Techniques without Names - Methodological Provocations from a Judo Dojo

Abstract

ABSTRACT While ‘techniques of the body’ is a staple concept adapted by diverse studies on physical experiences today, the article unearths its methodological limitations through fieldwork in a multilingual judo dojo. Intrigued by the finding of ‘techniques without names’ there, the article reflexively follows the author’s engagement with learning the less descriptive technique, the methodological issues that emerge, and how the pursuit of the less descriptive still lays within descriptive meta-methods. It further argues that research objects can be preformed by the concept of the techniques of the body even prior to conducting research. The article proposes the possibility of a less descriptive, subtractive method and emphasizes the process of academic production.