The Unicamp Multidisciplinary Gymnasium (GMU) was transformed into a space for cultural integration during the Budo Festival, held last Friday (06/06). With the support of the Consulate General of Japan, the Pro-Rectory of Extension, Sports and Culture (Proeec) and the Proeec Sports Directorate, the event celebrated the 130 years of friendship between Brazil and Japan and marked the 40 years of existence of the University's Faculty of Physical Education (FEF), responsible for organizing the event.
The program included competitions and demonstrations of judo, karate, aikido and kendo, combining teaching, research and extension in an experience open to the community and bringing together around 300 participants, including athletes, students, teachers and visitors from the external community.
The term “budo” refers to Japanese martial arts, which have been practiced in Brazil since the early 19th century, when the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the country. Today, these martial arts are recognized not only as sports, but also as educational and philosophical practices.
The event was born out of the FEF’s martial arts discipline, coordinated by Professor Luiz Gustavo Bonatto Rufino. According to Rufino, the proposal arose as a way to integrate the extension curriculum with sports practice and citizenship education. “It’s not just any competition. The focus was on inclusion, access and the encounter between knowledge. The event itself is a form of research and collective action, planned from the beginning by the students,” said the professor, who also develops academic studies in the area.
To complete the experience, undergraduate students created internal committees, planned the logistics and actively participated in all stages of the festival’s development. Student Kayke Santana de Lima said he experienced a revolution in his perspective on the relationship between theory and practice. “We were scared at first, but we dove in head first. It’s different when you realize that you’re part of something so big,” he said. Lima also highlighted the importance of university outreach in bringing participants from outside the city of Campinas, expanding the social reach of the activity.
Thus, in addition to providing a competitive environment, the festival was designed as a moment of cultural celebration. The support of the Consulate General of Japan was given in the symbolic milestone of the 130th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil, which, for the event organizers, reinforced the importance of the event as a bridge between cultures. “Martial arts are traditional forms of cultural expression that also communicate values such as respect, discipline and cooperation,” said Rufino.
Tiago Oviedo Frosi, also an event organizer and head of the University's karate team, believes that the festival helped to consolidate the team's trajectory, which has been growing stronger since 2022 and already has ten athletes qualified for the Pan American Games, some of them members of the Brazilian national team. “We have people who train for fun and others who train six times a week. The important thing is that the sport is alive, and this event clearly showed that,” he said.
The presence of Fernando Vanin, Secretary of Sports and Recreation of Campinas, reinforced the symbolic dimension of the event. Since 1982, Campinas has maintained a strong connection with Japan, being considered a “sister city” of Gifu Prefecture, a term that refers to the bond between two or more cities that establish a cooperation agreement with the aim of strengthening ties in areas such as economy, culture, tourism and education. Vanin stated that sports are a privileged channel for strengthening this relationship, also highlighting the pedagogical relevance of martial arts, which, in his words, “bring a philosophy that broadens the ethical and emotional horizons of practitioners”.
For Renato Barroso, Proeec’s Sports Director, the initiative is exemplary in mobilizing different groups and demonstrating how sports can serve as a link between the university and society. “The purpose of creating the board was to encourage events like this. And we are very happy with the results. Since then, the demand for institutional support for sports and cultural activities within Unicamp has increased significantly,” he said.
Representing the rectorate, Professor Arnaldo Pinto Junior also participated in the opening of the event. According to the professor, the festival reaffirms Unicamp’s role as a space for dialogue between different traditions. “We are talking about Eastern and Western cultures meeting around sports. This has an educational, social and symbolic value. By hosting events like this, the University positions itself as a mediator between academic knowledge and the interests of society,” he said.
