Freeplaying with narrative: A <i>Jogando</i> method in/as Capoeira research

Cruz, Joshua; Griffith, Lauren; Lawal, Idera

doi:10.1177/14687941211016164

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 27 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They can be professional scholars or people pursuing an academic career. Greg Downey [26] and Lauren Miller (formerly Lauren Griffith) [21,72] are prominent examples of Immersed Apprentices who have produced remarkable research from their experiences learning Capoeira in and outside of Brazil.…”

Section: The Martial Arts Scholar-practitioner Typology: the Example ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Typology of Martial Arts Scholar–Practitioners: Types, Transitions, and Tensions in Capoeira

Islas,

Jennings

2023

Societies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Martial arts are concerned with continuous technical practice and refinement over a lifetime, while scholarship is ordinarily undertaken by active learners and experienced (occasionally veteran) practitioners. These martial arts scholar–practitioners tend to be positioned according to specific types, from a more distant (and sometimes critical) scholar with less combat acumen to an instructor keen to read and engage in collaborative research. This article introduces a typology of ten martial arts scholar–practitioner types: (1) Supportive Scholar; (2) Former Practitioner; (3) Practitioner on Stand-by; (4) Immersed Apprentice; (5) Budding Scholar–Practitioner; (6) Established Scholar–Practitioner; (7) Temporary Practitioner–Researcher; (8) Experimental Leader; (9) Inquisitive Teacher; and (10) Curious Practitioner. The types are examined using Capoeira, one of the most academically studied martial arts. Drawing on the Spannungsfeld—the “field of tension” between science and practice—we reveal the specific strengths and limitations of each type while illustrating the common transition between positions across a career or research project. Finally, we consider some practical solutions to mitigate the relative weaknesses and oversights of the specific types, including the ability to form teams of scholar–practitioners from different positions in academia and martial arts. We close with suggestions for empirical research to test and refine our methodological model.

show abstract

Section: The Martial Arts Scholar-practitioner Typology: the Example ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Typology of Martial Arts Scholar–Practitioners: Types, Transitions, and Tensions in Capoeira

Islas,

Jennings

2023

Societies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Capoeira involves learning explicitly taught and drilled physical moves such as kicks and escapes. Games in the roda (the circle of musicians and singers) need some mastery of the moves, but also doing them in time with the music, and most importantly in a dialogue with an opponent or partner [52]. Learners need to acquire a tacit, indeterminate form of ringcraft, in which malicía is fundamental.…”

Section: Axé and Malicia: Two Examples From Capoeiramentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking East and South: Philosophical Reflections on Taijiquan and Capoeira

Jennings,

Delamont

2023

Philosophies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In a precarious occupation, martial arts instructors must be inspiring and build a shared philosophy. Drawing on Taijiquan and Capoeira, which have their philosophical or epistemological roots in Asia and Africa, this article explores core concepts that feature in students’ enculturation. These concepts are grounded in epistemologies contrasting with Papineau’s work on popular and elite sport, Knowing the Score. More specifically, the philosophical approach used builds upon Papineau’s chapters on focus, cheating and racism, although these martial practices are not grounded in the Judeo-Christian Western epistemologies underlying Papineau’s thinking. Indeed, one of the attractions for Western Capoeira and Taijiquan students is precisely their “strange” or exotic philosophical concepts driving specific pedagogical practices. Ethnographic fieldwork in Britain and written and oral accounts of embodied expertise are used to explore the practical uses of these non-Western epistemologies by teachers to build shared cultures for their students. Specifically, we examine the concepts of axé (life force) and malicia (artful trickery) in Capoeira, noting its contrast to Western ideas of energy and fair play. We then examine Taijiquan and the concepts of song (鬆 or “letting go”) and ting (听 or “focused listening”), considering the movement skill of systematic relaxation and the focus on specific components of human anatomy and body technique among adults unlearning embodied tension built throughout their lives. We close with considerations for projects examining the diverse, alternative southern, non-Western, and potentially decolonial and subaltern epistemologies in such martial activities.

show abstract