Karate and masculinity in the filme The art of self-defense: traces of the real

Abstract

This research is a descriptive study of the film The Art of Self-Defense. Among the various elements to be discussed in this cinematographic work, I highlight two problems: the first is the social constitution of bodies through violence associated with masculinity; the second problem lies in the modernized constitution of karate itself: what has become of this combative body practice in modern times? To do this, I opted for scene-by-scene decoupage, while discussing its elements, drawing tension from theoretical references: in particular the works of Bourdieu and Trevisan. The film burlesques real-life situations that require urgent discussions, such as masculinity and how the practice of karate in modern times has reinforced certain stereotypes.