Back to the Kwoon

Further to my long winded comment on the Livestream #13 Class, I thought I would explain a little further.

I did not mean to sound harsh or negative, that certainly is not how I feel.

I, like everyone else, am very excited to get back to a bit of normalcy, and get training again with my peers, and instructors in 3D real life!
One of the negatives for me in the last several months, in our pandemic situation, is how my overall mental heath has been affected, and my automatic reaction is certain situations.
The first 6 weeks of the pandemic was tough on everyone, this I know. Some reacted as they not normally would, and some took it in stride. We kind of joke at work, and say, we have been yelled at, sworn at, and scuffed at in every language known to man, and then some, I think. Yes, we laugh, as you need to take it with a grain of salt, and a cup of empathy. But still, it does wear on you, and does change how you react after a while.
I've never been mean, I have tried to be understanding to the best of my ability, but it does takes its toll.

What does this have to do with Kung Fu, you might ask?
Well, as Kung Fu is teaching us the art of Mastery, that has many faucets, many meanings, and many lessons. This helped me through a lot.
I find myself heightened in situations, that may not have affected me before.
And respect is a large part of that.
I have seen a lot of disrespect, and that makes me angry, and now causes a reactions in me immediately. Previously, I would still react, but not in the same way, or with the same vigor, as today.

I am not saying that anyone is being disrespectful, nor do I think anyone in our school would be, but this is something I am deeply aware of, and may take something as disrespect, when it is not meant to be that at all. It has made me increasingly protective to everything I care about, including our school, and the Kwoon. I have most certainly learned that we cannot control every situation, but we can control an outcome.

We need to be more aware, more empathic, and more controlled today. This is not a bad thing, in fact, I think a lot of changes will be very positive moving forward. We just need to not fall back to old, bad habits.

Being back at the Kwoon is great, but yes, different. One day, we will look back and think, wow, look at how we all came through that, and how it has made us better people. But, for now, small, careful steps for the greater good.

Thanks for listening, and can't wait to see you all on the mats again!
Stay Safe, and Healthy everyone!