# A blank canvas



## FireSnake (Oct 14, 2016)

Hello all, 

I was pleased to find this forum given the welter of them out there that seemed... less friendly or exclusively geared to expert practitioners. I am almost as new to kung fu as I am to this forum, and I envision that I will be doing a lot more reading than posting to best appreciate the wisdom of others.

I can give a capsule summary here of my motivations in learning, and what I have done thus far (as well as the challenges to be overcome - and these may be considered indirect appeals for advice). I am a learner by nature and a teacher by profession. I did my research to find a good academy, and certainly avoided any of the McDojos out there, settling on an unpretentious kwoon that tailors training to all ages and abilities. One of the guiding principles of my Master is in discouraging any chasing after the belts/sashes, and thus an understanding that this is done at one's own pace, not as a sprint or competition against others. I come to this understanding that I've not only committed to a full mind and body martial art - with the emphasis here on art - but an entire lifestyle, a way of living and being. Just a few classes under my belt, and I already feel how it permeates how I move, breathe, and see the world. And this is just the beginning of the journey.

I'm three months smoke-free after a nasty 19 year habit. My diet mostly consists of no added sugar, salt, or red meat, so it is really mostly plain chicken, fish, spinach, and a lot of other good vegetables. I also do intensive weight training three times a week, hike on challenging terrain, and walk everywhere. I'm fortunate to have good strength, low body fat, long limbs, suitable stamina, and good flexibility. That is the physical blank canvas. Of course, this comes with other challenges, ones that I learned almost immediately in my first few classes: not the best in terms of balance as I learn the forms: physically and metaphysically as I have a bit too much Yang. If footwork is the foundation, that is where a lot of my focus must go, especially since I'm not exactly light on my feet. Bumping up against one's limits is something I embrace as a challenge, and only more learning will tell me if that is the right attitude, as I learn more from where I am weakest than to simply take the easier path in playing to my strengths. I also am learning that there is much more I can do outside the Kwoon, like practicing meditation, stances, and the forms independently. When we are taught something new, my tendency is not to go at a high clip, but to do it very slowly, to let it sink into the muscle memory, and then increase the speed.

Being relatively fit, I confess that the first class kicked my butt! I was sore for two days after, but by the next class it was "easier" (not in the drills, but the after-effect on the body). The benefits are fairly evident, such as fitness, self-defense, etc., but also the less tangible or obvious ones that tune the mind and harmonize with the body. There is a sense of calmness and euphoria after each class. The other benefit is that I am embarking on this journey at the same time as my wife. Given how indescribably good this experience has already been in such a short time, I wonder why I had never taken this step much earlier in life. But it is not about the past, but to seize the present moment and move with grace toward a future that I anticipate will never cease to teach me something new.

And so ends the longest hello! I'm honoured to be among such a diverse group with a common passion.


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## Gerry Seymour (Oct 14, 2016)

FireSnake said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I was pleased to find this forum given the welter of them out there that seemed... less friendly or exclusively geared to expert practitioners. I am almost as new to kung fu as I am to this forum, and I envision that I will be doing a lot more reading than posting to best appreciate the wisdom of others.
> 
> ...


I read nearly all of your introduction - nice to meet you! I look forward to hearing about your new experience, and hearing your input in some of the discussions. You'll find several people here who are pretty knowledgeable in your chosen art (I'm not one of them).


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 14, 2016)

Welcome to MartialTalk. Hope you enjoy it.


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## FireSnake (Oct 14, 2016)

Thank you both for the welcome! I apologize for the length; if brevity is the soul of wit, I'm probably fairly witless


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## Xue Sheng (Oct 14, 2016)

Welcome to MT, what style of Kung fu are you training?


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## FireSnake (Oct 14, 2016)

Thank you! My Master adopts a modified approach by blending styles, but there seems a particular emphasis on Wing Chun.


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## MI_martialist (Oct 14, 2016)

Welcome!


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## wingchun100 (Oct 14, 2016)

Welcome to MT.


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## Tames D (Oct 15, 2016)

Welcome.


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## oftheherd1 (Oct 17, 2016)

Welcome to MT.  Looking forward to your input.  Also, don't worry about seeming to have difficulty in learning what seem to be basics.  A lot of people feel that way, and some of us really were dense.  I was in both TKD and Hapkido.  I had just about the same problems as you mention.  You would have thought I had mad cow disease.


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## wingchun100 (Oct 17, 2016)

Oh I forgot to say: congratulations on breaking the smoking habit.


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## FireSnake (Oct 18, 2016)

Thanks for the welcome! As an update, I finally "got" the first cross-form enough that I can do it fairly fast without thinking about it. And, I figured since I was already there for kung fu, I stay on for BJJ. 

And thank you, wingchun100 for the kudos on quitting smoking - although it has been a few months now, I can still feel the previous 19 years of smoking when we do the cardio!


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## SahBumNimRush (Oct 18, 2016)

Greetings and welcome to MT!


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## frank raud (Oct 18, 2016)

G'day,eh!


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## Buka (Oct 18, 2016)

Welcome to MartialTalk, bro.


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