From the Calendar to the Flesh: Movement, Space, and Identity in a Mexican Body Culture

There are numerous ways to theorise about elements of civilisations and societies known as ‘body’, ‘movement’, or ‘physical’ cultures. Inspired by the late Henning Eichberg’s notions of multiple and continually shifting body cultures, this article explores his constant comparative (trialectic) appro...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	George Jennings
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	MDPI AG 2018-08-01
Series:	Societies
Subjects:	body cultures comparative analysis Eichberg ethnography games martial arts Mexico physical culture space theory
Online Access:	http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/8/3/66

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spelling	doaj-6814a6882e7c40c98f78d9794116d3142020-11-25T00:40:39ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982018-08-01836610.3390/soc8030066soc8030066From the Calendar to the Flesh: Movement, Space, and Identity in a Mexican Body CultureGeorge Jennings0Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff CF23 6XD, UKThere are numerous ways to theorise about elements of civilisations and societies known as ‘body’, ‘movement’, or ‘physical’ cultures. Inspired by the late Henning Eichberg’s notions of multiple and continually shifting body cultures, this article explores his constant comparative (trialectic) approach via the Mexican martial art, exercise, and human development philosophy—Xilam. Situating Xilam within its historical and political context and within a triad of Mesoamerican, native, and modern martial arts, combat sports, and other physical cultures, I map this complexity through Eichberg’s triadic model of achievement, fitness, and experience sports. I then focus my analysis on the aspects of movement in space as seen in my ethnographic fieldwork in one branch of the Xilam school. Using a bare studio as the setting and my body as principle instrument, I provide an impressionist portrait of what it is like to train in Xilam within a communal dance hall (space) and typical class session of two hours (time) and to form and express warrior identity from it. This article displays the techniques; gestures and bodily symbols that encapsulate the essence of the Xilam body culture, calling for a way to theorise from not just from and on the body but also across body cultures.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/8/3/66body culturescomparative analysisEichbergethnographygamesmartial artsMexicophysical culturespacetheory
collection	DOAJ
language	English
format	Article
sources	DOAJ
author	George Jennings
spellingShingle	George Jennings From the Calendar to the Flesh: Movement, Space, and Identity in a Mexican Body Culture Societies body cultures comparative analysis Eichberg ethnography games martial arts Mexico physical culture space theory
author_facet	George Jennings
author_sort	George Jennings
title	From the Calendar to the Flesh: Movement, Space, and Identity in a Mexican Body Culture
title_short	From the Calendar to the Flesh: Movement, Space, and Identity in a Mexican Body Culture
title_full	From the Calendar to the Flesh: Movement, Space, and Identity in a Mexican Body Culture
title_fullStr	From the Calendar to the Flesh: Movement, Space, and Identity in a Mexican Body Culture
title_full_unstemmed	From the Calendar to the Flesh: Movement, Space, and Identity in a Mexican Body Culture
title_sort	from the calendar to the flesh: movement, space, and identity in a mexican body culture
publisher	MDPI AG
series	Societies
issn	2075-4698
publishDate	2018-08-01
description	There are numerous ways to theorise about elements of civilisations and societies known as ‘body’, ‘movement’, or ‘physical’ cultures. Inspired by the late Henning Eichberg’s notions of multiple and continually shifting body cultures, this article explores his constant comparative (trialectic) approach via the Mexican martial art, exercise, and human development philosophy—Xilam. Situating Xilam within its historical and political context and within a triad of Mesoamerican, native, and modern martial arts, combat sports, and other physical cultures, I map this complexity through Eichberg’s triadic model of achievement, fitness, and experience sports. I then focus my analysis on the aspects of movement in space as seen in my ethnographic fieldwork in one branch of the Xilam school. Using a bare studio as the setting and my body as principle instrument, I provide an impressionist portrait of what it is like to train in Xilam within a communal dance hall (space) and typical class session of two hours (time) and to form and express warrior identity from it. This article displays the techniques; gestures and bodily symbols that encapsulate the essence of the Xilam body culture, calling for a way to theorise from not just from and on the body but also across body cultures.
topic	body cultures comparative analysis Eichberg ethnography games martial arts Mexico physical culture space theory
url	http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/8/3/66
work_keys_str_mv	AT georgejennings fromthecalendartothefleshmovementspaceandidentityinamexicanbodyculture
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From the Calendar to the Flesh: Movement, Space, and Identity in a Mexican Body Culture

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