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Re: Eastern focus in MA
Every MS 4e tidbit I hear makes me say "Wow, sounds great!" And here, I say it again.
For the record, I'm not concerned about any East vs West "fairness" or "evenness" in coverage. I want to see good, global coverage of martial arts simply for accuracy: humans everywhere fight, in all times and places. (What a sad thought.) The common idea that non-Asian combat isn't "martial arts" is a misunderstanding of human culture and the meaning of "martial arts" itself. I'm glad the MA authors have a better understanding.
In short: I want it all. : )
A couple other side thoughts: I'd probably disagree with labeling Japanese and Brazilian fighters' tactics and techniques as "completely dissimilar" – but that's because I almost always argue with polarizing descriptions like "completely dissimilar", not because I disagree with the sensible point you're making about there being clear differences.
Also, I myself wouldn't think in terms of anyone "stealing from the Asians", or as knowledge (like a martial art) "belonging" to some arbitrary group in the first place. My worldview: if some ancient sage named Chow Ling develops Chow Ling Kung Fu, then every individual thereafter – Chinese, American, Tasmanian, Parisian – is equally "stealing" it from him. (Or equally accepting it from him, in the case of arts openly shared.)
So in that sense, I don't really even care about "Eastern", "Western", etc. – as you say, a modern style is likely to be quite a mutt anyway. I'm happy about MA's global outlook simply because it'll provide a more complete (and thus more accurate) look at how people pound on each other, all over the world.
Thanks for the additional peek ahead at MA! I'm lined up to buy.