Chapter 48 - 46: Interviews are also a Battle (Part 2)
The host initially paused, not expecting Han Yuanfei to deviate from the script. Then the director spoke in her earpiece, "Keep going, let him ask."
Thus, the host did not interrupt Han Yuanfei and turned to Wu Li to see how he would respond.
Wu Li smiled at Han Yuanfei, "I won’t delve into the origins and development of Traditional Martial Arts. I will just speak about its purpose. No matter how much modern times have changed Traditional Martial Arts, its initial aim was singular—to kill enemies."
"When we learned a skill, it had to be useful enough for us to dedicate time to mastering it. In the past, Traditional Martial Arts could be used on the battlefield to earn merit and fame, or later for participating in Martial Arts Scholar exams, bringing fortune to descendants; in more recent history, it could at least protect someone’s home or earn a living as a bodyguard; but what about today? We live in a society governed by laws, where the state promotes choreographed routines. In everyday life, learning a lethal skill has no application, not even enough to sustain oneself. Who would spend their days solely on this?"
"So currently, the majority of those practicing Traditional Martial Arts are essentially hobbyists because they also juggle other jobs to sustain themselves. They can’t dedicate significant time to training daily, so their skill levels aren’t profound. These amateur practitioners are naturally at a disadvantage compared to professional fighters who train physically every day and earn their living by competing in real matches."
"Using these amateurs to represent Traditional Martial Arts seems inappropriate." Wu Li concluded, then turned back to Han Yuanfei.
Han Yuanfei scoffed, "So by your reasoning, all those who lose are just hobbyists, their skills lacking. May I ask where the professional practitioners of Traditional Martial Arts are? Are there none, or is it just you?"
Wu Li shook his head, "Of course it’s not just me. If you’re asking about professional practitioners, there are many, especially in the military. When the military adopted Fighting Skill, they invited numerous Traditional Martial Arts masters to serve as instructors, and many combat instructors in the military have backgrounds in Traditional Martial Arts."
Han Yuanfei’s face was full of mockery, "Empty claims, you say there are those—but how? You are too young, it’s as if you were there when Fighting Skill was promoted in the military."
Wu Li remained unflustered, calmly stating, "Indeed, I wasn’t present, but my claims are not baseless; several national leaders and military lords of that era employed masters of Traditional Martial Arts as bodyguards or instructors. Let me name a few: Mr. Du Xinwu, Mr. Sun Lutang, and Mr. Han Muxia. The deeds of these people are real and verifiable. I assume not everyone back then felt like you do—that Traditional Martial Arts were ineffective."
Han Yuanfei: "..."