Taking my Kung Fu Into the World

This is one if not the most important aspects of my Kung Fu.  Since I've started training with SRKF I've felt a deep connection to the school. At first it was all about wanting to learn Kung Fu, learn how to fight and defend myself.  Then I started to really listen, listen to my sifu's and Sifu Brinker. I started to hear about the art, the phylisopical part of SRKF. This hit me deep inside and it was what I was missing in my life.  I was missing that connection, the ability to become a better person.  I was full of ego when I started and it had a very negative impact on my life in many many ways.  Through my many years of training here I've become a better man and I owe it to SRKF.

One of the most important parts of real Kung Fu is how we are outside of the kwoon.  How we act, how we interact with people and we represent our school and community are most important. I'm so proud to share with people that I'm a student of Silent River Kung Fu.  People joke with me about how I can "mess people up" or if they need some protection they know who to call.  I smile back at them and then tell them to keep looking becuase I'm not that person.  

I had a recent conversations with a client of mine that said these things to me.  I took the opportunity to explain that yes I learn the physical aspects of Kung Fu but I don't use them the way he thinks.  I use my training to become a better person, a better husband and a better father.  I explained how I was full of ego before SRKF and how my training has turned me into the person standing in front of you now.  I'm proud of who I've become and I won't stop working to become an even better version of my self.  SRKF has interwoven itself into my DNA and I'm so happy to have the privilege to train here. I do believe that the training must continue when we leave the kwoon.  I have more work to do in this aspect.  Now it's not just good enough to share my experiences but I need to take more action and get more involved with community projects. This is my next evolution of my training.

Ian Repay