The gang
When I joined up with the class, there were maybe 8 men in it. 5 of them had been there for some time. 2 of them were recent joiners and then there was me. The kung fu skill level ran the entire spectrum from good to not very good at all.
I will give them intials as identification.
The most skilled student was a chinese man. J had much previous kung fu training of many types. J was quite skilled. J was also training to be a Dr of Chinese Medicine. J was a reticent person, stereotypically Asian. J was about 5' 7 or 8" tall, seeming very small compared to the other men. J even had the stereotypical large glasses associated with Asian people. J was a friendly and good person. J had a good heart though he had troubles with people because of his reticence.
The next most skilled man was a white person. L too had trained in many types of kung fu for years. I feel it is necessary to emphasize the difference in skill levels. In my experience with kung fu, there is no comparison at all between Asian people and white or black or any non Asian people. J was very very good. L was good for a white man. He was not even in the same class as the Chinese man. Both men were young, maybe mid 20's.
L was quite a character. L was prideful about his kung fu, strong willed to the point of obnoxiousness. The problem was that while L was better than everyone else, L was not nearly as good as he thought. Where J was fluid and graceful, L was stiff and jerky. L was a good man. L grew up poor in the country. He had that country folk kind of friendliness. L would help anyone, L was tolerant, good natured. His fault was probably his stubborness.
The next man was a younger white man in his early 20's. He too was studying to be a Dr of Chinese Medicine. He was more of a quiet type of person. He was independent and slightly standoffish. He had practiced kung fu for some years and had reached a reasonable level of skill. He was not the kind of person you would approach for help. I recall feeling that he had an attitude of "Why are you bothering me?".
G was an older man, probably mid 30's. G was a large man, over 6 feet tall and 220 or larger. He played Australian rules football I think it was. G was in good shape with a large chest you might see on a weightlifter. G was a very good natured man. I think it was because he had children. G was a frienly guy with a smile on his face all of the time. G was attractive because he had a hang dog kind of look on his face. The kind of dog that makes you want to pet it. It was humorous because G was also a slow person. G talked slow and thought slow, as I imagine a hounddog or a St Bernard acting in a kids cartoon. G had never taken any kind of kung fu until he had started with Dr G. It showed. G was stiff like a board. His movements were huge and windmilling because of his lack of flexibility.
Next was JA. JA was the sadist I mentioned having to spar with on my first day in class. He was a tall british man, complete with accent. JA was.....a handful. He was aggressive, sadistic, uncaring and different. I feel guilty using such harsh words for him. He was not a bad man at all. I think I characterize him this was because even his small bad habits seemed enormous when contrasted to the goodness of most of the other people. JA was an argumentative person who would question Dr G aggressively. That is the basis for my characterization. If there was ever any tension in the group, it would be between Dr G and JA.
JA was another man who thought he was quite good at kung fu. He was even more delude than L was. JA was strong enough that he could satisfy his sadistic streak. He had the wiry kind of strength like wires inside of the limbs. His posture was terrible when he fought. He was wide open to anything and everything. He would not listen either. I remember thinking I was not very good at kung fu and I could tell he was not very good at all. At the same time I think that, Dr G. tells him "You are wide open JA". JA kept right on with what he was doing and did not adjust himself at all. Contrary that man was. ;)
That makes 4 of the long time students. I think that is right.
A was a younger man in his early 20's. He had the demeanor of an older man. I think it was because he grew up close to his father and still lived at home. He had an old mans way of speaking in a slow and measured, serious manner. He was reserved but good natured. He was not happy, but he was not sour. He was interesting in a strange kind of way. I can't really put my finger on why. He was sort of like a country person who does not talk much. It is hard to know who they really are. What you do know of them seems good so you tend to like them. A hand not had any kind of kung fu training before joining Dr G. I did not think he was serious. He would practice what he was supposed to. He had no heart, no zeal, no drive to learn. He treated the class like it might be tennis, an exercise class or hobby he wanted to attain skill in.
T was a young man in his late teens. He was a loud man who was probably 6 1 or 6 2. He had never had kung fu lessons either. He was irrepressible. The kind of person who is the cut up or "problem" in every group. He was like the young brother that everyone lets get away with murder. He was a talkative and likable kind of guy. He had initially come to the class because of his personality. Dr G was teaching at a school somewhere that T was a pupil at. They got to talking and T's personality gave Dr G enjoyment so Dr G told him about the class. I felt that T thought the class was kind of a game. He did not care that much for kung fu. He was more interested in Dr G and being part of the class than in actually practicing kung fu. He was a kid who was flighty and did not focus well I thought.
Then there was me. I was an older white guy who had been practicing kung fu for years. I was not any good. I had never had a real kung fu teacher. I did not know that of course. I thought my instructors were good and that I had some skill. The only skill I really had was that, by practing for so long, I was more in touch with my body than the other men. I could make it respond in the class better than the other lower students. I had quite an attitude when I joined. I felt that the men with no previous kung fu training were below me, worthless. I had no respect for them because I felt they were too lackadaisical in their devotion to kung fu.
I had poor physical health and I was extremely stiff. Stiff as a board, hard as a rock. To me, this was progress, something to be proud of. I had trained in an external kung fu style that empasized a hard kind of strength to the body. In the Ba Gua class, this was terrible. I had done everything wrong. Of course I could not watch myself do the forms. I imagine I must have looked as stiff and jerky as G, the Australian rules football player.
I had trouble being friendly. If I was ok health wise, then I would have no troubles with social interaction. If I was feeling bad, I would push anyone and everyone away.
I think that is everyone at the time I joined.
I will give them intials as identification.
The most skilled student was a chinese man. J had much previous kung fu training of many types. J was quite skilled. J was also training to be a Dr of Chinese Medicine. J was a reticent person, stereotypically Asian. J was about 5' 7 or 8" tall, seeming very small compared to the other men. J even had the stereotypical large glasses associated with Asian people. J was a friendly and good person. J had a good heart though he had troubles with people because of his reticence.
The next most skilled man was a white person. L too had trained in many types of kung fu for years. I feel it is necessary to emphasize the difference in skill levels. In my experience with kung fu, there is no comparison at all between Asian people and white or black or any non Asian people. J was very very good. L was good for a white man. He was not even in the same class as the Chinese man. Both men were young, maybe mid 20's.
L was quite a character. L was prideful about his kung fu, strong willed to the point of obnoxiousness. The problem was that while L was better than everyone else, L was not nearly as good as he thought. Where J was fluid and graceful, L was stiff and jerky. L was a good man. L grew up poor in the country. He had that country folk kind of friendliness. L would help anyone, L was tolerant, good natured. His fault was probably his stubborness.
The next man was a younger white man in his early 20's. He too was studying to be a Dr of Chinese Medicine. He was more of a quiet type of person. He was independent and slightly standoffish. He had practiced kung fu for some years and had reached a reasonable level of skill. He was not the kind of person you would approach for help. I recall feeling that he had an attitude of "Why are you bothering me?".
G was an older man, probably mid 30's. G was a large man, over 6 feet tall and 220 or larger. He played Australian rules football I think it was. G was in good shape with a large chest you might see on a weightlifter. G was a very good natured man. I think it was because he had children. G was a frienly guy with a smile on his face all of the time. G was attractive because he had a hang dog kind of look on his face. The kind of dog that makes you want to pet it. It was humorous because G was also a slow person. G talked slow and thought slow, as I imagine a hounddog or a St Bernard acting in a kids cartoon. G had never taken any kind of kung fu until he had started with Dr G. It showed. G was stiff like a board. His movements were huge and windmilling because of his lack of flexibility.
Next was JA. JA was the sadist I mentioned having to spar with on my first day in class. He was a tall british man, complete with accent. JA was.....a handful. He was aggressive, sadistic, uncaring and different. I feel guilty using such harsh words for him. He was not a bad man at all. I think I characterize him this was because even his small bad habits seemed enormous when contrasted to the goodness of most of the other people. JA was an argumentative person who would question Dr G aggressively. That is the basis for my characterization. If there was ever any tension in the group, it would be between Dr G and JA.
JA was another man who thought he was quite good at kung fu. He was even more delude than L was. JA was strong enough that he could satisfy his sadistic streak. He had the wiry kind of strength like wires inside of the limbs. His posture was terrible when he fought. He was wide open to anything and everything. He would not listen either. I remember thinking I was not very good at kung fu and I could tell he was not very good at all. At the same time I think that, Dr G. tells him "You are wide open JA". JA kept right on with what he was doing and did not adjust himself at all. Contrary that man was. ;)
That makes 4 of the long time students. I think that is right.
A was a younger man in his early 20's. He had the demeanor of an older man. I think it was because he grew up close to his father and still lived at home. He had an old mans way of speaking in a slow and measured, serious manner. He was reserved but good natured. He was not happy, but he was not sour. He was interesting in a strange kind of way. I can't really put my finger on why. He was sort of like a country person who does not talk much. It is hard to know who they really are. What you do know of them seems good so you tend to like them. A hand not had any kind of kung fu training before joining Dr G. I did not think he was serious. He would practice what he was supposed to. He had no heart, no zeal, no drive to learn. He treated the class like it might be tennis, an exercise class or hobby he wanted to attain skill in.
T was a young man in his late teens. He was a loud man who was probably 6 1 or 6 2. He had never had kung fu lessons either. He was irrepressible. The kind of person who is the cut up or "problem" in every group. He was like the young brother that everyone lets get away with murder. He was a talkative and likable kind of guy. He had initially come to the class because of his personality. Dr G was teaching at a school somewhere that T was a pupil at. They got to talking and T's personality gave Dr G enjoyment so Dr G told him about the class. I felt that T thought the class was kind of a game. He did not care that much for kung fu. He was more interested in Dr G and being part of the class than in actually practicing kung fu. He was a kid who was flighty and did not focus well I thought.
Then there was me. I was an older white guy who had been practicing kung fu for years. I was not any good. I had never had a real kung fu teacher. I did not know that of course. I thought my instructors were good and that I had some skill. The only skill I really had was that, by practing for so long, I was more in touch with my body than the other men. I could make it respond in the class better than the other lower students. I had quite an attitude when I joined. I felt that the men with no previous kung fu training were below me, worthless. I had no respect for them because I felt they were too lackadaisical in their devotion to kung fu.
I had poor physical health and I was extremely stiff. Stiff as a board, hard as a rock. To me, this was progress, something to be proud of. I had trained in an external kung fu style that empasized a hard kind of strength to the body. In the Ba Gua class, this was terrible. I had done everything wrong. Of course I could not watch myself do the forms. I imagine I must have looked as stiff and jerky as G, the Australian rules football player.
I had trouble being friendly. If I was ok health wise, then I would have no troubles with social interaction. If I was feeling bad, I would push anyone and everyone away.
I think that is everyone at the time I joined.
posted by Happeh at 1:36 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home