Kung Fu Update

Classes are going great! :) I've been trying to make it to 3 or 4 classes per week. I get a great feeling when I'm learning a few more moves to the forms I'm learning, refining what I've learned already, or even when I'm teaching others what I know :)

A lot of my perceptions about Kung Fu have changed since I started training. I originally wanted to go so I could learn Steel Fan (like Kitana from Mortal Kombat hehe :P), but there is so much more to know than just a weapon. I've learned that while the stuff you see with wirework in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon isn't real, there are some incredible moves that are real and will make you think, "Wow! Someone came up with that?" (like the butterfly kick). I think it's amazing how some of the senior students have such incredible control over their own bodies - bodies that most of us just slop through our lives in versus actually experiencing, in all its possibilities, everyday.

I've learned that all power is just a redirection of power - that you can manipulate your opponents efforts into your own efforts. In a very real way, it's like the saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Through Kung Fu, I begin to understand that you have the power to manipulate the circumstances in your life into something that you want your life to be. The hardest part about achieving your goals isn't actually reaching them, it's discovering and understanding how you can take the energies that are currently in play in your life and make them work for you. I think, because of this realization, I was able to land my great new job! :D

Being in Kung Fu has given me something to look forward to during the week. It's so many things wrapped in one: exercising, socializing, learning, teaching, training, disciplining yourself, thinking time, reflection time... and all the while, you're not only learning to defend yourself, you're also learning more about how your body and mind work. Kung Fu class is something that I appreciate with all my heart. I never wish I was somewhere else.

As you all know, I started Kung Fu about 6 weeks ago, a month after I was hospitalized from having my drink drugged at a club. I never suspected that someone could be so evil that they'd end up OD'ing me on date rape drugs and I would be sent to the emergency room coughing up blood and be put on life support for 2 days. After my close call with death, I started to really think about all the things I wanted to do in my life - things I could have possibly never had the chance to do if I had died in the hospital. It sounds funny to me now, but steel fan was one of them hehehe

I still remember feeling like a huge dork at my first class (I almost didn't go! But I'm really glad I did) I couldn't believe how much physical effort went into it all. I was so sore the next day that I couldn't even get out of bed - literally! My abs and thighs hurt so much! Walking up and down stairs after my first class had to be the most painful thing I've had to do in a long time. I still remember it was Matt who made me hold my horse stance for 30 seconds on my first day :P It was also nice that I had my first day with Roger, my partner in crime, so I could feel incompetent with someone else who felt my pain! hehehe :P

But I'm truly grateful for all the knowledge and experiences that my classmates bring to class. It is a joy to interact with all of them and it's nice to be part of a community as solid and friendly as The Harmonious Fist :) I also thank my Sifu for imparting his wisdom and knowledge to us all, for without him, none of this would be possible.

Right now, I've learned Limpo, the first 3 sets of Tan Tui, and am training with 2-section staff (even though I know I'm totally not ready for it :P) Not bad for 6 weeks, huh? ;)