motivation, and influence. The results revealed that those who began karate mainly for pragmatic reasons gradually realized their spiritual growth with the cultivation of their personalities. This study suggests that the gradual transformation from realist to idealist is the factor that must be taken into account in explaining the rapid development of karate in China

China · Ideology · Personality · Personality psychology · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Law · Martial Arts: Techniques, Psychology, and Education · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Psychology

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