What is the Purpose of the I Ho Chuan?

Mastery.

What does this mean? Mastery is a broad term. When we speak of it, we are speaking in terms of the individual. Mastery in Kung Fu starts internally with humility and understanding, and works its way out to the external in the form of skill and ability. Many of us stop at the understanding and fail to recognize this. So much knowledge that will fail to manifest.

True mastery in Kung Fu has many facets, skill and understanding being only two of them. What benefit is all of this skill if you are not also taking care of your body, your community, your home, your loved ones? What benefit is it to you if you’re standing with all your ability and might, alone, in the middle of a burning bridge?

Mastery in any sense of the term is not easy. Time, effort, energy and commitment are not always in abundance. Mastery is simple though. Do. Not. Quit.

Now, to define what “quit” means. There is the very literal meaning; quitting the team, quitting classes, quitting Kung Fu.

But many of you do not realize that this is not the only way to quit. You do not need to say the words “I quit” to make it true. You can still be a member of the team, enrolled at the school, still have your name in the list and have quit.

It comes down to what you are doing. Or not doing.

To be a member of the I Ho Chuan is to make a promise to your instructors, your teammates and yourself that you will invest a year into yourself and your Kung Fu. Not at the detriment of your family or career, but alongside, tailing closely to these things. These things should work harmoniously with each other. It should never be a sacrifice of one for another. Balance.

If you cannot, or do not, invest the energy into mastery, then you will not obtain mastery. And there is nothing wrong with that. We all have other commitments, events and trials in our lives that sap at our energy and time.

Whatever your reason to miss classes, ignore your numbers, not blog, they are legitimate. Recognize that something else took priority over these acts. Recognize Kung Fu was not the priority. And that is okay.

Remember though, you do not get to reap the benefit if you do not tend the seeds. As it is with anything. And that is okay, if you recognize it. Where the tricky part comes in is when you expect the benefits without the work and effort.

To consider yourself successful in the I Ho Chuan, you do not have to become a master in Kung Fu. But you need to have developed the tools, habits and discipline to get yourself there. You need to learn the lessons, which means you need to be at classes. You need to document the journey, as a tool for yourself to determine where on the road (or ditch) you are, which means you need to blog. To be considered a candidate for black belt in this school means you must earn the rank. To be considered a black belt means you must maintain the rank.

Not easy, but so simple. Do not quit. Not on yourself, not on your Kung Fu. Do the acts, reap the benefits.