Old Ways Are the Right Ways
Ficlets and Ficly survivor, FicMom, and Mistress of Well-Intentioned Indecision and Goddess of Unrequited Love. @ElshaHawk @HawkandYoung
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"Sensei," I knelt and bowed low, forehead touching the mat before the master. I sat up and he regarded my face and my demeanor.
"What troubles you, child?"
"I keep trying and failing to execute my new move."
"What makes it new?"
"I've been adding an exciting new twist that I am extremely fascinated with. I saw it performed before, but never in combination with my signature move."
"You studied hard on your signature move."
"Yes." I looked at the floor. Was he telling me to keep trying?
"You still execute your signature move with precision?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Is it still satisfying and effective?"
"Yes, Sir. I am still pleased with it."
"Then why change it?"
My heart sank. I knew he wouldn't approve of this new change. But I still wanted to practice it.
"My student, the new move was not made for combinations. Old ways are the right ways. Practice it in isolation. Feel the power of it. It is good in its own way. You have another way. You can have both, but not together."
"Yes, master," I bowed low again
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Comments (5 so far!)
Average reader rating 4.50/5
HSAR
I'm with the sensei. The student demonstrates the fact that while they have practiced one move, they haven't mastered it - or they wouldn't have attempted a doomed combination.
I like the contemplative feel of the piece. There are enough details to form the sketch, and then the dialogue takes over.
- #3083 Posted 5 years ago
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1
ScrawlersSecret
Powerful. I feel like what Sensei is trying to say is with what the student is trying to do... if you are going to make something new. Make it new. It can be inspired by the old move, that's okay. You can have the original and a new thing. But a tweak on the original will never have power or identity, so you can have both, but not together.
- #4157 Posted 3 years ago
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1
- 5 out of 5
rhubarb_j
Aw man...martial art story, well executed?
I'm hooked, can't wait to hear what happens next.
Good job!
- #4173 Posted 3 years ago
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1
- 4 out of 5
- Published 5 years ago.
- Story viewed 19 times and rated 2 times.
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Robert Quick
I can honestly see both sides. Sometimes tradition is the right way. It becomes tradition usually as a combination of time and effectiveness. On the other hand without incorporating new ideas (assuming that they are applicable and not just adopted because they are new), tradition can become obsolete or stuck in their ways. Bruce Lee created Jeet Kune Do to create a fighting style without limitations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JeetKuneDo I can potentially see the narrator doing something similar if their desire leads them down that path.