Xiang Shan had never looked down upon competitive martial arts. In fact, the highest ranks of martial artists were often found in the arena.
The reason was simple, the amount of combat and training that a competitive fighter experiences is much greater than that of other martial artists.
The so-called "kung fu" requires time to cultivate. No matter what martial arts one practices, effort must be invested. A civilian martial artist, with months of training, may not compare to a professional athlete's weekly training. On different individuals, "ten years of kung fu" could mean vastly different levels of expertise.
An amateur martial artist could never be the opponent of a professional athlete.
