surprising power
This deserves to be told: In 1990 I made one of my rare excursions from Alaska to "America" and visited my first sifu, Quentin Fong, in San Francisco. I hadn't seen the man in several years and was pleased that he let me spend the afternoon at his house discussing and demonstrating aspects of Tibetan White Crane, Choy Li Fut and Chen Taiji. At one point he grinned mysteriously at me and said, "John. You grab me." I recognized that glint in his eyes and understood that I was about to get a lesson. Now, I'm a head taller than Sifu and about a hundred pounds heavier, but to make sure that whatever was about to happen didn't make me look too foolish, I locked my hands behind his waist and held on. I felt a slight swaying for about a second and suddenly found myself on my butt in front of him wondering what it was that made me let go. Sifu grinned and said, "No. Grab me harder." Okay. This time, thinking I knew what to expect, I got into a mah bouh, locked my arms around him and leaned into him a bit with my head and shoulder. A small earthquake hit me and I was lying on his garage floor about six feet away from him. As I lurched to my feet I said, "Sifu, that was amazing!" Master Fong replied, "No, that was nothing. The man who teach me that--he did that to me and he never touched me."
Now I know this was just good core control and sensitivity and not some mysterious manifestation of chi, but it was good gung fu. It inspired me to learn more, be humble, work harder. That's what teachers do.
Be well.
jd
"Look, I'm only doing me job. I have to show you how to defend yourself against fresh fruit."
For it breeds great perfection, if the practise be harder then the use. Sir Francis Bacon
the world has a surplus of self centered sh1twh0res, so anyone who extends compassion to a stranger with sincerity is alright in my book. also people who fondle road kill. those guys is ok too. GunnedDownAtrocity