From the Training Grounds to the pool
The target is in sight, and my weapon in hand. A second to draw breath, and then I aim, the bowstring pulled taut by fingers shaky with both excitement and anxiety. Everything aligns and the arrow flies free from my grasp. The air whistles as the projectile tears through it. The creature jerks its neck towards the sound.
The arrow finds a new home in the trunk of a nearby tree, and my fingers find a new reason to tremble. Quickly discarding frustration for determination, I nock another one. But when I raise my head to line up my next shot, I’m not met by the sight of my quarry.
Instead, I stare at the seemingly endless blue of an olympic-sized pool, breathless after my tenth attempt at freestyle. Ten attempts and about thirty instances of drinking the water, but who’s counting, right? I shake my head and shake the aftertaste of chlorine from my mouth. I am the image of resolve as I get into position once more. The next dive, for sure.
One of the appeals of Monster Hunter is the semi-simulated feel of its controls and gameplay. The weapons offer their own sets of strengths and limitations, requiring a different kind of approach and mindset for each one. You step into a different pair of shoes when you go from one to another, and you can feel the gears in your mind shifting as you get accustomed to each weapon’s moveset, timing and speed. I relate this feeling to real-life athletic activities, where you have to devote time to train and master the principles of it to achieve optimal results.
Yes, anyone can wield a weapon. Yes, anyone can run. However, it takes a seasoned hunter—one who has dedicated time to understand their weapon of choice—to fell a monster with the masterful skill that comes with, and is expected of, the profession. In the same vein, it takes knowledge of proper form and preparations for someone to lift weights, swim across the pool, and run great distances with ease of execution and avoidance of injury.
This train of thought delivers me to the realization that a big source of my frustration comes from “winging” both realms of “athletic pursuits.” As long as I can shoot arrows, I’ll be able to defeat the monster, right? As long as I can paddle, I can reach the end of the pool, correct?
Well, yes and no. Past experiences from different hunts and different sports lead me to believe that while it is possible for me to achieve this, I’d eventually hit my head against a figurative ceiling.The limit of how far stubborn determination and unguided exertion can take me. I wouldn’t be able to reach the next level of that undertaking without making an effort to have an in-depth understanding of each weapon; of each sport.
For the longest time, I was content with just wielding a hammer in Monster Hunter, swinging its weight around until I managed to defeat the monster. The beauty of the game, though, is that its difficulty curve is designed such that a time will come when you reach a wall which pushes you to learn other skills. Preparations that can be made to ease the hunt, creative solutions to hurdles that currently seem insurmountable, and methods to outsmart certain monsters. Things that I need to seek advice on from other hunters—those that have gone before me and figured out the tips and tricks. In moderation, of course; I still want to grow through my own experiences and merits.
It’s quite similar to delving into new types of sports. With running, you need to learn the proper form to avoid injuring your knees and feet, and to be able to make the most of that exertion and travel greater distances. In weight training, you need a gradual progression, working your way up from beginner exercises and light weights to the heavier loads, all the while keeping in mind concepts like proper breathing, posture, and center of gravity. For swimming, breath control is crucial, as well as the rhythm and timing of your strokes while keeping an aerodynamic form in order to successfully and smoothly reach the other end of the pool.
And that’s why I love Monster Hunter’s “feel for the real.” I can draw comparisons like these and it makes the endeavor more enjoyable despite the struggles that accompany it. I can visualize carrying a hammer while practicing deadlifts, envisioning my hunter applying the same techniques that were taught to me but within the context of her weapon. There is a sense of fulfillment in figuring out the adjustments needed—which body part needs to move and in what way—to finally get the proper form down. In the same way, there is equal excitement in executing a weapon combo after taking the time to learn and practice the correct sequence button inputs.
In both aspects of training described above, there is accomplishment in achieving greater progress through practice and preparation as opposed to just winging it. Intentional improvement versus improvisation.
With all these in mind, I was able to swim across the pool, breathing a little more and drinking a little less. Thanks to the videos that I watched and the advice from experienced swimmers (a.k.a. my parents), I learned to look behind me when I raise my body slightly so that I can take in some air through my mouth. Another thing I picked up was using my hips as the pivot to turn myself sideways and remain streamlined—use the core, not the upper body. On the Monster Hunter side of things, I was able to deal significant damage using my bow and pull off the combos that I wanted to learn after poring through the instructions of the weapon’s basic and advanced controls. The UI provided me with the information, and I put it into practice. Again and again.
Another similarity between hunts and sports is the need to have a goal. As a hunter, accounts of people facing the Fatalis and living to tell the tale are the stuff of legends. Personally, I haven’t defeated this formidable black dragon yet, but someday, right? I’ve also dared to dream of finishing an Ironman race; even just a half Ironman would do. Both of these seem out of reach with my current skills, but that only serves to emphasize my need for a focused resolve. I need to stop swinging my weapon senselessly and give my drive a sense of direction.
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