LIVING KUNG FU

The process of training in Kung Fu takes a person through many stages or levels. From the day we start to the day we stop training, it is a constant process of elevating or deepening our understanding of what Kung Fu has to offer, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Once we reach a new stage in our training, our abilities at this level can atrophy rapidly without steady training and consistently meeting the expectations of that level (for now, we’ll call these “expectations” just those new things you come to understand on your own in your development). This is especially true of the more subtle areas in training. For example, there comes a time in the process of one’s training when a person’s body develops a high degree of connectedness with his/her body. We’ll call this the “mind-body” connection. Training in Kung Fu, especially correct form practice, works to develop this mind-body connection. It is measured by how energized you feel after doing a form session and how quickly and precisely you can put your body where your mind wants it to go. Once we can do this pretty well, it can be difficult to keep it up, unless we consistently accept living with this new level of energy and bodily awareness and work with it on a regular basis. Like this one, some discoveries can be startling at first, but improvement requires constant effort, and the willingness to change what we call “normal living.” So here’s a little something about expecting more of ourselves than before, at each level or stage in the training. It’s a bit enthusiastic, but I’m encouraging our continuous development here:

We need to get used to living and being on a higher level of awareness and bodily/mental control than we were previously used to. We are choosing to do something most people either aren’t aware of or will never bother with. It is the path of knowing yourself and your capabilities, and knowing what wisdom really means. We need to expect more from ourselves and get used to living the results of this training daily. Kung Fu can develop a powerful, healthy, almost superhuman body, and a mind for real wisdom.

This means that we need to train hard, and focus on developing our bodies and clearing away the inessential things in our life that no longer serve our truer goals, whatever they are. We should get used to having a perfectly in tune body: strong, quick, agile, flexible, balanced, etc., and a clear and aware mind to the point that if you want to you can feel on top of literally any situation before you, be it dangerous or just hectic. We walk the path of warriors. This road requires tremendous discipline, but yields great rewards. The rewards of autonomy, freedom of thought and action in any situation, total awareness and control over a situation if you choose it, and a near-perfect body and clear mind. Who isn’t seeking this? These rewards are only realized by your own efforts in training. We have to learn to live this in reality and expect it of ourselves. We need to come in and work hard, constantly refocusing on our training and on elevating ourselves whenever we’re in here. Once we do reach this level or feeling in our training, we can never really go back. Once you taste this feeling, it won’t do to just train a little bit here and there. It becomes part of your being. If you’re touched by it, that part of you will always keep an eye on that hard-to-come-by experience, never quite fulfilled until you decide you really want it again. And if you’ve lost it, you can have it again. It just takes a little more effort and you can climb up once more.

It has been said that there is a unique risk a person undertakes when s/he starts training: once you stop, you may become weaker [in spirit] than before. I’ve seen it a number of times, in our art and others. But don’t worry, I don’t want to scare anyone off; this is only if a person puts their “heart and soul” into it over a long period of time.

Nevertheless, maybe there is a warning here. If you are a little unsure about this endeavor of going far in Kung Fu, that is okay, just come in and do it for fun and exercise (and please do come in, it makes the class more fun overall!). But if you want to go farther and make it a part of your core, just be aware that once you attain the heights in our San Soo training, things might not be the same afterward. Perspective changes. So many masters have said that San Soo is a life-changing art. I personally know that this change is for the better. However, this is something you need to decide for yourself, and by yourself, alone.

Back to Contents