Billiards as an Art?
Playing pool is good leisure. That’s legitimate, good socializing, very entertaining and great fun. But there is more.
Take a moment and consider Billiards as an Art, which gives you an opportunity for life long personal growth, a playground to overcome your self. Just as the Art of Kyudo (archery), Kung Fu or other martial arts. Modern archers shoot discs, not foes. Yet they follow their path. Billiards cultivates modern struggle between two opponents, replacing bats, swords, arrows and bashing each others heads with an elegant interface of shiny, colored balls. Yet facing all the same quarrels. Brutally serious, not seriously brutal. Each match designates its winner and loser. Exactly one of each.
On top, Billiards contains everything what makes an Art: technique, partner exercises, competition, forms and patterns and mind-set. Mastery takes a lifetime, achievements are complex and success is tightly woven into your current state of mind. Billiards requires balls.
Karate practicioners rarely want to “go for gold”. This page has been designed for anybody who, when being asked for a goal at Billiards, would rather want to answer:
“I want to become black belt!”
Gwenn, January 2012