The applicability of historical Japanese and Polish fencing to the development of acting competences

Abstract

Historically, a fit body, combined with a balanced mind and an enhanced ability for focusing, was a basic tool for warriors from various cultures. Today, it also provides valuable assistance to actors. Undoubtedly, fighting arts improve psychophysical fitness, agility and the ability to concentrate. They make the body more flexible, better coordinated, able to see and/or sense one’s own and one’s opponent’s movements and balance as well as the amount and direction of force. Traditional fencing systems, such as the Polish ‘cross art’ of the hussar sabre and Japanese kenjutsu seem particularly apt in the context of actor training. Why are they worth recommending to actors for the development of their competences? What values enshrined in historical forms of fencing may prove beneficial in performer training? I seek answers to these questions by referring to my own − 40 years plus – practical experience as a martial artist, fighting arts researcher, sports activist, trainer and competitor.

Keywords:

• actor training
• fighting arts
• Polish hussar sabre
• kenjutsu

Notes

1 Certainly the relationship between fighting and performing arts cannot be reduced to training, as exemplified by the Cossack boyovyy hopak, a hand-to-hand combat art which originated from Ukrainian folk dancing. It was systematised and codified by Volodymyr Pylat in 1985, and at present uses techniques similar to those of kickboxing (although a long stick and sabre are utilised).

2 Sugino Yoshio, the holder of the highest master’s degree of 10th dan (rank) in kobudō (the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū school) and the highest titles of hanshi (exemplary teacher) and meijin (the strongest warrior), was responsible for choreographing the fight scenes in Kurosawa Akira’s legendary film Seven Samurai (1954) and in the TV series about the most famous Japanese fencing master Miyamoto Musashi (1584?–1645), broadcast from 1984–1985. The celebrated actor Mifune Toshirō (1920–1997), who was a pupil of Sugino, out of gratitude founded him a dōjō (training room). I also had the opportunity to learn from Master Sugino directly.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wojciech J. Cynarski

Wojciech J. Cynarski is Professor at the Institute of Physical Culture Studies of the University of Rzeszów (Poland), where he heads the Chair of Socio-Cultural Foundation for Physical Culture. He is a founder and president (since 1993) of the Idōkan Poland Association, editor (since 2000) of Ido Movement for Culture: Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology, and cofounder (in 2010) of the International Martial Arts and Combat Sports Scientific Society (IMACSSS) which he currently leads. He has been teaching martial arts since 1987 and has published extensively on them as well as on the sociology of culture, leisure and sport, coaching, and pedagogy.