My Kung-Fu Training Experience(Radrook) As a kid, and during my younger adult years, I had never taken interest in the martial arts except for boxing, of which I learned some basics such as how to hook, throw a jab, block, and move in a balanced southpaw stance. However, when I was 48 years of age, I decided to learn Kung fu. Why? Well, primarily because of this bigger and younger and extremely belligerent next-door neighbor who seemed hell-bent on throwing hands.

So I concluded that the time and effort invested would be well-spent. With that in mind, I went to the only Kung fu place that I knew, a White-Dragon style Kung Fu dojo located relatively nearby. The place had repeatedly caught my attention as I had driven by and caught brief glimpses of the members going through their training. I was always fascinated by the military-like discipline involved.

Yet during those moments, it seemed like an exotic place full of esoteric ideas and Far-Eastern philosophies far beyond my ken to ever fully comprehend. Also, due to my biblical background, I was rather worried about its identification with a White Dragon, since dragons in the Bible represent evil. But I learned that the Chinese representation of a White Dragon has absolutely nothing to do with evil. So that placed my mind at ease.

In any case, the severe necessity of being ready if ever push came to shove, with the extremely irrational and violence-prone neighbor, impelled me to try to set those concerns aside, and soon, after an initial interview with the Sinsei [instructor] and owner, this short, slim Anglo-American fellow who went by the adopted name of Pai Pono Li, I was finally officially enrolled.

Immediately upon getting started, I was very impressed with the spaciousness of the main training area. There was plenty of room to maneuver, with full-length mirrors all along its walls, so that students could see and correct their flaws when practicing the moves. There was also a basement with a locker-room, weights, heavy bags, and other equipment such as mitts, pads & shields. Some straight-swords were displayed on the wall but they never really caught my interest. After all, I wasn't there to learn how to decapitate anyone. Nevertheless, I was introduced to a kubotan, a short tubular weapon which doubles as a keychain, which I have carried with me ever since.

About the training? Well, I had expected the training to be brutal. After all, I had seen various films involving Kung fu, and they always depicted it that way. So I was expecting a very strict and very physically-demanding regiment. However, even so, I had not expected it to be as challenging physically as it ultimately turned out to be.

But before we delve into that, let me briefly describe the basic rules of proper behavior expected from every member of the White Dragon Pai Lum Kung Fu dojo. [training facility]. First, we were required to be properly attired. This meant wearing a traditional black Kung Fu uniform with a sash worn around the waist representing the member's skill-level by its color. Wearing shoes was not allowed when entering the training area. When leaving the training area, at the conclusion of the training session, students had to give the traditional kung fu salute, of palm over fist with a slight bow, and then backpedal towards the entrance to the steps leading to the locker room in the basement in order to avoid turning their backs on the sinsei. It was considered a a show of respect.

Curiously, I found that the sessions themselves would start in a rather tranquil way. Like the calm before the storm, some might say. After the traditional Kung Fu Salute, we would sit on the floor in the traditional meditation sitting position with legs folded and arms extended forearms resting on the kneecaps, thumbs and index finger-tips lightly touching. All concentration had to be focused on our very slow breathing. Lungs had to be fully emptied before the next inhalation began, and had to be fully inflated before the next exhalation began. The mind was not allowed to stray to other thoughts, nor to become distracted by any sound either from within the dojo, or from without. This intense meditation lasted approx. 20 minutes, after which stretching exercises followed as well as sit-ups.

Once we were properly limbered up, the toughening of the body and practicing of various fighting-techniques commenced. The practice of strikes with such weapons as Tiger Claw, Dragon Fist, and the Crane, were taught. Shields and heavy bags were used for this purpose. One student would hold the shield or else the striking-pad while the other would repeatedly strike it.

Then there was the repetition of the front kicks, side kicks, palm and elbow strikes. Also, the one that I hated the most, the slapping of the palms of our hands against each others palms, until they felt as if literally on fire. Some students seemed impervious to this sensation. I was not. On the other hand most students could not tolerate bone on bone impacts such as shins impacting shins while I felt nothing at all. The same with forearm blocks on forearm-blocks in order to toughen the bones for such impacts.

Training also involved repeatedly plunging the fingertips and the knuckles into gravel-bins and sand-bins of different textures in order to toughen them up via the formation of callouses and the thickening of the bones as the body's protective reaction. The memorization of katas, or sequences of movements involving fighting stances and strikes that were meant to be employed later in real-fight situations were also meticulously practiced. I especially liked these because they helped to keep the techniques fresh in our minds. Also because they were extremely visually pleasing. Especially when they were performed by certain attractive female members.

Then, after approx. an hour, the intense training began in earnest. This was focused more on toughening the mind than the body. It was an effort to create a unyielding determination despite the desperate physical urge to quit. For example, students were required to assume half-squatting positions, and maintain them for as long as the instructor demanded. That could be a full twenty agonizing minutes in which muscles cried out for a respite, but none was allowed. In fact, if any weakness was shown, the longer the session would last. "Five more minutes for that groan!" was a common announcement that we all dreaded.

Then the intensity would be increased to yet another level. With the temperature at steaming 96 degrees outside, all dojo windows were tightly closed in order to reduce ventilation. The three small overhead fans, which barely rotated, did nothing to alleviate the agony either from the heat or inflicted by the thirst. No, we were not allowed to drink water at any time during the training. Whoever wants to drink water drink it at home.

Drenched in sweat and staggering from the effort, I stubbornly persisted not knowing at the time that I was suffering from asthma inflicted by my smoking habit as a teen, and that it was making the training triple as hard for me than it was for the others who were quickly and easily recovering from their physical exertions. In contrast, I was always out of breath and staggering while trying to force my body to keep up. Not knowing the sinsei once mocked my efforts in front of the class.

Yet, despite my inefficient oxygen supply, I never fainted as some of them fainted, and lay on their backs on the dojo floor unable to get up and even threatening to vomit, while the sinsei smirked at their weakness. To test our willpower to the limit, small Jaded Buddha statues sitting in our midst while being drenched with water were strategically placed so we could see them as we suffered. We looked but could not drink. How nobody ever died there I honestly don't know.

In conclusion, the benefits from that training were many. First, during the entire time that I was there, I never lost my temper nor had a heated argument with my wife. Also, the residual calmness induced from the meditation helped me to forget wanting to fight the neighbor who was looking for trouble. Additionally, my cholesterol and triglycerides were back to normal, I lost my pot-belly, and the medical doctor gave me a clean bill of health after the yearly examination.
Not bad! Not bad at all!


Kunf fu salute ritual
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZH26Mq5Kio

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