近世武芸における「呼吸」と「気」の諸問題

抄録

In recent years, they are calling the contradiction of the Cartesian mind-body dualism in question in the West. And scholars in various circles are re-examining heartily the mind-body problem in order to find a way out of the mental and social unrest. They are taking special notice of the traditional patterns of thinking in the East, because there is a strong tendency in the Eastern theories of the body to grasp the mind and body as an inseparable unity. So, this study intended to relate “ki” with “breath”, considered to be central issue in the Eastern theories about the body, in the military arts of Japan. Summaries are as follows; 1. “BREATH” was thought of coming and going of “ki” in the military arts. And the relationship between the cosmos and the human beings has been discussed as the correspondence between the macro-cosmos and the micro-cosmos (cosmology). This tought originated in China (Confucianism).2. “Breath” in the military arts has been used in order to control “ki”, to get to a higher state of mind and to improve ability of the body. x 3. In the match, “breath” was one of the ways of making “ma” (timing, rhythm, pace) between the player and his opponent. And in the case of a higher rank, an expert could control his opponent by using only “ki”.