The international student office here offered a three-night set of "Introduction to Chinese Martial Arts" classes, so of course I immediately signed up. We'd be learning Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and basic acupressure and breathing techniques, none of which I'd tried before and so was totally looking forward to.
Our instructor for all three nights was a man named William. HE IS THE CUTEST MAN EVER. He had to be 80 years old at the youngest, and I'm almost positive that he stood no taller than 5 feet maximum. William had the coolest accent and sweetest voice, and it was instantly clear that he'd been instructing for a very very long time.
Each day we learned a new pattern, which was challenging to pick up but mostly because the choreography was set up differently from that of Taekwondo (it's not a symmetrical pattern like the ones I'm used to learning). Forms and patterns however are my favourite part of martial arts - to me it's like learning a super cool dance that also totally kicks ass.
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| This is William. Come ON, look how adorable he is. |
Taekwondo's aesthetics emphasize fluid movements accentuated by a sharp snapping of your technique as you execute it, so it's smooth but precise. Kung Fu had some different stances that you wouldn't see in Taekwondo, but also has a similar aesthetic basis. Tai Chi though, is SUPER different! It's still fluid, but moves aren't punctuated with sharpness and so each technique melds into the other and turns the whole pattern into one constant, flowing movement. This was a lot harder for me to pick up than expected, but I could feel it getting easier to do as the class progressed. Improvement is improvement, right?
More than anything, the best part of these classes was the way it reminded me of just how much I really do love martial arts (apparently of any kind!). It's a workout unlike any other, and strikes this unique balance between beauty and ferocity that I haven't been able to find in any other physical activity. There's something so reassuring about knowing that you can make your body do beautiful, powerful things that demand strength and flexibility, but also a certain sense of focus and discipline that's hard to impart in other ways. I definitely think that everybody should try out martial arts even if for a little bit, because it really is unlike anything else.
Today's Little Thing, Happy Thing: Is literally a little, happy thing. William Ng has completely made my week and sent me home every night with a huge dumb smile on my face as I wave my arms around loosely practicing the patterns I'd have just learned.
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| I'm all gross and sweaty, but LOOK AT HIS SMILE :D |
We were introduced to the Chinese martial Arts and fell in love. The graceful movements appear to be going in slow motion. I was completely caught up in the show so much that I went searching for local classes and immediately signed up. I look forward to my classes each week, learning more about this amazing culture each time I take to the mat.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Lawrence @ Kung Fu Philly