So often I hear the phrase “are we learning something new today?” It’s almost a beginning martial artist’s mantra. I love the enthusiasm: I adore beginners and their eager minds. They are the new blood fused into the rhythmic heartbeat of the school.
But, in being new to the school, they are completely unaware of the actual process of Kung Fu and how it all works. That’s to be expected.
Let me relate it to music:
Kung Fu and music have a lot of parallels. Music has etudes: Kung Fu does too in the form of patterns. Music has basic exercises to improve ones technical skill and coordination: Kung Fu has countless drills that are done repetitiously for years and years.
Music has appropriate emotional content: Kung Fu derives its power from the balance of passion and physicality.
Kung Fu sharpens the way the mind works. It offers an endless stream of puzzles to solve. It opens the minds awareness. It strengthens concentration and brings the body into absolute balance — emotionally and physically. Music opens the doors to one’s I.Q.
And, like music, Kung Fu takes a lot of dedication and time. It takes the student to show up for class. It takes the student’s patience and consistency in practice. And, it takes years to really do it well. And frankly, that’s the way it should be. That’s a life of process versus a life instant gratification and result. I’m a process oriented teacher. The result will take care of itself if you pay close attention to the process. Don’t worry about result: just train, keep training and train harder. The result will be what it is and it will be different day by day as you live and breathe your Kung Fu.
Remember, if you take up piano today, you probably won’t be playing a concert at Carnegie Hall in six months. It may take years … depending on your talent and how much time you put in it every day of your life. Try not to focus on that. Just keep moving one foot in front of the other. Day by day, year by year the continuum of results will take care of themselves. Stay focused on the moment: each move, each punch, kick or form. Don’t let your mind stray.
It’s worth it. Never forget that. It’s always worth your effort to show up for class; to train Kung Fu and strengthen the body, the mind and the spirit. It’s always worth it to become a better and better person through such sincere effort and hard work.
Mr. Suh, my teacher, would often repeat: “about the time you start to get bored, is about the time you probably are learning it well”. It’s a great phrase to remember.
Every time you get bored, just tell yourself to train harder.
If I had to pick one favorite thing that I’ve learned from Kung Fu, this is it. This is one thing that I know has affected the way I look at just about everything. I remember you once saying in class, “If you’ve been at a job for 6 months, you’re only a green belt at work!” Since then I’ve related the process of so many things to Kung Fu – that you can’t be an expert overnight, that you shouldn’t be hard on yourself if you don’t get it the first time, and that if you just “keep showing up,” it will all come together someday.
Hi Micki…
I remember the comment. It’s one of my mantras. And…yes… “Just keep showing up”…. We have to keep showing up for OURSELVES. If we don’t show up for ourselves, who will do it for us? LOL
What most people forget first when training martial arts is that it requires serious hard work. Sometimes that work is a joy, and other times it may not seem so. But it is in the work that we find ourselves.
Thanks
Once again, I have to relate another little tidbit a wise man recently told me…I have to remember that I cannot be an expert or even very good at something that I am just starting out doing. I wasn’t good at Kung Fu when I first started, so what makes me think that I could be an excellent photographer right away…for example. I spent a lot of years training and working hard in kung fu to get where I am today. (and not a place I could ever have imagined 7 years ago, by the way!) So, that is a huge lesson learned in kung fu…it takes hard work, dedication, and patience to learn something well. You must go through the process, however long it takes, to get to your desired result. And since that’s what it takes, you may as well enjoy it along the way!