Outdoor and Rec Athletics 0112 - Martial Arts: Buki, Wooden Instruments

BUKI TRAINING IS CURRENTLY ADJUSTED TO PROPERLY OBSERVE COVID HEALTH REGULATIONS FORBIDDING DIRECT CONTACT AND CLOSE PROXIMITY BETWEEN ITS PARTICIPANTS. Buki, Wooden Martial Arts Instruments is an activity course of the Budo Arts Program - OPRA's martial arts division at Hampshire College. Budo, meaning the lifestyle of incorporating "warrior" philosophies and values to one's path of internal development. Practicing budo requires the study of related fields such as, but not limited to, history, etiquette, language, art, and spirituality. Students will complete brief research assignments, study literary resources, and attend lectures and media screenings to complement the primary physical content of the course. Budo Arts classes and clubs utilize a social communication class companion program called Discord. FREE access to the full app on computer desktop and smartphone versions will be required. Lab fees support various dojo (training school) affiliations to national governing organizations or cover purchases of specific required personal equipment where indicated. NO PREVIOUS MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE. Although our practices can be energetic, we do not train with fitness as our motivation. Secondarily, Buki practice is an art and IS NOT taught through the scope of combat skill development. We do not endorse application of this activity as "play" with others nor is it a viable method of becoming adept at "swordplay" or "weapon" use at the beginner level. As a replacement for the term "weapon", this class is titled, Wooden Martial Arts INSTRUMENTS. Seeking to engage with the loftier and more intellectual aspects of handling "weapons" or BUKI, in Japanese, this class will draw its content from a combination of sources found in Aikido, Iaido (Japanese swordsmanship), and Kendo (Japanese fencing). At the turn of the 17th century, the samurai class had to adjust to peacetime after a great era of civil war. To reduce counts of injury during training in schools and dojos starting at this time, the advent of wooden equivalents to metal swords and spears came about. Form and precision rather than dominance and violence became axioms of martial arts directing the emphasis away from cutting down an opponent on a battlefield to instead traveling a path of inward development on a journey to cut down the ego. Students will experience working with "bokken" (wooden sword) and "jo" (wooden staff - an abstraction of a spear) in solo form-based studies that draw their inspiration from combat but are ritualized to propagate respect and alertness. However, theory in martial arts cannot exist without practice - as a balance, students will also learn how their solo forms relate to the active physical presence of an external opponent and pair their techniques with partners in various drills. VALID personal equipment is acceptable for class use. Please verify equipment with the instructor. Come nourished and hydrated, and prepared in a functional sense of clothing that allows for full freedom of movement. Contact Samuel Kanner sikOP@hampshire.edu with any questions. 5-College students will be graded pass/fail.

Eligible for CEL credit fulfillment.