1. Kenshi' s Experiences of Sword Fighting in Kendo: The Way of Ippon With Soul, Sword, and Body.
- Author
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Sato, Takahiro, Jensen, Peter R., and Wrisberg, Craig A.
- Subjects
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SPORTS psychology , *SWORDS , *THEMATIC analysis , *COMBAT sports , *SOUL , *MARTIAL arts - Abstract
In response to recent calls for promoting the contextual intelligence of sport psychology practitioners, the aim of the current study was to obtain the first-person competitive experiences of kendo fighters (i.e., kenshi). Existential phenomenological interviews were conducted with eight competitive Japanese-American kenshi residing in the United States. The findings of thematic analysis indicated that the participants possessed a strong commitment to earning ippon (i.e., a valid point), which was achieved by a subjective synchronization of mind, sword, and body in the execution of a strike against an opponent. They considered this to be a transformative experience, which elevated them perceptually out of the sporting context to a momentary sense of "cutting" the opponent with a real sword. The current findings also offer sport psychology consultants possible context-specific insights (e.g., importance of seme) and strategies (e.g., management of attentional focus, self-regulation techniques) for assisting kenshi in preparing for competitive situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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