Starting with advanced martial arts vs. starting with the basics

[Ken Cheng]

In the real world, all martial artists start out with the basics: nobody "magically" becomes a great martial artist overnight. A lifetime of dedication is required, and it typically begins with very rudimentary exercises such as performing the horse stance for at least an hour a day.

In wuxia, of course, it's different: many wuxia characters go from zero to hero very quickly, bypassing that boring "basic" training stuff and learning advanced techniques almost right away.

In the end, however, what do you think is better in a wuxia context: a character who trains in the traditional, orthodox way from the basics, or jumping into the advanced stuff right away?

[HuangYushi]

In wuxia, of course, it's different: many wuxia characters go from zero to hero very quickly, bypassing that boring "basic" training stuff and learning advanced techniques almost right away.

Like who? Age is catching up so any memory-refreshing posts would be helpful.

The only one I can think of right now is Duan Yu. He went from zero to learning Beiming Shengong by a sheer twist of JY's pen, but Beiming didn't make him a hero in a pugilistic sense.

[Ken Cheng]

Like who? Age is catching up so any memory-refreshing posts would be helpful.

The only one I can think of right now is Duan Yu. He went from zero to learning Beiming Shengong by a sheer twist of JY's pen, but Beiming didn't make him a hero in a pugilistic sense.

Yeung Gor started his martial arts career by learning Ha Mo Gung. By comparison, Gwok Jing started his martial arts training with the Gong Nam 7 Freaks teaching him the basic horse stance, how to make a fist, etc.

[Candide]

Yeung Gor started his martial arts career by learning Ha Mo Gung.

His mum taught him some MA before that.

[Ken Cheng]

His mum taught him some MA before that.

I've heard different versions of it. Some people have told me that Muk Lim Chi had taught no martial arts at all to little Yeung Gor before she died, while others tell me that she did teach him the basics (but not much more than that).

[Trien Chieu]

In the real world, all martial artists start out with the basics: nobody "magically" becomes a great martial artist overnight. A lifetime of dedication is required, and it typically begins with very rudimentary exercises such as performing the horse stance for at least an hour a day.

In wuxia, of course, it's different: many wuxia characters go from zero to hero very quickly, bypassing that boring "basic" training stuff and learning advanced techniques almost right away.

In the end, however, what do you think is better in a wuxia context: a character who trains in the traditional, orthodox way from the basics, or jumping into the advanced stuff right away?

Most of the Jin Yong heroes start up with basic martial art and learn the advance later in life. On the other hand, most GuLong heroes can become great martial artist over night. Jin Yong's heroes are more realistic whereas GuLOng's heroes are more of like fantasy...

[HuangYushi]

I've heard different versions of it. Some people have told me that Muk Lim Chi had taught no martial arts at all to little Yeung Gor before she died, while others tell me that she did teach him the basics (but not much more than that).

Mu Nianci did teach Yang Guo some basic stuff. That was how Huang Rong could identify him as the Yang Guo of Yang Kang. It's in the novel text.

[Ken Cheng]

Mu Nianci did teach Yang Guo some basic stuff. That was how Huang Rong could identify him as the Yang Guo of Yang Kang. It's in the novel text.

ROCH '83 went with the idea that Yeung Gor had learned something from his mother, but when I pointed this out in a discussion once, a whole bunch of people (supposedly novel readers) jumped on me saying that Muk Lim Chi hadn't taught him any martial arts at all.

[Ren Wo Xing]

Well, Lin Pingzhi also had a major jump...teehee.

[Ken Cheng]

Well, Lin Pingzhi also had a major jump...teehee.

But he had martial arts skills before that.

I'm talking about the *very* beginning. The ground floor, so to speak.

[PJ]

Duan Yu is the only one who went from zero to something way above zero.

Xuzhu went from 0.01 to something way above.

Linghu Chong went from 0.05 to something way above.

[Ren Wo Xing]

Nah. Linghu Chong was the head student of one of the five most prominent schools in Wulin, and a very gifted one as well. For example, he was able to kick the asses of all four of the "Four Gallants of Qingcheng", who had a pretty decent reputation at that time. His ability to hold a fight against Tian Boguang, even for a little while, speaks a great deal of his talent pre-DG9J, as Tian Boguang was a Headmaster-level fighter. Basically, I can't think of anyone in his generation whom LHC would've had a problem with, which is way, way different from Xu Zhu.

I'm pretty sure that by the time just before LPZ learned Pixie, he still hadn't reached LHC's pre-DG9J level.

[pannonian]

I've heard different versions of it. Some people have told me that Muk Lim Chi had taught no martial arts at all to little Yeung Gor before she died, while others tell me that she did teach him the basics (but not much more than that).

She couldn't have taught him much, given how weak she herself was, and that she'd died some years earlier. He wouldn't have had much more training than a 11-12 year old kid from our world. After that initial bit of training by Mu Nianci, the next bit of martial arts he learnt was the Toad Skill, something the sane Ouyang Feng considered so dangerous that he felt the 30-odd year old Ouyang Ke didn't have sufficient foundation to train it without a substantial risk of fire deviation.

[sarakoth]

Characters with solid basic trainings usually have more control over their advanced martial arts. Just look at Duan Yu.

[Extremer88]

But he had martial arts skills before that.

I'm talking about the *very* beginning. The ground floor, so to speak.

Come to think of it, Lin Pingzhi's progress was actually quite remarkable. Before learning Bixie Jianfa, the only opponent that he could beat would have been only Yue Lingshan.