One January I stepped foot into Silent River for the first
time and took in my first class. I
remember going through the stances and even learned a couple kicks. That very night I bought a Gi and committed to
what has now become nearly a nine year Kung Fu journey. At the outset my intentions for joining the
martial arts were to keep in shape so things didn’t start to get too soggy as I
approached my thirties. Staying active was
my main goal, and recall commenting that I never really wanted to commit to
getting a black belt.
The journey has been a mixture of highs and lows, but through the times one thing was constant. Kung fu was here to stay. The longer I was involved the more it got woven into my fabric. It went from a mere exercise regime to something that demanded more confidence, control, engagement, improvement, reflection, perseverance and leadership. It demanded time and sacrifice but in turn offered things that I liked in my life and wasn't willing to give up. At every low point of engagement I would find a window or glimpse into what my life would be without Kung Fu, and frankly didn't like what I saw. And so I continued.
A few years later and here I train with just a little over a month to go before grading day. I don’t think a person ever feels ready for such a thing. In fact if I had just one more year, I bet I would have to slow down my punches so Bruce Lee could keep track, or maybe hold a horse stance while reading a couple chapters of War and Peace. Maybe if I trained for just one more year I would run into the forest and come out riding a deer. I am really not sure what that means, but it sounds like it would take lots of cardio.
But saying maybe next year is nothing more than setting an arbitrary limit. It is acceptance of what has been achieved as being good enough, and that is not what this is all about.
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