Issue 10 - December 2005
Editorial
Dear Friends and Students,
Having had the wonderful opportunity to have been involved in Martial Arts for the last 10 years (with varying degrees of commitment), I have spoken with many students and practitioners of these Arts. Something I have noted that causes a lot of concern and can even lead to people quitting relates to self doubt and that’s what I’d like to talk about in this issue of the newsletter.
Talking with one of my London students last week, this issue raised its head again and I felt compelled to write about it.
It is always with admiration and respect that I listen to students (and fellow instructors) wrestling with their doubts towards their practice, because I know from personal experience just how painful, personal and all consuming such feelings can be.
Most of the doubts I have experienced over the years result from comparing my achievement and ability with that of others. Thoughts of the type: “Bob started after me and already he’s so much better than me at all of these forms” can be very damaging.
In the past after a number of sparring sessions where I was “dominated” such thoughts as “I’m rubbish at this, I couldn’t fight my way out of a paper-bag, I don’t know why I bother!” have even made me contemplate giving up altogether. There has been more than one occasion in the past where I have gone home and wept in despair after an evenings training (though never whilst practicing with the Shaolin Wahnam Institute I am happy to say).
To counter these doubts/feelings I have often concentrated even harder on my practice and this can be very beneficial, though I have found that more practice is not always the best answer, as it can deeper entrench faults in my practice, making them even harder to correct later on.
I recall one experience where I stopped practicing with a school altogether and went looking for another one. After several months of going home hurt and bruised (and feeling completely inadequate) after “sparring” I plucked up the courage to speak to the instructor about how I felt. His reply was to stick with it, that somehow I would get better in my ability and not get hurt so much (and I did stick with it for much longer until I read Sifu’s excellent Q&A series (April 2000 part 3). Sifus answers to questions 15 & 16 specifically seemed to be talking directly to me and confirmed my decision to leave). It is important to remember that no school is ideal for every student.
If you are unhappy with your practice due to doubts in your ability I strongly recommend that you talk to your instructor in the first place as this will often resolve the situation. When doubt, specifically doubt in my ability starts to creep back into my practice, I find it useful to relax as fully as possible, breath deeply and smile from the heart. Avoid making decisions in the heat of the moment and remember that the only worthwhile competition to enter into is with yourself. The only comparison to make is with your own progress through time.
Comparing your ability with that of your Martial Arts brothers and sisters is like comparing apples with oranges; yes they are both fruit but they are very different!
If you review your progress over the last 6 months and find that your skills and techniques have improved then it honestly does not matter if Bob (who we mentioned earlier) seems to be doing combat sequences better than you.
Remember; if you must compete with someone then compete with yourself!
Lauren & Jeffreys Wedding!
On behalf of myself and Shaolin Wahnam Institute UK I would like to wish Lauren and Jeffrey my very best wishes for their wedding on 11th December 2005 . May you have many wonderful years together.
Sifu Darryl Collett is heading off to Australia this month to attend Sifu Jeffrey Segal and Laurens wedding and also to talk with Sifu. I'm certain that top of the agenda will be to find ways to make Summer Camp 2006 in Canterbury even better than last years! I'll keep you informed.
Dates for your Diary
It gives me great pleasure to announce the dates for the first annual 3 Nations Gathering, that will take place in Brighton on 21 st and 22 nd January 2006 . The aim is for current students and students of Sifu's Regional and Intensive Shaolin Kung Fu courses to meet up in one place and have some fun whilst learning/reviewing material relevant to your practice. All of the seminars on Saturday afternoon are suitable for Shaolin, Tajiquan and Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung students. We have managed to get nearly all the Instructors and assistant instructors from Scotland, Republic of Ireland and England together in one place at one time (apart from Sifu Rob Gamble and Sifu Ronan Sexton, who are currently in Thailand). Everyone will be teaching over the weekend and I'm very excited by the range of material to be covered.
For full details, a list of the seminars being presented and details on how to register, please refer to this link on the forum: http://wongkiewkit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4019
No Ego!
I asked Sifu Darryl if he would recommend his favourite video from the hundreds available at Sifu's website ( http://www.wongkk.com/general/videos.html )
This is the one he chose and why: http://wongkk.com/video-clips-2/catching-monkey01.html
...For me, this clip radiates the real reasons why we train - to enhance and enjoy our everyday lives! I always laugh when watching this clip, no matter how many times I've seen it. The application is smooth, simple, joyful and effective. The emphasis is on demonstration and learning, not winning or losing. There is no ego or showmanship, instead there is laughter and the essence of our arts!
I have a real Christmas treat in store for you in the next newsletter, Sifu Emiko Hsuen from the Toronto Community in Canada has written a wonderful article for you. All I’ll say is that it helped to bring a new spark to my own practice. You’ll just have to wait until next month.
Until next month I wish you success in your practice.
Kind regards,
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Marcus Santer Shaolin Wahnam Institute - UK Helping you to fulfil your physical and emotional potential |
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