Alright. So, I have already prefaced this subject matter by stating that I appreciate the eventuality of aging affecting the usage of martial arts in battle. Let's go a little deeper. Let's discuss the fact of escalation, especially as it applies to martial arts. After all, the common concept of never bringing a knife to a gunfight is one that has validity in ANY era of humanity.
Age factors even into that kind of notion, because sooner or later, reflexes play a part in how fast you can get the guns going. Let's say that this relates to a scenario where all things are equal, otherwise. But let us take the technology to another level. For instance, let us say that a middle-aged martial artist has an altercation with an older one and they both are equally skilled. The younger has carpel tunnel syndrome and the elder has arthritis, and they both opt for guns. Who would win?
All the factors may play a part, but appreciating that the risk is just as high for one as for the other is key, here. The wisdom of the elder with a hair triggered weapon might cancel out the faster coordination and harder kick of the younger man's weapon. It could just as easily go the other direction, as well. The point is that even an unskilled child with a gun can be dangerous to a veteran in the wrong situation. That's where the wisdom might save his day. It is that wisdom that we should strive to achieve.
Further down the rabbit hole:
In a world where there are so many unskilled people with guns, does it negate the effectiveness of martial arts training? Does the current body of martial arts properly deal with the factor of random violence from out of range? What are the real benefits of martial arts, given the sense of uselessness that everyday news stories about the darkness of humanity tends to make it seem moot?
Sure, the typical school has a list of tenets that show it has its heart in the right place. However, lip service does not equate to outcome. And when the culture of the school (not the same as the cultural leanings or ties) is one of cash flow, as they must be in order to keep the doors open and lights on, it is often just part of the marketing strategy. That is to say that the message gets lost in the shuffle of compromise. It's a sad reality.
Of course, it still sounds nice. In fact, it is always a positive note when the occasional student pays respect to his or her club after a level of success, attributing that success to those tenets and to the mentorship they have received as student. So the question, going forward, is whether or not we can keep even that level of character building as we head into the higher tech that awaits us in the future.
When watching one of my favorite movies, The Matrix, it prescribed a possible manner of martial arts education via instant downloads. Not an inkling of mentorship was alluded to in the science of it all. I guess when AI gets to be intelligent or conscious enough, it may become feasible to believe the same can be inserted into a person. I don't think it will, but who am I to say. I only write the science fiction I can imagine, on occasion.
So that is the spiritual aspect, if you will. In my next entry, I will go a little more into the technological side of this subject.
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