BUDAPEST TANGO MEMO

Zsolt Szenany reflects on a life shaped by discipline, innovation, and an enduring passion for movement.

From martial arts to tango, he explains how body awareness and intention form the foundation of both combat and dance.

His insights illuminate a rare synthesis of experience that continues to influence dancers, athletes, and audiences worldwide.

What is your background?

I was born in Budapest, in the 8th district. My first intention was to become a biology and physics teacher and go to university, but when I was 14 — in 1978 — I fell in love with karate. At that time, it wasn’t very common in Hungary, but since then it has been my greatest passion and my profession.

I always tried to earn money to support my passion for sports and to have time to practice. As a sports teacher, I had some free time, but step by step I spent a lot of money on improving my training, gaining knowledge, and sometimes supporting my students. That’s why I decided to go into business operations.

Eventually, I became the Sales Director of an international company in Europe, and later a General Manager. At the same time, I continued practicing karate every day. I gave training sessions every day, and on weekends I often had competitions or training camps. It wasn’t easy. Meanwhile, I got married and had children — a beautiful but very full life. I had a lot of energy, but it became too much for my body and mind.

I developed back problems, and everyone told me my sports career was over. I was supposed to have surgery, but I refused and instead decided to recover through health practices, gymnastics, and mental training. Eventually, I made the decision to quit my job — that was in 2000. Everyone thought I was crazy because I had a good salary and was successful, but I told myself that while money is important, I had already paid for my house and had new projects in mind — a new perspective.

That spring, I quit my job and during the summer I opened a primary karate school for children. My challenge — or “problem,” if you will — was that I was never motivated by money. I managed the school very well and believed that offering quality would naturally bring the reward I deserved. I learned, however, that it doesn’t always work that way.

I began teaching children back in 1980, when I was still a student. My master gave me a group of kids, and I was very successful. I think I must have a kind of genetic gift for teaching — you can learn how to teach, but you also need some inner gift.

Over 47 years, about 40,000 people — 40,000 families — have passed through my hands as students. I was always more interested in children’s development than in the money I could earn. Unfortunately, since 1980, society and families have changed a lot. As a result, I had to make more and more compromises. I poured my energy into teaching children, but in 2015 I decided to stop children's classes. Why? Because the problem was no longer just the children — it was also the parents. Even though everyone could see the positive results of my teaching — children gaining self-confidence, for instance — there was no real recognition or support, neither from the government nor from the community. When I first started, children tried to convince their parents to join my school. After 1998, it was the opposite — parents no longer understood what it meant to be a parent.

Today, I’m passionate about horses as well. I live in Szentendre, and for me, horses represent pure connection — body awareness, connection, and method, all in harmony.

Why did you decide to start tango? Was it because you missed something from martial arts?

I’m still deeply involved in martial arts and have been very successful as both a competitor and a coach. My son and daughter also compete — they both became champions in their domain. It’s become a kind of family tradition. We maintain strong body awareness in any situation. Whatever your discipline — martial arts, dance, or sports — body awareness is key.

I discovered tango by accident. When I was organizing summer camps, especially for my Spanish friends, we always had a dance session (cha-cha-cha and other dances), and everyone enjoyed it. I decided to learn more and joined a dance school — but after the first class, I quit because it felt too artificial to me.

Later, one of my students — a composer and member of the Music Academy, who was also the musical director at MÜPA — asked me to photograph dancers on stage. Since I was already a photographer capturing movement in sports, I accepted. It turned out to be a tango performance. I immediately fell in love with tango. Two and a half years later, I was dancing on stage myself. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted to keep learning more and more.

Is there a connection between martial arts and tango?

There is a huge connection.

Today, I also teach tango. Some of my students come from martial arts, others from dance — and some practice both. Sometimes I use martial arts terminology to help dancers understand movements, and they grasp it immediately.

Everything we do operates on four layers:

1. Physical — corresponding to biomechanics

2. Electrical — based on the nervous system

3. Energetical — often referred to as chakras or meridians

4. Mental — the mind

I always work with all four layers and their connections. I understand their relationships clearly and know how to control them — doing so makes life much easier.

In martial arts, I created three unique systems — part of the reason for my success. Before the pandemic, I held around 45 seminars worldwide every year — nearly every weekend I was traveling.

Although I belong to the Shitoryu school, I soon found some methodological mistakes and limitations, since the world has changed since the 19th century. Japanese teaching needed adaptation to modern times and cultures. I modified certain technical approaches to make them more efficient — and one day, accidentally, I broke my partner’s arm.

A close friend of mine who also practices karate – was the founder of the Hungarian Medical Acupuncture Association. Talking with him I discovered the strong connection between acupuncture and karate efficiency. This point was key in my research. I created a system nobody believed at that time. Even the Japanese never mentioned it and thought I was totally crazy.

And then, when my first karate teacher - had gone to Canada in 1980, - visited me in 2004 in Budapest, he told me a school called Kyusho Jitsu existed with a similar approach. So, I decided to visit the founder of this school in the USA — it was an amazing experience. However, I noticed they lacked a clear methodology, so I created one, which became very successful. Later I presented this methodology all around the world explaining the meaning of movements.

And then the grandson of the founder of the Shitoryu school contacted me, asking to collaborate. Today, any kind of fighters - like boxers for example - use my method to increase their efficiency.

But tango is a dance — it’s about connection with yourself and your partner. Boxers fight, they don’t dance : one wins, one loses. How can you apply your method to tango?

A fight is also a form of connection — a mental and a physical connection. Every movement begins with an intention. The way I touch you depends on my intention, and the result depends on it too. The body and the technique are tools; what changes is intention. Intention is an action, not a reaction — reactions are instinctive, while intentions are conscious.

To succeed in tango or martial arts, you must know your body and how to move it. You must understand axis, distance, body weight, timing, dynamics, energy collection, transfer, and projection. You must be pushed by the ground and project your body.

What about the Tango BA — you organize the preliminaries in Budapest? How does it happen?

My motivation to start tango was the beauty of movement — and later, the thrill of performing on stage. I like challenges, as a competitor and as a teacher. I also became a tango DJ to better understand how music shapes the dance — tango music is the soul of tango.

Today, I DJ in eight or nine countries, at festivals and marathons. Later, I wanted to open a new milonga but decided to create something different — Theatrum Milonga. It wasn’t just about the venue but about integrating art — singers, dancers, and performances. That period is over now, but it was an important contribution.

Five years ago, I also organized a small festival. I did it four times since. Every year it’s growing. Next year 30 nationalities will participate.

My friends Julián Sánchez and Bruna Estellita, whom I had invited - before they won the Tango World Championship in 2023 - travel constantly. It’s a tough life as an artist, so I introduced them to the Argentine embassy in Budapest. The embassy appreciated the idea, and I organized a very nice meeting. Then later they spoke with the Tango BA organization and the Ministry of Culture, asking me to manage the TangoBA preliminaries in Budapest.

They knew I was experienced in organizing major events like the European Karate Championship and, from my corporate career, large-scale operations. The only issue was that they gave me just two weeks to do it. It was challenging, but I accepted — I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to make Hungarian dancers more visible internationally.

Fortunately, the embassy put me in contact with Laura Mazzei, the Executive Director of TangoBA, which helped a lot. In the end, the event was a great success.

What about the evolution of tango and martial arts? Are you concerned about it?

Evolution is inevitable — but tradition should not kill evolution.

That’s the problem in martial arts, and sometimes in tango too. Older masters often try to keep their position, especially as teachers, while the younger generation brings change. Teaching methodologies evolve.

Next year, I plan to focus on the audience. Before the championship, we’ll have a show, then several competition days: tango de pista, escenario, milonguero, vals, milonga. We’ll also have café milongas, workshops, and grand milongas. This means the best European dancers will be in Budapest not only to compete but also to dance and share.

Advice for beginners

Everybody is different. Everyone learns differently and has a unique background. If you’re starting tango, try several schools — maybe three or four — and attend at least four or five classes in each before deciding. A single class can be misleading. After trying a few places, choose the one that feels best for you, then stay for a while.

In tango, as in martial arts, you must understand your axis, how to collect, flow, and transfer energy.

For me, tango stands on four pillars:

1. Connection

2. Technique

3. Musicality

4. Creativity

Tango is sometimes mystified — people think it’s very complicated. But it isn’t. It’s not difficult; it’s complex. And even within that complexity, you can always find a simple, clear path to learn.