Hello Gibbo Sensei, What if you take a 17-year-old high school student into the same situation as Amir Kahn, but in the context of kendo. I'm pretty sure if anyone getting 2nd at the AJKC at 17 will be invited into Keishicho straight away - and get paid for it. Those kendoka at the police still gets paid for what they do (since they are highly capable and no one does it better). Dedication or not, I don't see that too much of a difference in Amir Kahn's case. Nothing wrong doing what your talent lies..