Today brought an unexpected change. The weather was beautiful, and a short-term student arrived wanting to learn Long Hua Jian, a famous Wudang straight sword form. It interests me, but it has never compelled me to learn it.
I’m in review, supposed to be constantly bettering every form I already know, so I took a moment to weigh the offer to learn it before saying yes and diving into yet another Wudang sword form.
The day went well, and progress came fast. We covered the first fifteen seconds of the form in a single day. That was no trouble for me, because after two years, the language of Wudang Kung Fu is one I can speak quite fluently. For my training partner, the same can’t be said. This is her first experience of any martial art, and picking up a sword on your first day of training is not something I’d recommend. There are simply too many moving parts to manage while you’re still trying to get your body under control.
The great thing about this school is that you get to choose, and then you get to live with the ups and downs of those choices. Today was fun and relatively easy, but I know from experience that somewhere in the not-too-distant future, there is a moment in this form waiting to test my patience, my skill and my understanding.
Maybe it was the illusion of moving forward that comes with learning something new. Maybe it was just good to step away from the review and enjoy a moment in the sun. I’m not sure why it felt so good, and I don’t need to be. I only need to let the day flow and take whatever gifts it offers.
Endless days of learning Kung Fu in China can be great, good, or something else altogether. These past two years have taught me to accept them all and to really appreciate all of the different varieties. Tomorrow will be different, as they always are, and I’ll meet whatever arrives with a smile and do the very best I can.