Two Paths Studio

Two Paths Studio seeks to develop a training which centres around the ideas of confrontation and in-depth understanding of the function of training in studio work, drawing on the martial arts experience of the Studio leaders, Przemysław Błaszczak (aikido) and Jakub Gontarski (capoeira). The first stage of Studio’s work focused on ‘two paths’ – two different movement traditions, Japanese and Brazilian, attempting to find a common territory that a performer, or ‘practitioner’, can draw from. Source techniques were to provide an impulse to build a broad set of movement skills and to widen the spectrum of psychophysical abilities. In-depth examination of the relations between aikido and capoeira, including of the training models proposed by the leaders, and inspirations from the searches of other Studio members (Karolina Brzęk, Agnieszka Rybak, Tomáš Wortner) opened a new stage of work. It was vital to focus on one chosen path to achieve better communication with the chosen tradition and more lucid transmission into performative actions. The current work of the Studio – smaller-scale research efforts undertaken by Studio members – revolves around the two core, independently pursued paths.