Change

I have been getting a little comfortable with life. My life has been through so many transitions over the last 5 years since I moved to the USA and finally I had found some peace and stability in my life. I had found a good community in my town, work was fulfilling, kung fu was adding so much extra to life and I had a child on the way. Then you go into work one day and find out that your company has been bought out and you need to find a new job. Pow! Everything turns on its head. Fear takes over.

Kung fu helps us cope with change. The way we are taught there is change every day and we learn to deal with it. I am hoping to draw on the strength to cope with change from my martial arts training to get me through this time of uncertainty. It is so easy to fall into depression right now, it will be a great lesson in focus, keeping positive and understanding that the universe is unfolding as it should.

Nick
Yellow stripe sash

A lesson in humility

The day I have not been looking forward to arrived on Tuesday. The first kung fu class where everyone at my level had been promoted to yellow sash apart from me. I took a weekend trip back home to England for a wedding of a very good friend. The weekend was one of the best of my life so far, seeing so many of my friends, and my family. The downside is that I missed my opportunity to grade up with everyone else. I managed to convince myself that it would not bother me, after all it is no real reflection on your actual skill level. But my ego got the better of me and I found it enormously frustrating to be a lower rank than all these people that I feel I am more advanced than.

I discussed this with my father last weekend and he told me it was a good lesson in humility for me. After explaining that I had already gone through this by going from black belt to white sash he told me that the universe has a way of teaching you the same lesson until you have learned it. Which is an interesting thought, and as you can see from the above I expect the universe will be teaching me that lesson again some time soon.

Nick
Yellow stripe sash (still)

Chi

Sifu Maury gave us a brief insight into the way the Kung Fu student can develop and use Chi in their training. We spent much time on the importance of breathing to coincide with our movements and enable chi flow. We also focussed on the chi building exercise we do each class and talked about the importance of the explosive parts of the exercise as well as the building chi parts. This was very relevant to our new form we have just begun called flower-fist tiger. This form starts with breathing techniques that feel like you are pulling the energy into you, you then raise your hands with a vibration in the palms as if you are holding 2 spheres of energy before exploding into the tiger strikes. It is a very intense and dramatic start to the form and I just can't wait to see what is to come.

Nick
Yellow stripe sash

The Puzzle

One difficult transition I have had to make at Maury's Kung Fu is to be patient when it comes to the gaining of the knowledge and skills. On first joining I used to regularly corner Sifu Sarah and bombard her with questions about kung fu and ask to be corrected in my stances and forms. After I moved on from the beginner class it became clear that this was no longer appropriate. The approach of the school is to teach you what you need to know and allow you to slowly develop the finer points yourself. Once you get to a certain point which can only be achieved through development in your own time as well as in class you are guided to the next level. As everyone picks it up at different times this could be quickly for some and it could take a long time for others. In the last class the key message was that you shouldn't be getting frustrated when it is slow coming. Like a baby learning to walk, some take 9 months, some a year and there is no point getting frustrated with your child if your friend's kid is walking at 9 months and your kid isn't. It is a journey of self discovery with guidance from the Sifus. The alternative prevents us from reaching into our own selves and make those baby step discoveries and self corrections, making us reliant on the teacher for our development. Maury's way is empowering, slower and more frustrating but more effective in the long term.

Another point of frustration for students is learning a variety of movements and approaches without understanding how it all fits together. Sifu Maury describes it as a 5000 piece puzzle. You don't start off at one spot and just keep building outwards, but you start off with lots of different areas that are easier to work with initially. Through time the gaps start to get filled in and the areas begin to link together so you eventually see how it all inter-connects and see the big picture. In the same way we learn some sparring here, some weapons there, some forms the next time, some drills other times and work on these separately. After consistent training you eventually understand how they all work together to make the big picture.

Nick
Yellow stripe sash

Being Believable

In September we are discussing leadership and the phrase 'to be believed you need to be believable'. In one discussion we talked about who in our life has been a great example of an inspirational leader. I chose General Choi, the father of TaeKwon-Do. I was lucky enough to attend a seminar he gave before he died and the way this diminutive man carried himself with such strength together with such humility was inspiring. He would demonstrate techniques on the biggest people in the room with such quiet confidence and skill. General Choi was so short and small framed and in his 80s. He commanded such great respect from everyone in the room without the need to yell and be agressive. I respect the way someone can develop such great skill and power but still be humble and treat others with great respect.

Last Thursday we had a class with Sifu Maury and he talked about being believable. He focussed on entering everything we do with 100% conviction. Not just Kung Fu, but at work, raising our children etc. Not to do anything in half-measures even if we think it is a task that is not worthy of our time and attention. It is a great thought to bear in mind throughout all our activities in life. It was a lesson I helped teach a beginner on Saturday. We have put together a demonstration for the next sash ceremony where at one point we call out a kung fu move and perform it. When ever it got to him this beginner would sigh, shrug and half-heartedly say 'dragon' and go into a lame dragon position that he has seen his son do and not been taught himself. He communicated 'There is nothing I feel confident to do so I may as well do this one'. After seeing him do the same thing twice I approached him and reminded him that if he was to be believable he needed to do the move with some conviction - to shout the name of the move with confidence and perform it straight away with 100% focus and intention.

In that Saturday class we continued our discussions about leadership and were asked to name someone in the school that acts as a leader and explain why. The first one named me, referring to how I coached them during sparring that day. The second person also said me, mentioning how I helped them through their forms after class last week. The third person named me as well, referring to how I was able to correct some form movements recently in a positive way without making her feel bad about herself. The forth person was me and I mentioned Kevin, who has taken the role of a Sihing (big brother) for me since I joined. It was great to hear how I have made such an impact on so many people in the school.

Nick
Yellow strip sash