Six Months In

Today marks the end of my first six months at the school. I still have a year to go, but it feels important to pause and honestly acknowledge the small steps that brought me here.

If I’m being truthful, I would have liked to have progressed further. I’m human, and expectation has a way of creeping in, quietly distorting reality. Desire can be a loud companion if left unchecked.

That said, I am pleased with how far I’ve come — not because of any single breakthrough, but because of the steady weight of effort applied day after day. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, improvement has arrived.

I feel stronger now, both physically and emotionally. My understanding of martial arts has deepened, even as it has made it painfully clear how little I truly know. I’ve experienced the full range of human emotion over these months — loneliness and fulfilment, frustration and calm. Days where everything felt possible, and days where nothing seemed to work at all.

And through it all, my love for this practice has remained unchanged.

This journey feels like a quiet gift. One that is difficult to explain. A space that has allowed me to pursue something not for recognition or reward, but because my heart and body could no longer ignore what they were asking for.

So now, after six months, it’s time for a short rest while I travel to Hong Kong to renew my visa. I’m looking forward to the pause, but what excites me most is returning — for the next six months of trying, failing, adjusting, and trying again.

Right now, in this moment, that feels like more than enough.