Tada Hozumi
2 min readOct 23, 2020

--

Yes, for certain Orientalism and exoticism is not the only thing European swam in.

And ofc Pilates is not Ju-jitsu lite, its something else, but Pilates isn't really in the center of what I would consider a somatic practice, at least in how I've experienced it. It takes a lot more after European gymnastics culture to me.

This does get more into the theory of embodiment and comparing. This is a pretty nasty history of discourse as we can see let's say in the development of modern yoga.

https://saivatantra.com/india-and-the-international-physical-culture-movement/

What I can say though is that, yes, I hear there are many European traditions, I understand that they exist, but I honestly haven't seen them show a level of aptitude for interoception and/or improvisation that are present in non-white cultural practices.

I don't think this is because it never existed but because the erasure of that knowledge happened more thoroughly and earlier than really any where else. You can just go on google and see that body of information from Asian and Europe on subtle inner body practice is like comparing a mountain to a mound. It is really qualitatively different.

Similarly, the capacity for improvisation and rhythmic complexity in Africanist dance and European dance isn't comparable qualitatively.

So what I am possibly saying truly is that contact with embodiment practices of color for may Europeans would be a lightning bolt because it is so radically different from what they are used to - which is different from there is nothing there before.

This also honestly may be something that takes time to see our perspective if you're white. Nervous systems have to shift a lot before that perception change can be integrated.

--

--

Responses (1)