Jozef Frucek: On Fighting Monkey Practice, Communication & Adaptation Of Biological Systems

03/27/24 • 98 min

In this episode, Patrick Oancia chats with Jozef Fruček in a reflective dialogue exploring Jozef’s upbringing amidst nature and and foraging trips with his dad in Slovakia, and the profound impact it had on shaping his insights into the dynamics of “communication” between living systems (including us, humans) and their environments. The discussion unpacks the philosophical and practical aspects of Jozef’s views reflected in the Fighting Monkey Practice, touching on the themes of authenticity, adaptability, vitality, creativity, parenting, and the interplay of art and athletics, all of which underscore his journey towards cultivating versatile forms of expression and pedagogy.

About Jozef:

Jozef Frucek is a movement practitioner, artist, and educator. Born in Slovakia, he graduated from the Academy of Music and Theater of Bratislava and completed a PhD thesis in 2002. For several years he was a member of Ultima VezWim Vandekeybus, and later collaborated with the Royal Flemish Theater in Brussels. Together with Linda Kapetanea, Jozef co-founded RootlessRoot in 2006, as a platform for their own productions, research and teaching. Together, they have been developing the Fighting Monkey practice.

Baseworks Transmission

These Baseworks Transmission conversations look at both the concrete and abstract realizations that emerge from a commitment to any kind of practice or pursuit to achieve life goals. The ideas get unpacked from their subjectivity, and the outcome of each transmission sets out to discover critical feature patterns and construct common recognition categories of physical and introspective experiences.

For time-stamped show notes, references to the topics discussed about Japan, other associated links, show transcript, full bio's, and the companion reflection access, visit:

https://baseworks.com/podcast/jozef-frucek-fighting-monkey-practice-communication-adaptation

About Jozef:

Baseworks Transmission

For time-stamped show notes, references to the topics discussed about Japan, other associated links, show transcript, full bio's, and the companion reflection access, visit:

https://baseworks.com/podcast/jozef-frucek-fighting-monkey-practice-communication-adaptation

Previous Episode

Reflections: On Japan, Movement Autonomy & Community

This is the companion REFLECTIONS transmission for the conversation Patrick Oancia had with Ryan Hurst, one of the founders of GMB Fitness. To get insights from the conversation and deepen your understanding, listen to the original episode first. You can listen to that ⁠here⁠.

In this Reflection, co-developer of the Baseworks Method, Asia Shcherbakova, unpacks Ryan's immersive approach to movement practice and his journey from gymnastics to martial arts. She also explores the synergies and differences between GMB Fitness and the Baseworks method providing valuable insights and correlations. You can get the show notes, associated links, and show transcript for this episode ⁠here.

About Ryan:

Ryan co-founded GMB fitness in 2010 with partners Andy Fossett and Jarlo Ilano and acts as the head coach and program director for the method. Since 2010 GMB has facilitated the delivery of its programming to over 100,000 students in over 100 countries. Among the thousands who have benefited from their programming, they’ve trained Olympians, world-class martial artists, and FBI Hostage Rescue Teams at Quantico. Ryan also holds black belts in Kendo, Judo, and Shorinji Kempo, a purple belt in BJJ, and came from a background as a competitive gymnast. Ryan has devoted his life to coaching others in strength and movement but always lets his philosophy of “training for a healthy life” lead the way. He’s married with two children and has lived in Japan for over 25 years.

About Asia Shcherbakova:

Asia is a co-developer of the Baseworks Method and a published neuroscientist studying the pro-cognitive effects of medium-chain triglycerides. Asia’s role as Baseworks co-developer is both to map the method applications onto known neurobiological mechanisms in order to improve the method’s efficacy, and to “translate” the pioneering applications in order to map them back onto common categories in exercise physiology, other movement practices and everyday life.

Baseworks Transmission

Transmission Reflections is a format that allows us to reflect on what was discussed during the Transmission Conversations, digest it, and perhaps even generate a new perspective on what unfolded during the talk.

The On Japan, Movement Autonomy & Community conversation was recorded on July 6, 2022 To listen to the audio version or read this companion reflection instead, please visit here.

Next Episode

María Lucía Agón Ramírez: On the Importance of Networks and Spaces for Authenticity

In this episode, Patrick Oancia, Asia Shcherbakova and Maria Lucia Agon Ramirez discuss the experiences that shaped Maria's career in dance, from co-founding the TANZMOTO company to the creation of Mukti Espacio Vivo. The conversation delves into Maria Lucia's personal journey, including her struggles with educational expectations, the importance of family support, and the influences that led her to focus on spaces for authenticity and self-expression in her professional and personal life.

About María Lucía:

María Lucía Agón Ramírez is a Choreographer, Dancer, and Teacher of Contemporary Dance and Yoga. After high school in 1998, she joined the "Ballet Experimental Contemporaneo" in Colombia, performing at international festivals. She studied at the Centre National de Danse Contemporaine in France and Folkwang University of the Arts in Germany. Since 2000, she’s performed globally and co-founded TANZMOTO DANCE COMPANY in 2004 with Mohan Thomas. She also collaborated with choreographer Royston Maldoom. In 2019, she returned to Colombia to work as a choreographer and dance teacher. In 2021, she founded MUKTI Espacio Vivo, focusing on community and interdisciplinary movement education.

Baseworks Transmission

For time-stamped show notes, references to the topics discussed, other associated links, show transcript, full bios, and the companion reflection access, visit:

https://baseworks.com/podcast/importance-networks-spaces-for-authenticity/