Taking Ownership in the Kwoon
We're already partway through back to school week/Kwoon maintenance week, and it has gotten me thinking about my Kung Fu journey, what the Kwoon means to me, and how the space has helped me.
I started at Silent River in 2016-2017, memory is a bit fuzzy, there was a lot going on at the time, mainly my high level of anxiety I was trying to cope with. It was because of that anxiety that I joined. I wanted to take control of my health and my life, and the martial arts, Kung Fu, was something I always wanted to do, but never committed to taking that step until then. It is a choice that I have never regretted. So much more has come out of it than I had ever thought would. My original thought was to learn Kung Fu, to learn to do cool moves like some of my favourite action stars like Bruce Lee, Jacki Chan, Jet Lee, Iko Uwais, Donny Yen, etc.. What I received was a path towards personal growth, and one that continually provides me opportunities to learn.
The Kwoon isn't just a training hall for me, it is a place where my community gathers. It is my gym, history, and philosophy class rolled into one. I'm not just there to train my body, but to train and expand my mind, my compassion, my empathy. It is also a place of solace, a place where I can reset my mind frame into a more positive and fruitful one.
Mindset is the biggest piece of the puzzle of how the Kwoon has helped me. It is the mental reset I mentioned before, that really helps me to just clear my mind and provide a receiving mentality. The Kwoon is my mental reminder to leave my stresses at the door, and a lot of the times, I realize that that shift in thinking helps me better cope with what was once overwhelming. The space for me is geared towards personal growth and development. From the moment I bow before stepping on those mats, which is my que to focus on the reason I'm there, to looking over at the alter, and honoring those that came before me, and the knowledge and wisdom they represent, to us bowing in and bowing out of class, reminding me that our time in class really is short, so I need to make the most of it every time I'm there. I can go on and provide more examples of everything that catches my eye in the Kwoon and that evokes a though or emotion, but I'd like to keep this post from rambling.
As I clean, and repaint, and make new again my surroundings, I realize that I am a big part of how the Kwoon affects others, my attitude and my respect. Everything I listed above only works if I put in the effort, and respect the rules laid out before me. Otherwise it is just another place. I spend most of my time on the mats, but this past week I've spent a lot of time in the office, usually only occupied by our instructors and masters. That is not lost on me how important and sacred that space is. I haven't earned my place in that space yet, one day hopefully. I'm just happy that I can be apart of making it a space that they can feel at home in.
This week is important to me, because it is a reminder of this leg of my journey that I am on; and it provides me an opportunity to give back to a place that has given to me.
Nigel Bauer
