Originally Posted by
Hissho
Do they really dismiss it?
Some maybe, but not sure they speak for all.
Speaking only personally, I'm not particularly impressed with the video of fast Glock shooting above. By which I mean, obviously he has a high level of technical skill, but it doesn't really speak to me. It's like watching someone juggle knives or torches. But I can say the same thing of a whole lotta iai I've seen! Fast draws, spiritless cuts, and pointlessly high-speed noto. Isao Machida cutting BBs does nothing for me, and I'm not inclined to call what he does "budo".
On the other hand, I've seen iaido that was breathtaking. Its component elements nothing special: draw not especially fast, a single cut, and a simple, modest noto. But the physical and mental presence of the practitioner could be felt from across the room (or through the computer monitor). The cut simple and unadorned -- not lightning fast, no tachikaze, and yet it was the cut of man seeking unattainable perfection. And there's nothing here that cannot be transferred to shooting. If not many people do so, or rather, if not many people have experience with shooting done in that way, then I see that as more of a cultural thing, where transformative experiences through the lifelong pursuit of unattainable perfection is just not something that has as much cachet in the U.S. compared to Japan.
Josh Reyer
Swa sceal man don, žonne he ęt guše gengan ženceš longsumne lof, na ymb his lif cearaš. - The Beowulf Poet