December 8th - Facing Snakes

Bill Waterson's Comic, Calvin and Hobbes

Another restless night, it took me a while to remember what my dream was but all I remember is snakes. Something with snakes and it was unsettling.

Since the year of our Lord 2020 seems to be testing all of us I feel that this strip from Calvin and Hobbes really suits the current mood well. I'm sure we've all been tested in some way this year; I certainly was. My longing for Kung Fu training grows as wander around the city of Shanghai. Now I can see the fruits of my labor as my stances are now better and my splits (although not quite there) are lower than they were before. "Just a few more years of training", I think to myself. "And I'll be able to do all those cool feats that I see in videos". 

Sometimes, I wonder what is going on in that mind of mine. This passion for Kung Fu that has developed really drives me. Seeing all of the different aspects that you can choose through Kung Fu: fighting, flexibility, acrobatics, performance, conditioning, has made me want to delve deeper into the art. Personally, my mind's primary focus is on flexibility while the secondary skill I want is fighting. Not just brawling per say but developing a sort of "fighting understanding" with the many forms of Kung Fu. So many forms, or "tao lu" in Chinese, and yet many just use them for their health/performance aspects.

That's another thing I'd like to do through my study of the art, make it complete again. I'm not quite sure how to explain this in few words. The Qi Gong, fighting, forms, conditioning, flexibility, and weapons are all supposed to be together. Not separate as they are today. They are supposed to complement each other. But, developing the art to its fullest takes a lot of time. More time than people have or want to devote to such a unneeded practice. 

Who needs hands like iron anymore? Who needs to know how to control their breath anymore? Who needs to do the splits or put their foot to their head anymore? 

Not many. 

I think I've been watching too much VAHVA Fitness...