The Cultural Continuum of Aikido

Background. The predominance of research devoted to the pedagogical and sporting aspects of aikido to the detriment of cultural and philosophical leads to the erosion of its ideological basis. This circumstance makes the stated topic extremely relevant and opens up extensive space for further research.

Purpose. The process of comprehending specific subject forms, that symbolically revealing the semantic content of aikido, constitute its cultural continuum.

Methodology. The basis of the research is formed by the cultural-philosophical approach together with hermeneutic, phenomenological, semiotic and descriptive methods.

Results. The use of the concept of “cultural continuum” to solve the problem showed that changing the continuum in accordance with alien semantic coordinates devalues ​​it, turning it into her opposite or fiction. These conclusions led to the formulation of the problem of a delicate attitude towards other cultural values ​​in the process of their acculturation. Often the reason for a dismissive attitude towards the achievements of other cultures is ignorance of this issue. This situation actualizes the problem of saturating the disciplines studied by future specialists in the field of physical education and sports with humanitarian content. The innovative nature of the study consists in interpreting any forms and types of activity in aikido as carriers of the main idea that defines its cultural continuum.

Practical implications. The materials of the presented research can be used by specialists in the field of physical education to enrich the training process with theoretical knowledge. The cultural-philosophical approach applied in the study opens up opportunities for developing new conceptual guidelines in teaching physical education and sports disciplines.