Those who know me know I've been studying the Japanese martial art of Aikido since 1993. The art incorporates both unarmed and armed work derived from older Japanese forms.
In any case, one of the most important concepts in Aikido is maai. Maai can interpreted many ways. What I want to bring up is the idea of "negative space." In Japanese arts (martial and otherwise) what is not there is as important as what is. Think of Japanese calligraphy (assuming you've seen some) with its few simple black strokes against a stark white background. To the Eastern eye, all that emptiness is not emptiness at all. It has a weight and meaning that deserves attention and contemplation.
In Japanese martial arts, this translates into controlling the empty space between combatants; studying the dead space when no action is taking place. It's not just a matter of waiting, or "psyching out" the opponent.
Unfortunately, this starts getting into quasi-spiritual, zen-like discussions that a short blog entry can hardly answer (and even then, I don't know if I could offer a definitive explanation). In terms of fighting for performance, maai can serve to build up tension and ratchet up the scales of a fight scene. Think of it as the "fight before the fight," like meaning conveyed through pauses in dialogue or short breathes instead of words.
Of course, as they say, it's better to show than tell. So take a look at this illustrative climactic dual from master director Akira Kurosawa's film 1962 film "Yojimbo". Be very, very patient and don't blink.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYbi7gKKvOo
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