From an individual perspective, kung fu is all about personal empowerment. Our school has a saying, “Through discipline and respect, one discovers the tranquility of courage, and the strength to shake the pillars of the world.” This epitomizes the value of personal excellence. The confidence that comes from the accomplishments generated by self-discipline further empowers a person to push themselves beyond their arbitrary limits to achieve more than they originally thought possible. Competence fuels confidence and confidence gives power.
From a group perspective, kung fu is all about community. Our school has another saying, “Out of the Kwoon and into the world.” While my students personally benefit from their training, if they do not apply their kung fu to their everyday lives, the value of their training is very limited. By making my life my kwoon, the benefits of my training spill over to all aspects of my life. Self defence is much more than kicking and punching. Applying mastery to my career, my finances, my diet or my relationships will have a much bigger impact on my overall well-being than my ability to throw a good roundhouse.
Of course all this empowerment must be tempered with strength of character. Power without empathy is power without control or compassion. Seeing the world through the eyes of another, especially another who is less fortunate than ourselves, helps develop the empathy that tempers the power of our training.
“Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection - or compassionate action.” - Daniel Goleman (b. 1946)
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