1. The Link Between Ballroom
Dancing and Martial Arts
David Lader

2. While some might think ballroom dancing and martial arts are as
different as night and day, the truth is the two art forms have
much more in common than one might assume. Both obviously
require many hours of practice and concentration, but beyond
that, both share many of the same core principles.

3. The first of those principles is the dichotomy of compliance versus
resistance. In ballroom dancing, there is usually a lead partner and a
following partner, but both strive for complete synergy so that they can
express themselves as one in time with the music.

4. Compliance and resistance show up in martial arts training as well, the focus
here being on controlling a resisting subject with various techniques learned
while training. While martial arts tend to be competitive and combative, when
you train with another person, you’re using many similar body control tactics
as you vacillate between compliance and resistance.

5. Secondly, both art forms utilize another’s energy to complete motions and
various interactions. In ballroom dancing, the lead lifts his arm to start the
follower into a spin, but the lead does not complete the entire spin with the
strength of his arm. It is up to the follower to take the force she is given, let it
flow into energy that moves through her body, and then use her own body
strength to complete the turn.

6. A similar phenomenon happens in partner based martial arts – instead of the
attacker using excess muscle and energy to take down an adversary, they
utilize the attacker’s energy so that every movement has maximum efficiency.
For example, a martial artist positions their body so that it is in the strongest
place, replaces the adversary’s center with their own, and, subsequently,
strikes or manipulates the target in a way that will put that target off balance.

7. Finally, in both ballroom dancing and martial arts, to be the most effective
partner, you must leave no options for the “other…” In ballroom dancing, if
someone is new to the dance, they may not be as responsive to cues, or may
try to initiate a different move that their partner is not prepared for. As a lead
partner, you can remedy this by not leaving your follower any other option but
to follow you.

8. In martial arts, your main objective is to throw your opponent off
balance, or to lock up their joints to the point that they have no other
option but to fail.You can do this a number of ways – striking, grappling,
etc. – in any case, it’s always about leaving them no options.

9. With these similarities in mind, I suggest that anyone
interested in martial arts training also consider looking into
dance classes on the side.Any form of dance will help you
hone the strengths and confront the limitations of your own
body, and ballroom dancing seems uniquely helpful in the ways
I’ve described.