Better than the Ancients?
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:58 pm
In some ways I believe that with modern training equipment we can become better fighters than those in ancient times. Modern medicine has improved significantly so that we may recover faster and treat injuries that would have crippled those in the past. In unarmed fighting we can soften the blows with gloves and headgear. In sword fighting we can fight full-contact and "die" over and over again with special training swords, fencing masks, gloves and chest protectors, learning from our mistakes. Not too long ago even getting a scratch could easily lead to death and this kind of equipment had not been invented, so it was a risky business.
Because of this I believe that it is possible for us to become better fighters than those of the past - especially when it comes to weapon arts, as the ancients would have engaged in battle far less than we do now. I'd go as far as saying that in my relatively short time of studying swordsmanship that I've done more sword fighting than most would have in their entire lives. Training with wooden swords and pulling every blow and thrust is not the same at all. Timing, distance, feinting are all lost.
It's not all one-sided, though.. I think that the experienced martial artist of the day would have made numerous kills in battle, so psychologically they would have been superior fighters - after all, sparring/fencing is not the same as a duel to the death or war. More importantly, they would have been more well-rounded, being able to handle themselves in more situations. If bandits attacked the village they would have had to defend it with swords and pole-arms, etc. If they were attacked in a city or somewhere where weapons were not allowed they would have needed to fight unarmed or at least with knives. Indeed, if they lost their weapon/s on the battlefield they would have needed to be competent in wrestling or perish swiftly. They would have come up against a variety of different weapons and armours.
So if the world was suddenly thrown back into chaos, who would be better off? I think that it would have to be a combination.. If we took the best of all modern armed and unarmed martial arts, trained them as one art, using modern training equipment and science, and experimented for two or three generations that we'd have the upper hand for sure. That being said, we now have guns and a kid could blow my face off without any training, so who gives a fuck?
Because of this I believe that it is possible for us to become better fighters than those of the past - especially when it comes to weapon arts, as the ancients would have engaged in battle far less than we do now. I'd go as far as saying that in my relatively short time of studying swordsmanship that I've done more sword fighting than most would have in their entire lives. Training with wooden swords and pulling every blow and thrust is not the same at all. Timing, distance, feinting are all lost.
It's not all one-sided, though.. I think that the experienced martial artist of the day would have made numerous kills in battle, so psychologically they would have been superior fighters - after all, sparring/fencing is not the same as a duel to the death or war. More importantly, they would have been more well-rounded, being able to handle themselves in more situations. If bandits attacked the village they would have had to defend it with swords and pole-arms, etc. If they were attacked in a city or somewhere where weapons were not allowed they would have needed to fight unarmed or at least with knives. Indeed, if they lost their weapon/s on the battlefield they would have needed to be competent in wrestling or perish swiftly. They would have come up against a variety of different weapons and armours.
So if the world was suddenly thrown back into chaos, who would be better off? I think that it would have to be a combination.. If we took the best of all modern armed and unarmed martial arts, trained them as one art, using modern training equipment and science, and experimented for two or three generations that we'd have the upper hand for sure. That being said, we now have guns and a kid could blow my face off without any training, so who gives a fuck?