“But he looks younger or similar to our age, there shouldn’t be any need to be as formal as you were, is there?”
The students tilted their heads.
Those who train the martial art have a very strong sense of pride.
Even if someone was higher in status in a dojang, there was no need to bow one’s head to him.
Han SangChual shook as if he felt a sudden chill.
“You should’ve seen it. You think I treated him like this from the beginning? In the beginning I didn’t admit his strength. Just one year. It felt very unfair for a person who only learned sword for a year to become master’s best disciple. Even I, who went to Kumdo dojang for over 3 years, couldn’t become an official trainee. I thought he was an arrogant bastard.”
“Then shouldn’t you have beat him up to put some sense into him?”
“I was going to! Seeing how a newcomer was pushing aside all original trainees. But I saw him fighting with a wooden sword.”
“Just what was it like....”
“He fought, fought, and fought. Even in front of the wooden sword that could easily break his bones, he showed no fear. And the sword he swung had life stored inside.”
“Is it that great? Isn’t it normal to not be afraid of a sword when swinging and to bet one’s life on it?”
“It’s great. It’s very great. I realized then. Although physical strength could be build up by training, mental strength you have to be born with. Truthfully, just how many would really fight with their life on the line in a world like this?”
"........"
“A person who can throw one’s life away for a belief. A mentally strong person. Leaving physical conditions behind, I then realized that his heart was the strongest in the world. After that, my sword skill became much stronger.”
Han SangChual’s freshman finally understood.
A sword swung with sincerity.
If it was a person who could swing such a sword, leaving the time spent for learning aside, they could bow to him.
‘A ridiculously strong minded person.’
‘Memorize the face and never touch him.’
Han SangChual told the freshman to pledge to him.
“There has been word from the dojang’s Sahyung. From now on, if you meet him, bow to him. If you don’t, I’ll be killed.”
“Yes, sir.”