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

Abstract

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.

‘A Punch Has No Paternity!’: techniques, belonging and the Mexicanidad of Xilam

“…Xilam encompasses a plurality of body cultures (Eichberg, 1998; Jennings, 2018); it is inspired by ancient Mesoamerican ball game ( juego de pelota ) in terms of the four-way movement in alignment with the Mexican calendar, as well as the fluidity of the pre-Hispanic dance (and its contemporary expression, the Concheros ). Xilam also incorporates modern warm-ups and physical conditioning exercises along with imaginative games and shamanistic meditation.…”

Bruce Lee and the Invention of Jeet Kune Do: The Theory of Martial Creation

“…There are, for example, theories of physical culture that have developed from and for the study of sport and physical activity, such as Henning Eichberg's [1998] body cultures (which I have tried to apply directly to martial arts [Jennings 2018a]). And martial arts studies, as a field in its own right, should not hesitate to develop its own theories that can combine and contrast with pre-existing scholarship, such as that which is used in sport, physical culture, leisure studies, history, and political science, among a host of cognate disciplines and fields of inquiry.…”

“…From Segura's philosophical teachings underpinned by Aztec (Nahua) metaphysics, xilam expresses creativity and Mexicanidad [Jennings 2017] via its forms, structure, terminology, designs and mantra. Like the Conchero or 'pre-Hispanic' dance (themselves reinvented traditions since the 1950s) and as a body culture [Eichberg 1998] it makes use of the design of the Mesoamerican calendar, indigenous language and native animals in its symbolic movements in space [Jennings 2018a]. Through its website [www.…”

Physical Culture

“…[27] social anthropological work on wrestling in Northern India is a testimony to the complex interweaving of nationalism and moral reform through the physical cultural practice of Indian wrestling. The ethnographic article in this Edition by George Jennings [28] highlights a similar effort by those leading Mexican Xilam to engender cultural renewal through re-stablishing a range of practices that foster awareness on Mesoamerican warrior culture, spirituality, and language. In a similar vein, Martin Meyer and Heiko Bittmann's [29] paper addresses the similarities and differences in motivations to train in Karate between Japanese and German practitioners.…”