Three Exercises derived from Ankoku Butoh Training Practices to Develop a ‘Martial Presence’

Casual Academic Staff Dwayne Lawler Tutor^a

aNational Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), NSW, Australia dwayne.lawler@nida.edu.au

Abstract

This article discusses the potential benefits of the training practices of the Japanese psychophysical discipline of ankoku butoh in assisting practitioners of the martial arts to develop a ‘martial presence’. The exercises presented at the end of the article are derived from my PhD (Griffith University) research thesis: “De-domesticating the Actor: Applying ankoku butoh’s training process of de-domestication to develop presence in western actor training through experiences of awareness, discipline and energy”, which was chiefly concerned with the construction of a suite of exercises derived from ankoku butoh training practices to develop presence in actors. Beginning with an examination of the techniques and principles of ankoku butoh in relation to its training process of ‘de-domestication’ and its attendance to the elements of awareness, discipline, and energy, the article continues with a discussion of the ‘being present’ and ‘having presence’ states in acting and the martial arts, before concluding with three suggested training exercises specifically aimed at martial artists that may prove beneficial in developing a ‘martial presence’.

Keywords:

martial arts, ankoku butoh, awareness, discipline, energy

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