Member-only story
Calligraphy
Swordsmanship without the sword
Marcus Aurelius was a wrestler.
Most know him as the last great Roman emperor. His most memorable work, Meditations, took stoicism to all continents.
Notable in the book is when he compares a boxer to a swordsman. As sharp and lethal as the sword can be, a swordsman can be stripped of their weapon. A boxer, however, remains strapped to their gloves. Taking the stoic philosophy to heart, he imagined how one’s stance and allegiance, as a weapon, work as an extension of one’s body.
In the Legend of Aang, when Zuko laments not having a teacher, he is taken to the greatest sword master in the town of Shu Jing. Master Piandao, noticing his future student’s attempt to hide his original tribe, decided to train him. His reason? The arts should not be limited to a single tribe alone.
From the beginning, he insists one unites with the sword. The sword should be an extension of your body.
Thus, we have two philosophers — Marcus Aurelius and Master Piandao. Both aver the need to view one’s weapon as an extension of one’s body. Each is fashioned from the type of skill one is familiar with through the ancient art of fighting.
These two masters also practiced writing. For Marcus, it was daily meditation and later imprinting his…
