Instituting reality in martial arts practice

This article explores the relations between the desire for reality in martial arts training and the inevitable emergence of institutional styles. It argues that since at least the time of Bruce Lee’s influential 1971 article ‘Liberate Yourself From Classical Karate’, there has been a growing effort in Western martial arts circles to escape from the constraints and strictures of ‘artificial styles’ and to achieve a kind of emancipation that would reflect a direct engagement with the ‘truth’ and ‘reality’ of combat. As problematic as such notions are, they nevertheless feature prominently in martial arts discourses. Accordingly, this article identifies and engages with some of the key structuring terms and enduring problematics of contemporary martial arts discourses in the West. It does so chiefly via a consideration of Keysi Fighting Method (KFM) – a (post)modern ‘reality martial art’ that is in many respects a modern iteration the anti-institutional impulse of Bruce Lee, and also an exemplary case of a wider contemporary ‘reality martial arts’ movement. This ‘movement’ stretches from mixed martial arts (MMA) at the sporting end of the spectrum to military martial arts like krav maga. The article considers, first, KFM’s spectacular emergence around 2005, thanks to the DVD-extras of the film Batman Begins, second, its mediatized proliferation, and, third, issues connected to its demise and reconfiguration in 2012. It asks what we might learn from the spectacular example of KFM about the relations between mediascape, embodiment, reality martial arts and ‘institution’. The paper argues that there is an inextricable and inevitable entanglement of, first, the eternally returning desire for ‘reality’ in martial arts and, second, an attendant invention of institution and style. It connects the formation of institutions to the necessity of pedagogy and discipline, and in doing so proposes a way to approach martial arts that recasts the relations between modern ‘realist’ martial arts and ‘traditional’ or supposedly ‘unrealistic’ martial arts like taijiquan. The purpose of this endeavour is to propose a set of terms and concepts that might prove useful in developing the discourse of martial arts studies beyond existing disciplinary vocabularies, concepts and problematics and into a reconfigured ontological and epistemological terrain

Physical ability of the individual as a needed market factor in the European Union

According to the criterion of physical ability any state considers a person as a source of wealth and economic growth, industry and economic sector – as a personification of productive power and profit, and business – as a resource for productive activities and super income. Such a perception of an individual implies the existence of his three constituents, namely: the function of movement, the means of exchange activity, and, finally, the complex of motives to join the interaction environment and the development environment. These constituents also define the motion trajectory of an individual who is involved in the reproductive process, and the result of such a movement expected by the society. At all stages of movement of an individual there are different environments which have leading value for him, such as education, family growth and bringing up, physical training and sport, communication and interaction which develop desire for learning, curiosity, inquisitiveness and other qualities. To trace the emergence of an individual as the product of bringing up, education, and activities, we have to examine the overall situation and the target system environment, which contributes to the development of physical abilities. The systems of physical education and development of physical abilities take the leading part in this environment; more and more people in post industrial society of our planet pay attention to these issues. However, many of the conceptual basics and the position of the perception of these systems and their significance for the individual, who has his own spiritual and cultural values, their role in providing vital activities are not studied enough yet. For example, a person’s entering into the environment of sports activities, which is based on his physical abilities, at any age transfers him into a group of factors of productive forces of the society and an individual becomes a business object

Towards the Modern Alternative Theatre in Poland – Selected Issues

The present book “Poland – History, Culture and Society. Selected Readings” is the third edition of a collection of academic texts written with the intention to accompany the module by providing incoming students with teaching materials that will assist them in their studies of the course module and encourage further search for relevant information and data. The papers collected in the book have been authored by academic teachers from the University of Łódź, specialists in such fields as history, geography, literature, sociology, ethnology, cultural studies, and political science. Each author presents one chapter related to a topic included in the module or extending its contents. The book contains the extensive bibliography

The Migration Of Forms: Bullet Time As Microgenre

Rehak considers the ways in which the film The Matrix branded bullet time both as technical process and stylistic convention, and discusses bullet time\u27s ancestry in image experimentation of the 1980s and 1990s. In his analysis, Rehak uses the conceptual framework of the microgenre to explore the cultural lifespan of bullet time, treating it less as a singular special effect than a package of photographic and digital techniques whose fortunes were shaped by a complex interplay of technology, narrative and style. Rehak\u27s goal is to shed light not just on bullet time, but on the changing behavior of visual texts in contemporary media. He examines an overview of special effects scholarship to date, most notably the indication that the repetition of special effects dulls their effectiveness, in part due to the changing competencies of audiences. Rehak also looks at the struggle of the filmmakers of The Matrix to craft sequels that simultaneously preserved bullet time\u27s appeal while varying it enough to ensure another breakthrough

Lisp, Jazz, Aikido -- Three Expressions of a Single Essence

The relation between Science (what we can explain) and Art (what we can't) has long been acknowledged and while every science contains an artistic part, every art form also needs a bit of science. Among all scientific disciplines, programming holds a special place for two reasons. First, the artistic part is not only undeniable but also essential. Second, and much like in a purely artistic discipline, the act of programming is driven partly by the notion of aesthetics: the pleasure we have in creating beautiful things. Even though the importance of aesthetics in the act of programming is now unquestioned, more could still be written on the subject. The field called "psychology of programming" focuses on the cognitive aspects of the activity, with the goal of improving the productivity of programmers. While many scientists have emphasized their concern for aesthetics and the impact it has on their activity, few computer scientists have actually written about their thought process while programming. What makes us like or dislike such and such language or paradigm? Why do we shape our programs the way we do? By answering these questions from the angle of aesthetics, we may be able to shed some new light on the art of programming. Starting from the assumption that aesthetics is an inherently transversal dimension, it should be possible for every programmer to find the same aesthetic driving force in every creative activity they undertake, not just programming, and in doing so, get deeper insight on why and how they do things the way they do. On the other hand, because our aesthetic sensitivities are so personal, all we can really do is relate our own experiences and share it with others, in the hope that it will inspire them to do the same. My personal life has been revolving around three major creative activities, of equal importance: programming in Lisp, playing Jazz music, and practicing Aikido. But why so many of them, why so different ones, and why these specifically? By introspecting my personal aesthetic sensitivities, I eventually realized that my tastes in the scientific, artistic, and physical domains are all motivated by the same driving forces, hence unifying Lisp, Jazz, and Aikido as three expressions of a single essence, not so different after all. Lisp, Jazz, and Aikido are governed by a limited set of rules which remain simple and unobtrusive. Conforming to them is a pleasure. Because Lisp, Jazz, and Aikido are inherently introspective disciplines, they also invite you to transgress the rules in order to find your own. Breaking the rules is fun. Finally, if Lisp, Jazz, and Aikido unify so many paradigms, styles, or techniques, it is not by mere accumulation but because they live at the meta-level and let you reinvent them. Working at the meta-level is an enlightening experience. Understand your aesthetic sensitivities and you may gain considerable insight on your own psychology of programming. Mine is perhaps common to most lispers. Perhaps also common to other programming communities, but that, is for the reader to decide..

Tromdámh Guaire and Obscuritas in late-medieval Irish bardic poetry

No abstract available

Perpetuating Guan Gong Culture: A Design of Bilingual Wechat Service Platform for Jingzhou Guan Gong Yi Yuan

Jingzhou Guan Gong Yi Yuan, as a landmark of local tourism culture, built in 2016, is located in Jingzhou, Hubei, with a total area of about 152,000 square meters. It opens a window to local traditional culture. In recent years, Guan Gong culture has enjoyed scholars’ great concern, but most studies merely related Guan Gong’s life story to its cultural images as the God of Wealth, Martial Arts, etc. few research suggest to facilitate and accelerate bilingual travel service of Guan Gong culture. In light of its urgent need for the public transmission, this article aims to make a creative design of a Chinese-English bilingual Wechat platform for the promotion of Guan Gong Culture. Results show that the layout of Guan Gong Yi Yuan sightseeing service platform can be divided into four sections: the first one is booking tickets by which visitors can directly consult and book tickets on the official account instead of sparing time on queuing and fetching tickets at the ticket window; the second menu is a map guided navigation by which visitors can follow the route guide and make a free choice of their favorite scenic spots; the third function is to involve Guan’s spirit and culture in the reality show; the fourth is a bilingual explanation of Guan Gong’s life and deeds together with his loyalty, folk images, etc.. By means of this Wechat platform, visitors may have a bird view and comprehensive and profound understanding of Guan Gong Culture. It is contributed to spread and internalize the essence of Guan Gong culture.

It's just another war!

This article describes the increasing use of private military corporations (PMCs) and the implications for International Humanitarian Law (IHL). After considering the development of the laws of war alongside the rise of corporations the author questions the likely effect this new development may have for sovereign states and the notion that only states have the right to control military power. The author argues that this development will have consequences for sovereign democracies, IHL and Human Rights

Violence, Wuxia, Migrants: Jia Zhangke’s Cinematic Discontent in A Touch of Sin

This article examines the representation of violence in Jia Zhangke\u27s film A Touch of Sin (2013) in light of Žižek\u27s theory of ‘objective violence’ and the wuxia tradition. Jia attempts to understand the rise of individual violent incidents during China\u27s post-socialist transformations by laying out the social, historical and political milieus in which they take place. He unveils the Žižekian objective violence hidden in the realm of social normality, pinpointing the country\u27s sins of collusion with the global capital to impose injustice on the poor and disadvantaged. Invoking the wuxia genre, Jia portrays the protagonists not so much as perpetrators of violence but as xia, knights-errant, who demonstrate a precious spirit of rebellion that the contemporary ethos tends to lack. Focusing on often overlooked emotional experiences, Jia offers a humanist insight into the depths of these people\u27s despair, isolation and humiliation. Jia, thereby, makes his film a poignant critique of the dominant ideology that pushes neoliberal development regardless of its human costs