Elderly martial arts master Elderly martial arts master The elderly martial arts master is a mentor/teacher stock character in fiction, especially "Wuxia", "Chanbara", and other martial arts films. Typically an East Asian male, he is a near-invincible master of the martial arts, despite being advanced in age and presumably having a decrease in physical strength. Often he possesses the rank of Sensei (or teacher) and is referred to as such by his student. The elderly master most often teaches either generic kung fu or an exotic style specific to the fictional period (see List of fictional martial arts). During the films, the master often
Japanese martial arts rule of thumb, the primary purpose of a "koryū" martial art was for use in war. The most extreme example of a "koryū" school is one that preserves its traditional, and often ancient, martial practices even in the absence of continuing wars in which to test them. Other "koryū" schools may have made modifications to their practices that reflect the passage of time (which may or may not have resulted in the loss of ""koryū"" status in the eyes of its peers). This is as opposed to "modern" martial arts, whose primary focus is generally upon the self-improvement (mental, physical,