The problem of the decline of martial arts in the Three Kingdoms, Guan Zhang Zhao Ma Huang, where to go in the later stage?
During the Three Kingdoms period, the five tiger generals under Liu Bei had their own strengths and weaknesses, but the strength of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei was greatly reduced in the later period. Is this as Cao Cao's general Cao Mei deliberately spread, because Zhang Fei is not really strong, and Guan Yu is not invincible? Perhaps we need to delve into the experience of the Five Tiger Generals in order to know the truth.
Guan Yu's combat effectiveness has been greatly reduced, and he is invincible.
Guan Yu is the first person whose combat effectiveness has declined most significantly among the five famous generals of Shu Han. After Lu Bu's death, he got the Red Rabbit Horse, and his strength increased greatly, and he was known as the first male lord in the new world. At that time, no matter who he fought against, Guan Yu had the confidence to fight, and he could take the head of a person by planting a flag.
But the good times didn't last long, and Guan Yu performed very badly in the Battle of Xiangfan. He fought with Xiliang's foot pawn Pang De for more than 100 rounds without winning or losing, and Xu Huang even laughed at him. This called Guan Yu's combat effectiveness into question. In addition, when Guan Yu failed to clear the siege**, he couldn't even beat the small role of Ma Zhong, which made people wonder if he was really as powerful as the legend.
What is Guan Yu's martial arts? Was it the ruthlessness of the years that made his martial arts unconsciously alienated? Or was it exaggerated from the start? Guan Yu's martial arts were lost in his later years, which is really surprising. We must admit that the deterioration of his health and the rumors spread by Cao Cao played a role in this.
What's more, Guan Yu is not known for his bravery. Although he won many battles, only a handful of them actually achieved decisive victories.
These successes would have been mostly impossible without the help of the Red Rabbit Horse. But after losing the Red Rabbit Horse, no one doubted whether Guan Yu's strength was really worthy of a generation of heroes. So, why is Guan Yu's reputation so great? There's a reason for that. There are many hot-blooded generals under Liu Bei's command, but there are few who can be compared with Guan and Zhang.
Guan Yu thus became a role model and symbol of the military generals of the Shu Kingdom, which inadvertently accelerated his fame. Legendary deeds such as challenging the genre, beheading Yan Liang, and taking Sichuan are enough to make him famous all over the world. It is common to remember only a few impressive victories and ignore the not-so-impressive performances behind them. This exaggerates Guan Yu's power to a certain extent.
Of course, it is not surprising that Guan Yu's combat effectiveness declined in the following years. This is because his foundation is not strong in the first place. Age and rumors may have accelerated this process, but what ties him to his roots is that among the many ruthless generals of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu does not stand out. With the passage of time, martial arts have changed from what they used to be, and this power vacuum has been exposed. Therefore, it is inevitable that Guan Yu's power is not as good as before.
Zhang Fei's skill in the later stage dropped by thirty percent, and he was no longer able to compete with Lu Bu.
If Guan Yu makes people doubt the strength of the five tiger generals of Shu Han, then Zhang Fei's performance is also shocking. According to folklore, Zhang Fei and Lu Bu fought a hundred rounds in front of Xiao Peicheng. This hard-fought battle undoubtedly demonstrated Zhang Fei's amazing strength and made him famous.
However, Zhang Fei failed to close the remnants of his hand before he died. What is even more unexpected is that Zhang Fei was assassinated by several soldiers in his sleep. This undoubtedly further undermines people's confidence in his strength.
This begs the question: how much did Zhang Fei's combat effectiveness decline in his later years? As"Admiral of the Five Tigers"One, is he really as strong as the legend says? Or did he exaggerate from the beginning?
I have to admit that Zhang Fei's performance in the latter part of his career is not as good as before. However, that doesn't mean his initial performance was mediocre. After Lu Bu's death, Zhang Fei once became the unsurpassable god of war in Shu. No one expected that he would fall so quickly in such a short period of time.
Zhang Fei's forbearance is an important reason. After all, the past is not forgotten, the future is the teacher, and those who practice martial arts must always be vigilant. Otherwise, once the hand is born, even the soldier's counterattack will be in vain. However, there are other factors that cannot be ignored either.
Zhang Fei made great contributions, but Liu Bei allowed his despicable behavior to be rewarded. This is undoubtedly a great test for a soldier. In addition, there were rumors that Lu Bu's strength was deliberately exaggerated, which also shook Zhang Fei's self-confidence. These factors eventually led him to abandon his training, and his physical fitness and martial arts declined rapidly.
There are reasons for Zhang Fei's declining combat effectiveness in his later years. But this is also the fate of the times. He could have continued to become the invincible god of war in Shu, but the blows of fame and fortune eventually led to the twilight of the hero. This is also a coincidence of historical development. Otherwise, with Zhang Fei's quality, will an ordinary pawn be left to fend for himself?
Ma Chao, known as Xiliang Ma Chao, lost 20%.
Compared with Guan and Zhang, Ma Chao's combat effectiveness is not obvious. However, as a famous general of Xiliang who landed in Shu, his performance in the later period was quite bad. At this time, his successful defection to Liu Bei was an important turning point.
Ma Chao was originally a staunch general in western Liangzhou, but is said to have later taken refuge with Liu Bei. After the Battle of Hanzhong, Ma Chao's exploits were no longer prominent. He was only responsible for some border defense tasks and no longer participated in large-scale campaigns. It's not with that"Divine Horse"The contrast is stark.
Because Ma Chao's successful defection to Liu Bei was a turning point in the decline of his power. Because he has no future, no goal to strive for. If Ma Chao had chosen Cao Cao in Beitou, he would have been able to continue to make great achievements on the battlefield with his ambition like Zhang Liao and Guo Yan. However, when Ma Chao became a ** in Shu, he no longer had a chance to realize his ambitions, and gradually settled with the status quo and no longer practiced martial arts as diligently as before.
Of course, age and illness are also important reasons. But when Ma Chao switched to Shu Han, it should have been the peak of his life, full of ambition. But without a goal, Ma Chao lost his fighting spirit and allowed his martial arts to decline. It follows that success can also lead to a person's depravity. This is very ironic for Ma Chao.
Huang Zhong's martial arts deteriorated, and he was eventually seriously injured.
Compared to others, Huang Zhong is late. He only rose to prominence after his heyday and played an important role in the Hanzhong War.
However, the good times did not last long, and in the Battle of Yiling, Huang Zhong disobeyed the order and went into battle to avenge Guan Yu. He first killed an enemy general, but was soon caught and surrounded by four Wu soldiers. Although Huang Zhong escaped the encirclement, he was still seriously wounded and died soon after.
In this battle of Yiling, we can clearly see that Huang Zhong's martial arts have declined. But how much did his strength drop in the battles that followed? Why did Huang Zhong's strength decline rapidly after his great achievements?
There is no doubt that Huang Zhong's martial arts have declined over the years. However, watching his comrade-in-arms Guan Yu being captured and indifferent is not his style. Huang Zhong was indifferent to the enemy in order to prove that his martial arts were still strong. His fighting spirit is admirable.
It's a pity that the hero is old and no longer the tiger of the year. Faced with enemies on all sides, Huang Zhong was defeated. However, there is much more to this battle than just winning or losing. It shows how a veteran can sacrifice his life to gain righteousness, even in his old age, without giving up his will.
Of course, we can also analyze from another angle, Liu Bei, the commander of Shu Han, used people improperly in the Battle of Yiling, and the veteran should not have sent people to attack. If Zhao Yun leads the elite, it is entirely possible to avenge Guan Yu. It's a pity that Liu Bei didn't listen to the advice, which caused the tragedy of Huang Zhong leading his troops to death. This is also worthy of reflection by future generations.
Although Huang Zhong died on the battlefield in his later years, his spirit is always commendable. At the same time, Liu Bei's mistake also gave a profound warning to future generations - it is good to be old and strong, but it must not go to destruction. This is the most important historical revelation of Huang Zhong's death in Yiling.
Zhao Yun, the one with the smallest decline in combat effectiveness among the five tiger generals of Shu Han.
Compared with others, Zhao Yun's martial arts have long been perfected. Even during Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition, this high-ranking general was still daunting. He fought five men in a row, killed four, and captured one. Therefore, people have great admiration for Zhao Yun's ability to maintain his strength.
However, the performance of the other Five Tiger Generals makes us wonder if Zhao Yun's combat effectiveness has declined over time. Or was it exaggerated in the first place?
Having said all this, it must be said that Zhao Yun's martial arts are indeed extraordinary. Otherwise, he would not have been called"Changshan Zhao Zilong"。However, age is inevitable. We must admit that Zhao Yun in his later years is no longer the god of war who led troops to fight back then.
So, why is he still so strong? Because Zhao Yun has a resolute personality and is not arrogant. He was always modest and cautious, and even when he was ostracized because of his advanced age, he did not complain. This positive and optimistic attitude has somewhat slowed down the decline of martial arts.
But we must realize that no one is completely immune to the erosion of time. Even a person like Zhao Yun who perseveres will inevitably fail one day. At that time, I am afraid that no one will be able to save him.
Although Zhao Yun was temporarily stronger than the other five tigers, he could not resist the retreat caused by the years. This is the development of history, and no one can refute it. Our attitude towards Zhao Yun can neither be blindly optimistic nor ruthlessly critical. We need to appreciate the way he is now, but at the same time, we need to prepare for his aging.
From the above examples, we can clearly see that the combat effectiveness of the five tiger generals is gradually decreasing, but the degree of decline varies. There are probably two reasons for this:
First of all, time is unstoppable. In the era of cold weapons, the combat effectiveness of warriors mainly relied on physical strength. Therefore, a decline in physical strength and martial arts is inevitable as we age. This is an aging process that no military general can completely avoid. Even a legendary representative like the Five Tiger Admirals could not escape this law.
Secondly, the world of martial arts is only for a moment. Once the Five Tigers become famous, indulgent, or extravagant, they will gradually decline. This also shows that the extremes of power and status often mean that the scenery is no longer good. We can no longer be vigilant about the scenery of the Five Tigers, which is the inevitable development of history.
Of course, other factors have also accelerated the development of this line. However, at the end of the day,"Five Tigers"The decline is still a historical trend. It reminds us that no one is immune to ageing, and we must face up to this reality.