Physical prowess and athleticism vs. skill
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:30 pm
While they are undeniably related, I believe that physical prowess and athleticism are very often confused with skill, especially by laymen.
Many people are dazzled by displays of physical prowess and athleticism (e.g., lifting heavy weights, breaking hard objects, doing push-ups/pull-ups/handstand with fingers, having a muscular body, etc) that appear to be associated with martial arts practice and combat readiness, but I do not consider them as skill -- especially from the perspective of internal arts.
For me, skill lies in very specific and precise ways of utilizing the human body to generate power, stability, and speed in ways that are ABNORMAL to the way that an average person moves.
Physical prowess and athleticism, on the other hand, focus on STRENGTHENING AND REINFORCING the natural movement patterns of a human being.
P.S. This distinction, by the way, is also how I view the divide between the external and the internal.
Many people are dazzled by displays of physical prowess and athleticism (e.g., lifting heavy weights, breaking hard objects, doing push-ups/pull-ups/handstand with fingers, having a muscular body, etc) that appear to be associated with martial arts practice and combat readiness, but I do not consider them as skill -- especially from the perspective of internal arts.
For me, skill lies in very specific and precise ways of utilizing the human body to generate power, stability, and speed in ways that are ABNORMAL to the way that an average person moves.
Physical prowess and athleticism, on the other hand, focus on STRENGTHENING AND REINFORCING the natural movement patterns of a human being.
P.S. This distinction, by the way, is also how I view the divide between the external and the internal.