Kokyu
The Japanese word “kokyu” is written with two kanji characters. The first means to call, invite, or summon; the second refers to breathing in – literally “calling the breath.” In aikido, kokyu is the name of a group of techniques translated as “breath practice.” Kokyu is also the name of a traditional Japanese string instrument.
Finally, Kokyu is the name of a training method developed by Przemysław Błaszczak between 2013–2016 as part of the Two Paths Studio training program. It is a precise structure that brings attention to the unity of movement and breath, supporting concentration, strengthening the body, and preparing for vocal work.
The Studio
Studio Kokyu is, above all, a space of practice. Our work moves between the artistic and the educational-research dimensions. At the heart of our approach lies the idea of a theatre laboratory – we examine our intuitions, experiences, and tools.
The ethos of the theatre ensemble is essential to us: a collective that shares experience, learns from one another, and takes responsibility for different directions of work. We see the ensemble as a living organism that, through years of regular practice, develops both its own language and methodology.
Training and practice remain the key focus of Studio Kokyu. We explore the actor’s training in its physical, vocal, and mental aspects, in dialogue with the experience of Japanese martial arts, particularly aikido. At the center of our research is the actor in action – presence, awareness, readiness, and openness. These elements lead to a state where body and mind function like a finely tuned instrument, fully prepared to immerse in the creative process.
The impulse to establish Studio Kokyu came during the creation of the performance Welcome to My House. Meditations on Woman of the Dunes (premiere: 18 September 2016, Grotowski Institute). The questions and threads explored in that production developed over the following years, resulting in numerous open workshop sessions and the premiere of Halo? (14 March 2019, Grotowski Institute). Later performances –
I Come to You River – Ophelia Fractured,
Działanie Medea,
Działanie Trinity – The Letter
– continued and deepened our ongoing research.
Founder and Artistic Director
Przemysław Błaszczak – actor, director, and aikido teacher (3rd dan, fukushidoin) – has been associated with the Grotowski Institute for over 20 years (previously the Centre for Study of Jerzy Grotowski’s Work).
He began his professional career in acclaimed ensembles: Song of the Goat Theatre and Teatr ZAR. In addition to his work as an actor, he is a certified teacher of Theodoros Terzopoulos’ method. At Studio Kokyu, he has developed his own practice, combining physical actor training, aikido, breath and voice techniques rooted in Japanese martial arts, and the Terzopoulos approach. The result is an evolving, continuously refined system of working with the actor/performer as an autonomous creator.
The Practitioners
The artists connected with Studio Kokyu actively participate in discussions on the directions of actor training research, taking part in international conferences and symposia, as well as leading regular training sessions and multi-day workshops.
The studio’s current leading project is Practicing Action, an artistic and educational initiative launched in January 2024. Its aim is to consolidate and deepen the experience gathered between 2016–2023, with particular focus on practice and working within a precise structure.
Studio Kokyu was founded by the Zarzewie Foundation and has been closely linked to the Grotowski Institute in Wrocław from the very beginning, working in close collaboration to fulfill its programmatic mission. Our work is made possible thanks to the support of the Grotowski Institute and the Department of Culture of the City of Wrocław.