Going forward, with some new clarity and thoughts for our life and the life of the school in the future, this month will see a lot of changes on the blog and the site to showcase some of the new ideas we will have going forward. We have recently added a Patreon account, to be found here: http://www.patreon.com/MorrisMartialArtsLLC , because we want to share our art with more than just the local people in our community. While we are very grateful for the students we have, in order for a system to grow, it needs new insight and input from many sources and we know that out there somewhere is someone willing to learn the system and then make it their own. That leads me to the topic of this post, what is martial arts?
There are a lot of martial arts systems out there. A LOT. How do you choose which one to study? In all honesty, most people don’t choose, it is chosen for them by what is available. The options are limited by time and location and even cost. It is similar to going to an art museum and only finding local artists to see their work and not that of someone from farther away. I have found in the 30 plus years I’ve been studying and teaching martial arts that many people have forgotten the second part of the phrase, ‘arts’.
What do I mean? If you go to any school, they will teach you how to fall, how to block, how to punch and how to kick, along with many other things, but in all honesty, a punch is a punch. The way they teach you to punch has some science to it, but for the most part, it is the art or expression of the skill that makes it different. If I show you how to punch in kung fu and then show you how to punch in karate, you will find some similarities in the science of it, but the expression is not the same.
To truly be a master of something, you must be able to learn it, then make it your own before passing it along to others. Once you make it yours, every time you do it, it is an expression of who you are when you fight, perform in competition, or even just practice at home.
In our school, we will show you the techniques and forms and all the basics and give you the science behind them, but expressing them with your own identity is what truly makes it an art. We look forward each and every day to seeing how are students express their new skills and we hope to see yours too. Until next time, train hard and consider sharing this post with your friends and joining our Facebook page for more information and discussion. We are working towards our goal of getting enough Patrons on Patreon to be able to start shooting videos for training in Five Harmony Fist Kung Fu so that everyone can benefit from its contributions to your health and to your peace of mind.
-Head Instructor Shawn Morris