Ossu! Sporting masculinities in a Japanese karate dōjō

Abstract

By taking the ethnographic example of a Tokyo karate dōjō (training hall), this article explores the social construction of gendered identities in sporting contexts. Describing the masculine hegemony that prevails in the dōjō and more generally in sporting environments both within and beyond Japan, the extent to which masculine ideals are embedded in sporting culture is acknowledged and problematized. The ‘naturalness’ of male physical superiority is questioned through a physiological comparison of male and female sporting capabilities. Instead, it is suggested that masculine hegemony in sport is contingent rather than inherent; and the dialectic between hegemonic cultural constructions of masculinity and personal expressions of gendered performance forms the central analytical theme of this paper. More specifically, while showing the karate dōjō to be a male-dominated environment, it is argued that space for individual modes of participation in karate training is made possible through personal application of the idea of michi (‘way’). Exploring the potential for the subversion of the traditional masculine hegemony through individual agency, I suggest the possibility for types of involvement in sports which, rather than being gender-free, are non-gender-specific and thus equally open to participants whatever their sex.