Hi there,
Here at Fierce HQ Neil and I have been working hard on our latest article submissions. Following on from Neil's post below on compassionate maai we've been developing this idea further.
For instance maai has three levels, each dependent on a specific phase of martial relating (Habersetzer, 1975): to-ma when the other is practically out of reach; uchi-ma when two practitioners are at the boundaries of their respective room to manoeuvre; and chika-ma when they are close to each other, at arms reach, and do not need to step forward to touch. Within competitive combat styles such as Karate there can be a pre-exchange period when opponents are attempting to seize the distancing capacity of the other, looking for moments to create openings and explore his or her balance and skill (Masciotra, et al., 2001). It is this interplay of safely manoeuvring that we would wish to encourage as part of compassionate maai in FCMA.
Similarly Okumura, et al. (2012) in exploring critical interpersonal distance switches in Kendo matches note that the most preferred distance enables players to execute both striking and defensive movements immediately. In combat sports and martial arts more generally then, the task of maai might be to afford what are termed ‘anti-phase’ synchronizations at near distances to maintain safe distances from opponents. However, in the pro-social/compassionate version of maai we're proposing in light of the pandemic our goal is to maintain ‘pro-phase’ synchronizations which seek to enhance the timing and rhythm between two or more people.
Interestingly, entraining such skill is often seen as Masters and higher graded martial arts demonstrate and enact ‘positive’ maai skills to and with lower graded practitioners/students as part of their development. We often liken this to the notion that to skilfully ‘break’ rhythm one must first understand and master it (Lee, 1975).
Rather than emulate the abrupt phase-transition phenomenon noted in skilful practitioners in competitive arenas and situations of threat, we are instead seeking to foster smooth phase-transitions to afford a sense of ongoing relatedness and reaffiliation with others during this time of crisis to convey overall social safeness (Gilbert, et al., 2007).
While the behavioural dynamics underlying the process of martial arts movement and perception are likely linked by visual information, and visual feedback is commonly employed in successful interpersonal competitive tasks (Okumura, et al. 2012), developing compassionate maai will also require attention to and a focus upon specific and well understood forms of social signalling. For example, Porges’ (2003) work on social engagement and attachment shows that the muscles of the face and head influence one’s expression and reception of social cues, which in turn affect the experience of social distance. In terms of behaviour this is seen in facial expressions, vocalisations, head orientation, eye gaze and listening. Eye contact, socially contingent (responsive) facial expressions, appropriate vocal prosody and actively listenting harder all therefore go a considerable way to affecting our experience of the psychological distance between us. Retaining our awareness of this and bringing our intention to remaining attuned in this way are skills we can model and practice as we develop our compassionate maai.
We hope the above helps get us closer to the concept of maai from an FCMA point of view. We think it's important and relevant as it can affect our sense of safe relating during these difficult times, centrally by attending to our intention to continue to connect to others in circumstances of heightened threat.
Best wishes and stay safe,
Syd and Neil