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Becoming a Student

Becoming a student in a kung fu school is exciting and scary at the same time. Exciting because you are going to start something that’s fun and maybe you always wanted to try but never had the opportunity until now. Scary because you never done anything like it before and have no idea what is expected from you as a student.

On becoming a student, there are many unspoken things you need to know that the teachers may not always get around to telling you.

The kung fu school has its own language, customs and formalities that new students must adhere to. They are almost as rules except they are not always spoken about in the school. It is the student’s responsibility to figure them out and adjust to the schools environment if they truly want to be successful. Sometimes the older the master is the more difficult it is for the new student to figure out the proper way to exist in the school.

Kung fu is a new “body language” that you are learning and just like any new language, it is going to take time to learn and a lot of practice. Many new students get frustrated when they first start learning kung fu because it is difficult to learn and remember the new moves. They see other students that have been there before them executing the moves and can’t understand why they are not able to do the same. This usually results in the new student interrupting the class with questions or trying to get the teacher to explain the moves after class is done. As a new student, you have to realize that it takes time and the other students before you have put in their time. Now it is your turn to put in the time.

As you progress through your training, your training will evolve. You, as a person, will grow physically, mentally and emotionally, mainly because kung fu training, trains the entire body, mind and spirit.

At the beginning a new student may feel that they do not have the time or discipline needed to train, but the truth is we all have discipline in us. It just needs to be nurtured in the right way. The big secret to discipline is that it must be cultivated and nurtured — slowly, steadily, and consistently. Once you begin your training you will be surprised of how focused you will become giving you the time and discipline you need for kung fu.

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