Grand Master Gene Perceval
Fantasy vs. Realism in the martial arts
When Bruce Lee made his movies, the martial arts came alive on the big screen. Combined with a story and a great martial artist, it pulled many thousands of new students to martial arts schools throughout the world. Many movies that followed included fantastic and seemingly impossible physical feats. Many movements were beyond human capabilities, giving the impression that anyone who undertook martial arts training would have the capability of performing these fantastic movements. Many new students who flocked to martial arts schools with high expectations soon found what was seen on the big screen was beyond the reach of even their instructors After several months of hard training, many students were disappointed, gave up and dropped out of the martial arts.
On the other hand, movies such as the Karate Kid did follow some of the martial arts values. The act of revenge, or the attitude of "I must win in competition", is self-defeating and should not be taught in any martial arts school. Competition is a gauge, to compare your training to other competitors.
Video games portray the martial arts as an aggressive, violent and deadly means of dealing with others. Television, movies and video games show that continuous punching, kicking and the use of martial arts weapons have little effect on the attacked person, and ignore the effect of his injuries. In reality, martial artists are people who spent years of hard training. If they have no choice but to defend themselves, they would react to the extent that would match the situation at hand, and not go beyond that point, as shown in a fantasy. A true trained martial artist would not have to spend more than a few seconds to end an attack and disable an opponent.
Decades ago, the television weekly series Kung-Fu gave the viewer a good example of how training was instilled in a young boy and carried through as an adult. The spiritual aspects were always presented throughout the show, always reflecting back on a student learning from his instructor, showing the correct paths to take in making decisions. Aggression was always the last resort in keeping with the martial arts' tradition of inner peace. Constant practice, self-control and meditation are some of the elements still being taught today in our martial arts schools.
Learning the martial arts is a combination of hard work, logic, physics, understanding the body and mind, mental focus and a spiritual outlook, all of which are interlocked. The real martial arts cannot be learned in just a few short years. When joining a martial arts school, take into account your lifestyle and where in the line of values the martial arts will be placed. The body and mind combination is so complex that years must be spent to begin to understand the martial arts.
Are you aware that the martial arts are related to many of today's sciences. Your martial arts carrer will make many changes as you progress in age, you will find new and exciting doors will open and change in the way you think, your motabilism will slow down and you will find your physical movements will slow as well.
A whole new world will open up to you, you will become wiser, and most of those fast explosive movements will no longer be present, but your changes will be greater than you ever hoped for.You will eliminate unnecessary movements, the mind will be more exact in your thinking, believe me, you will be one happier martial artist, Ive been there and live it today.
With age comes higher ranking, students including black belts will not have accomplished what you have and are experiencing. Think about it: what sport if you consider the martial arts as somewhat a sport where the older you get, the more respect you get.
For those who reached these years, congratulations, you are an exceptional person, We bow together.
Grandmaster Gene Perceval
In the arts since 1955
Pioneer and founder.