Hulk to the Back Shelf

I have come to realize that control is a real game changer. It is everything.  How we perceive a situation, how our body responds physiologically, and how we react in our actions defines how well Kung Fu will serve us when we need it most.

This past week I was placed in a situation where I drew on my Kung Fu and did not even realize it.  It didn’t require perfect alignment in my fist, or a well chambered kick.  It didn’t require the perfect horse stance or centering. It didn’t require anything that most bystanders would attribute to martial arts.  It rather required confidence.  A confidence that in turn resulted in a slow heartrate, a clear focus, and a calm controlled reaction.

We train in Kung Fu with pure intent. Hope in that we will not require the physical side of our training. Situations like this past week may only be experienced once or twice in our life time.  Recognizing that engagements of this nature are fortunately very rare, I took the time to sit down and take note of how my body responded, and how my actions followed.  I was alarmed that I was so calm during the entire time because I know from experience this is not a normal feeling, not a typical response to something like this.  This kind of reaction was very, very foreign to me.

Looking at my life day to day I have a long way to go, but things like this past week really put into perspective that I have made progress.  There are reactions I have had in my life I am not proud of.  This week however gave me a real hope that I have come a long way, and just goes to prove that just because a change is slow, it doesn’t make it insignificant.

Vince Krebs