With the Christmas holidays over it's time to get back to training. One of the biggest challenges I have encountered in my martial arts training has been to do everything right handed.
I have been fortunate to be born left handed in a generation where it is not considered backward. Out of a family of four,three of my siblings are left handed. In turn three of my own four children are left handed.
When I started my martial arts training I was very blessed to have an instructor who had taught a lot of lefties not only Kung Fu but piano too.I have had a excellent start, but as time passes the influence of the rest of the school slowly comes to the forground of my training.I can't tell you what a struggle it is to reverse what I see and make my mind and body do everything opposite to what my natural instincts tells me to.It becomes most difficult for me when I pause in my training ie. an extended holiday (Christmas). Once I get back into the rhythm of things it becomes much easier to do though, most of the time it helps to keep me on my toes.Most of the lefties in Kung Fu get by without anyone even noticing the difference. Once in a while I will come across a fellow student struggling with the same problem,so I know I'm not alone. Some day I hope I will be able to help them reverse things. But until I can conquer my own challanges I will only stand by and simpathize...but one day I will be able to help...
