Lost and Found
April 15, 2008
It hasn’t been a secret that I have gotten back into martial arts with the one that started it all for me: Wing Chun. I was thinking that I’m glad that I found WC again because I’m beginning to see some progress and benefits in just five months’ of training.
I’m beginning to lose some fat and getting into better shape. I’m probably in the best shape I’ve ever been in Japan actually. More importantly I’m beginning to get back into the mental condition needed. I’m a bit calmer, a bit more confident, and I’m beginning to regain some persistance.
On thinking that I’ve found WC again, I also know that I never quite lost it. I remember starting the path when i was 14 with Sifu Lee Man Kit in Vancouver. It was two 1.5 hour classes back to back every Saturday at Chinatown. I stuck at it for about two years. I remember I was one of the first students in the class and I welcomed and bid farewell to many other students during that time. That training and the self-training then changed me forever.
In addition to WC I began to look at other things but none of the other arts ever appealed to me. I took a bit of Hung Gar kung fu, Tae Kwan Do, Kickboxing. They all had a different take on many things. Moreover the one thing that really drove me away from them was the commercialization of the art. The thought of the rainbow belts and prices for just about everything really disgusted me. I understand that these are businesses in addition to the teaching of the art but it got a bit out of hand. The only other art that I stuck with was Yi Chuan, also taught by Sifu Lee. It complemented WC so well plus it taught me relaxation (and brought me many weird experiences actually).
Although I didn’t continue the class around the age of 16 or 17, I did continue to keep training some things by myself. Unfortunately I forgot the WC forms, save, Sil Nim Tau which I still practiced. I forgot the entire wooden dummy movement and am relearning it under Sifu Steve. I am beginning to start some of the Yi Chuan training again at home along with the other supplementary training.
What drives me is not to best the other students but to beat myself – I am seeing the progress I’m making little by little and in many ways it’s a huge addiction. I am finding my limits with Sifu Steve, especially when I’m the only one sometimes, and I feel the burning drive to push those limits each time. I’ve been putting in about an hour of training each day at home and I will definitely keep it up.
It’ll all pay out in the future with interest.
