Robert Pirsig points out that a "Church" or "University" is not defined by the physical walls of the actual structure. Each is more about the spirit of the community that worships or is taught in the structure. A building's function and purpose will always be dictated by the community that uses it. Case in point - Thich Nhat Hanh's Institute of Applied Buddhism in Waldbrol, Germany is located in a building that used to be a Nazi resort hotel. A building is just a building but what takes place within its walls is so much more.
The kwoon is a living entity that is not confined by the walls of the physical space where it resides. The kwoon is defined by the community of students who are engaged and involved with the kwoon. This may seem common sense to some but it most definitely is not common sense to everyone.
No matter what, many students will approach the kwoon as nothing more than a gymnasium. They show up, leave their sweat and mud behind for someone else to clean up, and are off to get back to their separate lives. That's what their membership is to them - a place to work out and have someone clean up after them. They want to be part of something bigger but they go about it the wrong way despite the answer being right in front of them.
Renovation week is not about fixing up a "gymnasium" so that it is clean and attractive for a bunch of users. Renovation week is a spiritual journey, or awakening if you will, that reconnects us with our kwoon - our kung fu community. Some of my students struggle with a feeling of isolation when their work keeps them from training at the kwoon, yet there are people who feel just as disengaged even though they are at the kwoon three times a week training.
Reconnecting with your kwoon, spending time getting to know your classmates, and taking ownership of the school where you spend so much of your time could turn out to be a pivotal turning point in a person's kung fu career. The difference between success and failure often comes down to a person's level of engagement.
I recognize that 90% of my students who take advantage of renovation week will probably miss the the entire point of the event and only see it as a responsibility. But if this year's event rejuvenates, re-engages, reconnects, inspires, or grounds 10% of my students, I will consider it a success. Thirty engaged, cognizant human beings can shake the pillars of the world.
"I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one." - Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)
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