The Skills of a Black Widow

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Black Widow is more than just a name of a single character, it’s a title.  Yes, Natasha is the most well known and familiar Black Widow of the bunch, but being a Black Widow is the culmination of an entire program of training, conditioning, and indoctrination in the Red Room.  In our skills breakdown here, we’re going to take a look at a few of the skills and abilities you might want to train in to become a Black Widow.

The Widow’s Fangs

Close combat, medium-range engagements, and long-distance assassinations are all within Natasha’s purview.  She’s comfortable fighting enemies at any distance, and if you’re looking to embody a Black Widow then you need to reach this same level of proficiency in combat.  Let’s talk about our options, here.

Hand-to-Hand

Black Widow is said to be a master of many, many martial arts.  While I’ve always enjoyed the hyperbolic, “master of every martial art on the planet” that comics use to set up the mystique of characters like her, I’ve also thought the idea of mastering every single martial art on the planet being silly.  Instead, I’d say you should focus on two or three, designed for different purposes and complimentary of each other.  To that end, here’s a few recommendations for each category…

Striking

• Muay Thai: This striking style has become ubiquitous with heavy, devastating blows since the meteoric rise of the UFC.  Highly recommended.
• Krav Maga: Militarily designed and inspired, krav maga is a natural choice for someone like Natasha, assuming you can find a reputable school.  Make sure you check credentials!
• Systema: Thematically it makes sense for Black Widow, however Systema, at least in my area, is both hard ti find, and very McDojo-y when you do find a school.  If you can find a good instructor though, it’s an awesome all-around art.

Grappling

• Sambo: Sambo, either the combat or sport variant, is an awesome, Russian-born grappling art, taking cues from judo, jujitsu, and folk wrestling.  Definitely a thematic fit for Black Widow’s origins, too!
• Judo: Typically Natasha doesn’t stay on the ground too long, so I put judo slightly higher than the next choice on this list, but honestly they’re very complimentary and I’d recommend both.  What’s the next choice?  Like you’d even have to ask…
• Brazilian Jujitsu: BJJ, like muay thai, has become ubiquitous as “the ultimate grappling art” since the UFC became popular.  While I may contest it being the end-all be-all answer to matwork, you can’t deny the results of the art.

Hand Weapons

• Kali/Arnis/Escrima: Filipino martial arts can be hard to beat when it comes to realistic weapon training.  Their emphasis on universal techniques, live drills, and versatile toolsets means if you’re proficient in their arts you can turn almost anything you hold into a functional weapon.
• Systema: Systema gets a second entry here just because they also feature some knife/stick work, but again, same caution from before.  Find a good school, or fall into a McDojo trap.
• Chinese Weapon Arts: Black Widow displays a proficiency with a NUMBER of different sized and shaped weapons, and one of the only other places you’ll see that wide range of an arsenal is in the Chinese martial arts.  Various kung fu and other Chinese systems feature everything from small knives to long swords and everything in between.  The difficulty here is different arts teach different weapons, and typically not until you’ve completed their hand forms, so it could take a while to pick up a wide variety of weapons.

Firearms

• Three Gun: An emerging firearm sport, three gun requires proficiency in rifle, shotgun, and handgun across a variety of distances.  While it isn’t exactly the same as military experience, it’s probably the closest you can get without actually joining the military.
• Firearm Schools: At least in the US, there are a lot of firearm education schools and courses available, usually through local ranges.  Take a look around and see what’s available, and just take as many courses/camps they offer.
• Join the Military: This might not necessarily be the sexiest option here (depending on your point of view,) and it’s by far the most disruptive to your current life, but it’s probably the absolute best way to gain the skills of Black Widow.  Especially if you join a special forces branch (in the US I’d say green beret or the SEALs are probably the closest analogs.)  This could open you for further work in intelligence branches, as well (which is SUPER Black Widow-y!)

Grace of the Spider

An interesting aspect of Natasha that is often overlooked is her mandatory ballet training.  Now, it’s been suggested in the comics at some points that these ballet dancing memories may be implanted, but in my headcannon it makes sense!  Ballet is ridiculously difficult, and imparts balance, coordination, and fluidity like nothing else can.  The muscular control that professional dancers exhibit is second-to-none, and their power-to-weight ratio is absurd.

Suffice it to say, learning to dance (ballet in particular) is a fantastic step to take on your journey to becoming Black Widow.  The physical benefits are incredible, and it’s an area where art, physical fitness, and performance all intersect in a beautiful whole.  I can’t promise you it will make you proficient at fighting supervillains, but I can promise you that it definitely won’t hurt!  Dance has the capability to enhance every area of your life, just like martial arts.

The International Agent

Black Widow has the ability to operate in any environment, and disappear into any crowd.  The ability to adapt to foreign cultures and environments is part language proficiency, and part cultural understanding.  The cultural understanding bit is something that can really only be gained by immersion and frequent travel, which is a difficult starting point for most, but the language learning is something you can start right now.  Here’s a few recommendations:

• Rosetta Stone: Generally accepted as the best paid option out there, Rosetta Stone is a little pricey, but worth every cent.  Multiple government agencies swear by it, and it’s hailed the world over as the best complete system to learn a new language.
• Duolingo: Duolingo is a fantastic free online resource for learning foreign languages!  Thought it may not be as robust an option as Rosetta Stone, it’s still a fantastic option to start with!
• Babbel: A good compromise point between the previous options, Babbel is a paid option that’s lower than Rosetta Stone, but generally more robust than Duolingo.  Check em out!

In the end, of course, nothing is a real substitute for true immersion.  If you really want to get serious, your best bet it to start traveling for extended periods of times in other countries.  Nothing will help you learn a language and culture faster than actually forcing yourself to adapt to and live in it.  Take a look at exchange programs, foreign language teaching options, and outreach charities you could volunteer with!

That’s it for today’s post!  It should provide you a good starting point to gaining the skills of Black Widow!  Sorry it was a little while in coming.  I’ll see you tomorrow with our conclusion for Black Widow, The Benevolent Assassin.  Until then, as always, live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!

The Best Dan Wallace