In many ways, Super Smash Bros. could be considered as an art in its self. Luxurious combo strings, hours of perfecting your neutral, flashy tech, and exciting deaths are what keep the intensity alive in the Smash community.
Martial arts and Smash are in a way, the same. Discipline, hours of perfecting a certain form, flashy kick jumps, and intense sparring matches are a few components that come to mind when bringing these two together. Sean "Sempai" Huchzermeier, a YouTube content creator, has captivated just that by compiling various highlight clips from the latest tournament for your viewing pleasure.
You must be thinking, what drove a martial artist & Melee enthusiast to begin making Smash compilation videos? Sean states, "My love of the smash and its community" was what encouraged him. "I was very worried about its health in 08-09 and I figured making content would be a great way to give back to the scene and encourage more people to play smash."
When asked about the subject of how Smash and Martial arts go hand in hand, Sempai has an interesting view on the matter, "My Other passion in life is Karate. Smash and Martial arts in general have many parallels, spacing and distance for example. Too close and you get grabbed and throw to the floor or comboed. Too far away and you leave an opening for someone to attack your 'landing lag'."
Sean continues to say, "Movement is critical, wave-dashing or Shifting in karate is applied just the same as in smash. Its a great defensive option that you can use to bait someone into overextending and capitalize on their mistake. But when you run out of ring, that option goes away." Sean stresses the point that fundamentals are extremely important when it comes to Smash & Karate, "In both Smash and Karate practicing the basics is the foundation for everything. If you lack solid fundamentals, the rest doesn't matter. For example, if you can't SHFFL 19/20 times on your own, don't expect to get more than 9/20 in a real fight."
Motivation and Inspiration go hand in hand when creating content such as Sempai's, Martial arts and Smash can take a toll on one's body and creativity, Sean says "My inspiration for making smash content is that its another medium to appreciate the art of fighting. Also it doesn't take decades to master, and physical limitations aren't important, all you need is to be able to hold a controller. In regards to injuries in smash, just like in karate, if you have improper mechanics you WILL eventually injure yourself. So you need to be as smooth and soft as possible."
When asked about coming back to creating content, Sean states, "Absolutely, working on one right now, as a matter of fact. Not highlights anymore though..."
Author's Note: I want to thank Sempai for taking the time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about the balance of both martial arts & Smash, and how they both coincide with each other. If you did enjoy his content and insight, make sure you check out his YouTube & Twitter!
