Ido as Treatment, Healing or Self-Healing. About the Relationship Between Traditional East Asian Martial Arts and Medicine

Abstract

Ido, in the sense of “medicine of martial arts” (bujutsu idō), is analyzed from the perspective of the General Theory of Fighting Arts inmany aspects. In particular, the social reception of this and related forms of natural medicine is interesting, which is the main topic of reflection here. The terms “health” and “human” are understood here holistically. Social reception is analyzed here indirectly, through the presence in opinion-forming weeklies and other periodicals. Selected magazines from the years 1982–2023 and direct interviews with three experts constitute the sources. There are also two more qualitative methods, i.e. long-term participant observation and analysis of the content of the literature on the subject. A set of healing or self-healing methods was characterized and a general picture of alternative medicine in mass culture was shown, based on the content published in various magazines. Sharp criticism is mixed here with interest reflected in the search for nonpharmacological methods of therapy. The diverse image of alternative medicine (natural, holistic) in mass culture is shaped by the media. It is rare to associate traditional martial artswith natural medicine.