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Reflections on Life's Purpose
My eyes first set upon the beauty and diversity of
Gong Fu in a huge open-air humid Nigerian cinema, where
the only two genres of film ever screened were these
70s Hong Kong-produced marvels and the latest Bollywood
classics, each having the humiliation of being aurally
transmuted beyond recognition by the unforgiving echo
of the gigantic slab of concrete that was the screen.
The first feature that caught my undivided attention
was the obscurely called "Mad Monkey". I was
14 years old and after nearly breaking my leg through
untrained excitement of emulating what I have just viewed,
I was hooked for life. From then on, my parents and
I insisted on visiting the half-finished picture-house
at least once a week to see these masters of the human
agility and strength, rain or shine, echo or not.
Years passed and when I arrived in England, to my dismay,
I could not find a Gong Fu school that taught anything
remotely similar to what I learned to love in that jungle
stadium. Eventually, I chanced upon an advert for a
Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis Sifu (southern spelling)
practicing in Bexley and spent two and a half years
swinging my arms in front of my chest, feeling slightly
unsatisfied by the lack of leg movements, though happy
that I didn't succumb to what would have been much easier,
namely switching to a martial art that is far more popular,
but not quite true to what was sitting dormant within
my heart.
One day, whilst scouring the internet for local Gong
Fu alternatives, I was struck by the advertisement for
a Shaolin school. Like most people, I have hitherto
been ignorant of the mere term "Shaolin" and
naturally presumed this to pertain to all Gong Fu/Wushu
styles, as is often portrayed in Hollywood's broad American
entertainment culture. To my amazement, the Shaolin
nametag referred to the Henan Province Shaolin Temple
itself and its historically rich fighting styles. Moreover,
it also referred to the culture and philosophy of the
said art and placed emphasis on the Buddhist-like ideology,
which permeated the teachings of Shifu Yang, the school's
universally respected master. Now, for the second time
in my life, I encountered the excitement of seeing and
experiencing something so real and so genuine, yet this
time so very tangible. Shifu Yang moved and spoke like
no other teacher I have met and made me listen attentively.
I feel now very privileged to be one of his students,
as I believe does everyone else who is serious about
taking on this fascinating art under his serene leadership.
Tai Chi has been a very unlikely addition to my interests
- I simply could not have ever imagined how much it
would improve my well-being. It has been incredibly
successful in loosening my joints, improving my previous
breathing, digestive and back problems, and through
the practice of Qigong and meditation, in calming a
typically modern tired and stressed mind.
Most importantly, my interest in Shifu Yang's
teachings has also had a profound effect on my beliefs
and aspirations. I no longer want to be the best at
everything, this being a calamitous downfall on many
an occasion in my checkered and pitiful past. I no longer
feel the need to impress anyone other than myself and
have come even close to accepting the inevitability
of natural change. I practice and revere Shaolin Quan
to improve my standing in my eyes only and fully embrace
the peaceful solace of unconditional humility. I reject
the stereotypical macho image attributed to most western-inspired
martial art ideals in favour of a simple truth that
is my own self-improvement.
In a typical human fashion, my quest isn't without
disappointments and self-doubt. Being a typical born
and bred Pole, I worship food in its many varieties,
eat too much and too often and suffer the consequences.
Also, being one of the oldest Kung Fu students, I find
it more difficult to be as energetic and supple as the
younger generation (I too once weighed 10 stone, could
do 60 press-ups at the drop of a hat and lift my leg
up behind my head - something more of a challenge now).
It is the thought of getting better at what I want to
do and not what I believe society or peer pressure expects
me to that puts a placid smile on my face and a warm
embrace around my heart.
But I guess the most satisfying aspect of practicing
under the expertise and kindness of Shifu Yang is that
I managed to recruit my mother for the Tai Chi classes
and have seen her life change dramatically for the better
in the last few months.
Thank you, Shifu, in the name of my mother and myself.
I now understand Gong Fu isn't a film, but a way of
living.
Er Mi Tou Fo...
Rob Bartlitz
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