Hong’s Stories: The Path is the Destination
Amituofu friends! Shaolin kung fu is an over two-thousand-year-old system for integrated body, mind and spirit training. I have been practicing at the USA Shaolin Temple under Sifu Yan Ming Shi for over two years, on average twice-a-week in our 1.5–2 hrs classes.
At the temple, we do not spar. Instead, we start out learning 20 odd basic moves, and then learn and practice elaborate kung fu choreographies called forms. These forms stress and stretch across the entire body to take advantage of complex muscle relationships.
As we learn to feel the complete stretch, find the correct balance, and focus the movements across our entire body we sharpen our blade and generate more chi.
In order to pass Level 1 (our temple has 2 levels of training), we have to complete and be certified on three basic forms. I have been learning the third form for over a year now, and am about 95% done. Then again I have been 90%+ done for over nine months.
Last week, Sifu called me out to be retrained on one of the basic moves we first learn when we start training. Only this time, after over two years of doing that move probably 100 times per week, I finally “felt” the correct movement. Really I just opened the door to the correct movement. Because now that I have “found” the move, I can explore it across my entire body. The path is the destination.
More chi! Train harder!
Hong
