Subject: Re: [FFML] survey: Ranma 1/2
From: PanWong@aol.com
Date: 7/6/1997, 9:23 PM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

In a message dated 97-07-06 20:53:48 EDT, you write:

<< << Attacks themselves may be easier to handle, quicker, and more
  simply executed, but the the most important part of a fighter's anatomy is
  his mind.  This has been proven many times by Ranma himself.  Many of the
  Ranma eposodes deal with Ranma figuring out a way to respond to a new
  challenge in the field of fighting.  He is very inteligent at this if
  nothing else.  Would the reader not think that Ranma would not quickly
  adapt to his different body, and quickly become better than Akane?  Or
  would Akane simply just have the upper hand?  Personally, I think it would
  be the former, however, I am open if anybody wants to point out
  differently.   >>
 
 Well, most physical activities, typing in my case and martial arts in
Ranma's
 and Akane's case, are in the brain as much as the mind.  When I type, I
don't
 look down at the keyboard and I don't think "Right middle finger up one
row."
  I just type.  I think it would be the same way for them.  These are what
 I'll call "do memories."  Do memory would stay with the brain.  "Know
 memories" would go with it mind.  This is important because a lifetime of
 know memories is what we use to define ourselves.  If the know memories
 didn't travel with the mind, then Akane would be brash and arrogent and
Ranma
 would be violent.  Possibly an interesting story, but not the one the author
 had in mind.
 
 The question in Akane's case would be could her mind do a chestnut fist even
 if her body could.  She has no idea what one feels like, how to start it, or
 how to control it.  Stick a nontypist in my body and I doubt if (s)he would
 be as good as I am.  Martial arts is a lot more complicated than typing.
  Akane would get better fast as she practiced, but she would be prone to
 rookie mistakes because she doesn't know her limits.  Ranma would be
 overexerting himself until he became use to Akane's limits.  He does however
 have the superior combat mind.  If the two of them do spar, I think he would
 still win because he would sucker Akane into making mistakes.
 
 An interesting thought is Ranma "training up" Akane's body during his visit.
  Another is if they don't want to tell anyone else.  They would both have to
 act "in character."  It would give them an insight into how they think each
 other acts.
 
 SlayerNext@aol.com
 "Lina!  He's burning my bottom off!" >>

        Intreseting. But to arts, it's body and mind, and when they work in
unison, it's a deadly weapon. The point here is that the body and mind are
two different things. Like what Slayernext said, it's the do memories. I
don't beleive that Akane would be able to do that attack, simply because she
doesn't know how. Second, Ranma would be a tad bit lost, because he knows the
attack, but the given body isn't used to the technique. Think of this
recovering from a broken leg. Ranma snaps both of his leg like toothpicks.
Okay, now he has to heal and recovery. After that time, his muscles would be
weak. Would he be able to do a back flip, or any arial attacks, or even be
able to stand? No... his mind knows how to do it, but his body doesn't. The
same is with having Akane's body. Hell, if Ranma switches with Ryouga, I
doubt Ryouga can do his breaking point technique, without damnaging Ranma's
body, because Ranma's body isn't as thought as Ryouga's. Ranma wouldn't be
able to have much agility, due to Ryouga's body. Training does not only
affect the mind and tell it how to do things, but it tones the body to
perform what the mind wants it to. Mind and body are the matrix of the
martial world. I guess three years of Kung Fu is begining to pay off, eh?