Martial Arts in modern times... :D

[Andrew Green]

200 years ago there was a young swordsman, everyday for his entire life he would go outside and practice the same cut 500 times. He became known as a master and his dedication and mastery of the art where well known.

Recently there wass a young swordsman, everyday for his entire life he would go outside and practice the same cut 500 times. He got diagnosed as being OCD, they gave him some medication and he is doing better now...

Are those old ideas in the myths and legends still valid today? Or have things changed too much?

 

[Marginal]

I'm not sure that myth ever made sense.

 

[MA-Caver]

200 years ago there was a young swordsman, everyday for his entire life he would go outside and practice the same cut 500 times. He became known as a master and his dedication and mastery of the art where well known.

Recently there wass a young swordsman, everyday for his entire life he would go outside and practice the same cut 500 times. He got diagnosed as being OCD, they gave him some medication and he is doing better now...

Are those old ideas in the myths and legends still valid today? Or have things changed too much?

If it were 100 years ago he'd be practicing with a gun shooting at the same spot 500 times on the fast draw, nobody would've thought differently.
The young swordsman became a victim of erroneous thinking? Wonders if anyone thought to ask him what was he doing. Wonders if anyone understood that he was being/practicing the Martial Way. No, they saw someone hacking away at the same spot over and over like some obsessive/complusive...
Sad.
Similar experience happened to me a long time ago. When I was in my (very) early twenties I was practicing kendo/swordsmanship. I had to do it at night and in my parent's front lawn. One night I was practicing ( I did not have a boken or even a sword but a good 45" long alumunium rod which sufficed, taped handle so I'd have 36" projecting outward from my hands.
Suddenly I was spot-lighted and turned quickly to it and immediately dropped my "sword". Seems this cop drove by and saw something stopped and spotlighted to get a better view. My dropping the "weapon" probably helped a lot. Afterwards I was glad that it was not a boken or a katana, probably would've been worse with the officer. He got out and asked me what I was doing. I explained and asked if it was wrong to be doing it in my parents yard with no one around at one am in the morning. He said no and we ended up chatting a bit of Martial Arts (I forget which art he studied) as he appreciated the fact that I had wanted to keep practicing. Lucky me I guess.

Last week I saw a guy practicing with a (wooden) broadsword or a claymore. Was pretty good and showed a lot of concentration in what he was doing. Nobody stopped to wonder what he was up to. I was observing him discreetly across a (narrow) river and through a break in the trees. Would anyone thought this guy was a nut for swinging/hacking at nothing with a wooden sword? :idunno: mebbe one or two passerbys.
At my own apartment complex there's an chinese national (exchange student) who practices Tai-chi out in the parking lot in broad day-light. Perhaps I will join him some day, I used to LOVE doing tai-chi. Will anyone think we're weird and give us pills to make us more "normal?" Sure as hell hope not. :asian: