Lu Ping An

"Lu Ping An" or a ruff translation " Walk in peace and harmony " There was a theory question on the meaning of this years ago and after much investigation the best description for me was " in order to live in peace,you must be prepared for war." This statement pretty well sums up my response to the question "Why would you practice the martial arts?"
War comes in many forms, war:one nation against another, one state against another, one neighbor against another, one brother against another. For me it is a more personal thing, war against environmental abuse, war against physical abuse, war against mediocracy, war against obesity, war against self doubt, war against anger ,anyway my list goes on and on.
How I view the world around me, how I interpret the information I see , hear or read is based on these inner battles I fight on a day to day bases.
Last week I read a blog that gave me such a strong inner response that I just had to react. I wrote my comments down and sent them off in less time than it took to blink. To my surprise more women didn't respond or take offense to the statements made there. As a matter of fact, some even agreed and gave the writer credit for his insights.
So back to the blog that I have read since at least ten times. It was time to figure out why I reacted to it the way I did. I guess most has to do with age, The reasons I practice the martial arts today compared to how I did twelve years ago. The answer would be very different and miles apart in comparison . For obvious reasons I would not engage in a sparring match with the same intent. I probably wouldn't even just do it for "fun". As I age and my body becomes a little less agile and takes longer to heal, I pick the bruises I am going to inflict on myself. I try to use more technique and less muscle mass in anything I use or teach. My view of what it takes to prove myself in the martial arts would not necessarily match that of a younger person doing the same art.
I live in a time when the women who came before me proved what our sex is capable of and do not feel the need to prove that we don't belong in the art. I have seen the benefit of their hard work and maybe don't keep it in the front of my mind enough. Shame on me. But at the same time I see on a day to day bases what the mental part of the martial arts do, have done in my children and people who attend our school. The huge changes that can transform a person . I am living proof of this.
So Sifu Prince forgive an older aging women for a reaction to maybe something I put in between the lines and talk to me again in thirty years and see how you might feel then about your training.

Linda Shipalesky Silent River Kung Fu Stony Plain Alberta Canada

Walk a mile in my shoes.

A few weeks ago I came into the change room and was overwhelmed by a feeling of frustration and sorrow. There was no one in there that I haven't seen a hundred times before. I started to change and caught a small wimpier out of the corner of the room. I turned and really had a good look around. A small fragile girl was curled up in the corner trying desperately to hide her emotions. Like I said I have seen her lots of times around the school , her mother is a fellow black belt. I felt a little reluctant to approach her. She is a little shy and doesn't seem to want a lot of attention. I asked her if she was all right. Was she hurt? I had noticed as I came through the school that the class on the mats were sparring. She slowly looked up and her hair feel away from her face. When I finally looked into her eyes the pain and sorrow I seen there floored me. What could have put so much struggle into such a young heart? The mother in me wanted to pull her into my arms and comfort her but I sensed she would not welcome this gesture. The warrior in me wanted to go and kick the @#!* out of whoever was torturing this child. She struggled to pull herself together and managed to speak past the lump in her throat . She said she was not hurt and really didn't like sparring but knew she had to do it. I gave her an encouraging smile and told her I would explain to the instructor that she couldn't return to class. She hesitated a moment and I could see her dig deep and shake off her fear. She got up nodded her head no and returned to class. I finished changing and went out to watch the end of her class. She bowed out with tears running down her cheeks. Now I know there are things in this world, Lessons to be learned by us and our children that will only make us stronger. As a mother I have had to use methods to get my own children past fears I know that they have to deal with in order to make them into strong adults. But at that moment I would have done anything to lighten the load of that child. To make her smile free and easy of the harsh things in the world that we all must live with and overcome. She humbled me. I think of my own petty fears and realized how self centered I become within myself in the face of my own fears. If this young girl could march on then so can I. Walk a mile in someone shoes and then you know how good you have it.

Linda Shipalesky
Silent River Kung Fu Stony Plain Alberta Canada

Number one rule "DON"T PANIC"

Well I'm back from holidays and how did the snorkeling go you ask. The setting couldn't have been better, 38 degrees c. a light ocean breeze and endless ocean to explore. My older kids were diving (scuba) and my husband myself and our six year old were going to snorkel, a perfect combination I thought. Every one gets to do something new and exciting.We all got into the water and everything was going as planned until Lacey put her face into the water. One look at all those fish, close enough to touch her and she tried to climb out the water through any means available to her. I tried to calm her down but after ten minutes realized she was beyond reason. We got out of the water. I held her in my arms until she came back to her senses and put the snorkeling off for another trip.
I can't help relate this back to my own training. I have over 12 years of training in the martial arts and have never had to use it in any physical way. The first few years of training I use to dream about getting into a fight and not remembering what I had to do, or having no power to engage in the brawl. Lacey's panic sparked a familiar doubt in the back of my mind. The mindless reaction, the way you loss the ability to think, or to reason your way through the situation.I know the number one rule in the Martial arts is "don't panic" God, I hope this is not easier said than done. I also strongly wise I never have to find out.
Linda Shipalesky
Silent River Kung Fu Stony Plain Alberta Canada