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Originally Posted by Happy Times
Hey, didnt skybird do this?
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My mentor taught me the martial and mental function of swordfighting, whereas Kendo, as Anteater already pointed out, is more a sports meant as a regulated, ritualised competition with rules and forms to be followed, and to a lesser degree also a mental balancing thing. I never did Kendo, although sometimes referred to my training as that, to cut long explanations short. Theory was not on the timetable, only training and meditation. Long explanations on terms and rituals cannot satisfy your soul, nor do they help you to form your skills and survive in a fight. Theory cannot replace experience and practice. All that almost always is distraction only. There is just your mind, and what it does. The mind hits, not the sword. If your mind does not value the issue of the conflict worth it, you better don't fight, then.
Sport fencing for example does not aim to hurt or kill, but to score, and even hits that would neither kill nor hurt score a point, and this leads to a different technique of how to use an épée - they would do differently with a real rapier if needing to fight for their life, or wanting to kill. It is sports, not fighting, becasue duelling sports are a ritualised way of fighting only, starting with team sports, leading over tennis and racing competitions, and ending with biathlon, Judo and fencing. I tried épée fencing six or seven months during my first semestre at university. But I did not get used to both the different technique and handling of that sports "toy" (compared to a real katana), and the orientation towards making points when striking, not to kill, also felt strange after having done differently for so many years before (in fact I started it only because in the Start Trek novels i read at that time Sulu often was training fencing
). For me, fighting with a sword is no sports, but training with it is intended to be a tool of fighting to kill - not to score points. That'S how my mentor understood it, and that's the way I understand it as well. I think this difference is very important, because both motivations (sports versus killing, with the possebility to get killed) form your mind and focus in different ways, and influence the way you train and fight, and your general attitude. It affects your stand on life and death, and changes your inner balance.
I just watched the first video, and now head to the other three parts. Beautiful. thanks for sharing!
I just disagree that it is wise to live in ways of the past just to practice the old ways of fighting, like that master seem to live offside the living ways of the present (on the other hand: what esxactly is the present living way?
). The world has changed, and a warrior-minded man has to take that into account, else he is learning to fight only in a way and in a world that both no longer exist - thus he learns something that is useless and in vain. Seen that way, a sword master is much more than just somebody who can swing a sword in a technically competent and efficient way: it is an inner attitude towards things, a stand or approach onto challenges in your life, a way of how you deal with your life and death, and not to waste time to care for the difference in certain situations. You can be a swordmaster - without ever having had a sword in your hand.
But it cannot be bad to know how to handle a sword as well.
In the end, the deciding battlefield is not outside, but inside yourself.
So...? :hmm: