July 29th - Thoughts Racing
"Kung Fu is like the skin, Knowledge is like the bones."
-李克楠， Coach Li Ke Nan
Cripple Crew ~ 老弱病残的武官
It's late, I'm having trouble sleeping. So, why don't I write something while listening to Aesop Rock? Injuries seem to plague me as I'm now apart of the "Cripple Crew" that we have here. My strained groin stopped me from practicing Basics Class but I was able to keep training in Forms Class and Sanda Class. I hurt myself while training on my own with the rope dart, it smacked into my ankle causing some bruising and a small limp. Besides that, training was good; Master Peng has turned out to be a great Sanda Coach and has given me some ideas for how to train on my own. Hula hoops, wooden blocks, rocks, sandbags and more can all be used to improve your Sanda/Fighting skills.
"Strength is a mindset"
-JD
A good thing that happened today was my (one of many) Monk Uniform arrived. It's a bit big on me. This made me realize how much my body has changed while here. I haven't just gotten skinnier, I haven't gained any muscle either. Just leaner. Once I'm in America again maybe I can get some help getting stronger and bigger. For now, I'm fine with getting leaner, more flexible, and faster.
固步自封, to be unchanging/ complacent in your way
-Chinese Saying
The Travel Plan ~ 旅行计划
Master Peng told me this chengyu today while we were talking about my future plans in America and China. All that I told him was I want to travel around China and study Kung Fu but I first have to go to America so I can save money. My plan on paper sounds terrible and I realize that. Going back and forth between America and China, saving money, spending money until... something. The more reasonable/rational plan would be to stay in the USA for a few years (especially with the Corona virus) in order to save money then go study Kung Fu for many years. I've narrowed down what schools I want to go to, realized my main reasons for doing this "journey", and have accepted the uncertainty that comes with this plan.
- Save Money in the States for 4 Years (Goal: $48,000-$50,000)
- 4 Years allows me to pursue other options (Job, College, Hobbies)
- The Four School Options are: Qufu, Kunming Shaolin Temple, Chengdu, and Wudang.
I won't talk about the math behind all of this but each of these schools offer a different location, different style of Kung Fu, different prices, and different opportunities for me. If I go to one and really like it then I'll spend more time there. The $48,000 budget gives me enough money for travel expenses, visa extensions, living costs, and more for around four years. If I budgeted it right I could stay for longer.
Reasons? ~ 原因呢？
Looking at this blog it sometimes seems that I really dislike my time here. Its true but the journey that I'm going through, the life I'm living, I love it. That's one reason I like this journey is because I feel "free". I paid to come here and suffer. I paid to get challenged by these Kung Fu Masters.This was all my choice. The other reason is I feel like I'm improving myself through the training, study, and interaction with others. The last reason is I'm happy, I'm having fun. That's the point of life isn't it?
Sometimes the other students here will joke about, "What is the meaning/point/purpose of life?" and to that I reply, "To have fun". It's a simple answer and can easily be dismissed as a joke but digging deeper into it, there is truth. If you're happy, having fun then you've probably found a purpose for your life which is something many people are looking for. What I think people have trouble understanding is that this purpose (or "destiny") can change. It can change suddenly or change slowly, it's this resistance to change that causes people to feel lost or unhappy.
Conclusion ~
So those are my reasons, that is my plan for the future (which might change), and life is still good at the Kung Fu School even though I've got some injuries. Man, my mind really is racing tonight.
How has your week been? We're halfway to FRIDAY!
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