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[druminmychest]

I was recently ruminating over a conversation I had with another Rattan Fencing enthusiast a couple weeks ago.

His approach has always been “experience” based, whereas I try to drive my improvement through a greater understanding of the art.

I would venture to say that 98% of all rattan fencers really fall into the “experience” category. I also know

Comments

[norfacoflandra]

And the basic problem with your thesis is exactly what you cite: You can be the most knowledgable academic in the field, and not be able to achieve the end goal. "Paralysis by analysis" is a frequent fate of the acedemic. Similarly, the SCA has never stayed static. One single "style" isn't the point. Continuous change is what the SCA has done. That "one perfect moment" is a theoretical goal, but if that goal never changes but the rest of the practitioners are changing around you as you proceed down the same path... They may be more adept at accomodating change than you are at learning toward your goal. The opponents that give the biggest problems are the ones who are adaptive on a split second to a situation. They may be able to kill with a flat snap simply because the opportunity presented itself, while the acedemic is still going through the mental file drawer for the 'correct' response to an otherwise unskilled response.

It's like Indiana Jones and the whip. Just shoot the bugger.

[jamey1138]

What you're talking about, really, is the distinction between raw talent and athleticism, on the one hand, and rigorous systemic practice, on the other

[norfacoflandra]

I'm afraid I didn't clearly elaborate on my point, and you missed it entirely. It's not "raw talent" vs. "athleticism". I had neither, yet I achieved a measure of success by being as quickly adaptable as my limited physique allowed.

More broadly, in general, and I have a lot of 'general' to observe from, acedemic pursuit never gets to the goal because it gets waylaid due to the fun of the journey. Focused intent takes whatever road needed to get to the goal.

Having the study and being able to adapt rapidly based on that knowledge is powerful. But the key is split second adaptation and recognition and change.

Also, a good area to reference are database searches and decision trees. Traditional trees get you there, but not efficiently. Google is taking over the internet because they understand the power of fast searches to present a more limited selection of options.

Same idea.

[cav_attitude]

I don't think you understand "scholarship" in the martial arts, western or eastern. It is not limited to reading/interpreting a treatise, but much practice at applying the enumerated techniques both through drills and bouting. Learning from experience is all well and good, but if you wanted to learn an eastern martial art, would you be so foolhardy to discount the teachings/techniques handed down through a school because you have enough experience to invent your own style? Yet that is precisely what many SCA practitioners do when they discount scholarship/research in western martial arts. Admittedly, there are many WMA enthusiasts who do not apply their studies very often, and SCA combat does let people fight with intensity. But to assume just because you have experience "fighting" in extremely rule-set limited scenarios that you can disregard the lessons from those who fighting was a way a life is the height of arrogance.

[aztecknight]

You can name me :)

But once again your words have made me think about what I mean and what I want. The conversation about winning Crown over dinner was a great one. I want to win the Middle Crown. But I do not want to win it at the expense of my fun. Tom is right about art. For me the art is not fun. Doing it is fun. Learning it is work. That is not my desire. I want to have the most fun. Winning tends to mean the ability to have more fun. I think you know that I can not wait for the day when the artist becomes a KSCA. Because then more people will copy his way. The challenge level will rise and that will also be more fun for me. Because I do not like winning easy.