"T" is for Tradition

Culture and tradition continue to have a major influence on my kung fu. Everything that has been passed down over the past couple of thousand years has a purpose that is as pertinent today as it ever was.

The stances, the movements, the subtle nuances that go into conveying an expression — they all bring a Chinese lion to life. As an instructor I watch in fascination when I teach a student the lion dance and how their head movement and facial expressions mimic that of the lion they are controlling. Their spirit becomes entwined with the spirit of the lion. This connection between student and lion cultures a person’s empathy and eye for detail. To move like a lion, one must think like a lion. In order to translate those lion thoughts into lion action, one must have acute body awareness. This is the reason why this ancient tradition continues to hold so much reverence in the kung fu community —the strongest lion dancers become the strongest martial artists and the strongest martial artists are the best lion dancers.

The dragon dance is very new to me. Mastering the dragon dance has been a goal of mine for a long time and as of last weekend I have begun this journey. The dragon dance requires synchronization with the entire team (10 on our team) in order to give the dragon life. The dragon’s head is completely static when it comes to expression so everything must be conveyed by the movement of the body. Like the lion dancer, the dragon dancer must also connect with the spirit of the dragon they are controlling but they must take that connection a step further by extending their awareness to include the rest of the team. While my team has only been together for a total of two hours, I am awestruck at how fast their connection is developing and how that connection is translating to exponential improvement in their performance.

Chinese New Year is less than four months away and for me the preparations for the festival dominate my time and my spirit. I feel more engaged in my art at this time of year and my motivation and drive are always at their peak. Having something new to learn and master and share with so many positive people will make this year that much more special.

"Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse." - Winston Churchill (1874 -1965)