Mimi Chan poses with kung fu fan

Why women should practice kung fu: my real life application

I have been asked about teaching a ‘women’s self defense’ seminar over the years, and I always decline because in all honesty, I don’t ever feel like I am a true authority on the subject.  Yes, I have done kung fu my entire life.  Yes, I have done sparring class.  Yes, I have been taught self defense.  However, I do not practice fighting on a daily basis or apply my kung fu in a combat environment as often as I would like to.  I never like to pretend I am an expert in something I am not, so I usually shy away from the request for a women’s self defense class.

The main focus of my martial arts training has always been its expression as an art form, preserving the cultural tradition, health, philosophy and self defense application.  I always hated the question “Have you ever used kung fu in a fight?” because as a traditional practitioner, my goal was always to avoid a fight.  Learning to deflect and avoid confrontation is kung fu to me.  I know some people may scoff at this and say “yea, but if you were attacked those things aren’t important.”  They would argue that knowing how to physically fight and defend yourself is the most important thing.  I disagree.  I do agree at the end of the day, a woman should be able to defend herself physically, and have the tools to harm an attacker.  However, I am also realistic in the fact that an average female is at a disadvantage to a male in size, weight, and strength.  Don’t get me wrong …  I am all about girl power, and anything he can do I can do better… but nature can’t be overlooked.

Do I think I could defend myself against someone within my weight, size, and skill level?  Yes.  Do I think I could fight off a couple 6′ 3″ 250 lb guys attacking me?  I certainly would put up a good fight, but probably not.  Furthermore, if my attacker had a fire arm or other weapon, I would certainly be at a disadvantage.  This is not a kung fu movie.  However, I liked to believe that my kung fu training has taught me to have heightened awareness of my surroundings, ability to detect potential danger, and the ability to react quickly in a stressful environment.  I know many are scoffing at these ideas as well.

I unfortunately finally had a live test of this theory.   This past week, I was sleeping in my room and heard a loud noise that woke me up.  I thought it was O in the kitchen and remembered that I wanted to remind him to take some boxes to the Temple.  So I left the bedroom and went down the hall to find a man in a hooded sweatshirt running through my house.  When he turned his face, I saw that he had a full face mask on and at that moment I knew it was not O.  In reflection, I believe that my adrenals kicked in and I went into offensive mode.  It was fight-or-flight and my instinct was to fight.  I changed my stance (albeit I was in my fluffy bathrobe, and was probably the least threatening I have ever looked), started yelling at him to get out, and advanced forward.  He ran away from me, slammed the sliding glass door onto the ground, and ran out the back. I then proceeded to barricade myself in the room closest to the street and dialed 911.  The police arrived within 5 minutes, but were on the opposite side of the street.  I had to direct them to the correct house, asked them to come in, and clear the home because I did not know how many people were in the home or if he had returned with a weapon.  Even under the duress, I was able to give concise directions, describe the thief, and felt confident in the interaction we had.  I did not pursue him out the door because I did not know what was waiting around the corner, and knew he must have had some tool or weapon to break the glass.  I was not trying to be a hero in this scenario, which I truly believe was the smartest choice I could have made. When people asked if I ‘would have’ used kung fu on him, I tell them I did use kung fu.  I didn’t have to fight, but I was defensive when I needed to be, and offensive when I needed to be.  I held a confident posture, I yelled loudly and pointedly (enough to make him run in the opposite direction of the woman he outweighed and was larger than).  I secured myself in a safe room and called for help.  I gave clear directions when I saw the police was at the wrong house.  I was able to tell them what direction he headed, what he was wearing, and general details about his appearance.  In this stressful situation, I did not freeze, I did not get emotional, and as a result, I am alive.  I attribute this to my kung fu training.  So have I ever used kung fu in a fight?  Yes.

To hear more about this, subscribe to my podcast as I will be discussing it on there soon.  I HAVE ALSO MOVED THE BLOG TO: www.sifumimichan.com

Birthdays!

Even though we don’t get a true Autumn here… it always feels like the leaves are falling on me!  October 12th is my father’s birthday, October 31st is my mom’s birthday, and November 2 is the anniversary of the temple.  This is a busy time for me! I always get overwhelmed and am worried about what to do for the celebrations, not sure what gifts to get for my parents… and I usually start planning about a year away.  So last year, I already knew that this year we would be celebrating my dad’s birthday in England, and my mom would be having a huge bash for her 70th milestone!  This means I had to do something ‘low key’ for the 37th anniversary of the Temple.  By low keyI mean having something with only about 100 people… this is low key!  We are having a lecture, book signing, and ‘Celebration of Food’ at the Temple tomorrow.  I’m excited. I have been talking about this ‘Celebration of Food’ idea on my podcasts, and feel that it is just what the doctor ordered.  I’ve been frustrated at the divisiveness of this country lately.  Especially since I just returned from visiting the hallowed grounds

Normandy American Cemetery
Normandy American Cemetery

of the D-Day beaches, Normandy American Cemetery, and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.  I was so proud to be American as I walked through these places thinking about what our country was fighting for, and the sacrifices that were made.  I feel that we have  become so angry with one another now that we forget how alike we are.  I truly believe everyone has something in common.  Yes, we are all human, yes we all breathe air, etc. but the one real commonality that I see people unite over is food.  More often than not, we as humans don’t just eat to live, we live to eat!  My wishful thinking is that if the world could participate in a huge potluck and respect each others’ culture through the sharing of food, then we could all be friends.   Hopeful? Naive? Maybe.  However, I can still dream and partake of all the delicious meals people will be bringing tomorrow.  I promise to share some photos after the event on our Facebook page.

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Grand Opening in Germany

The other major stress this weekend has been the 100 guest list formal birthday party that I’m planning at my parents house.  I’ve gutted the interior and transformed it into a ballroom.  Linens, centerpieces, champagne welcome, and a buffet station with a 10 course meal lies ahead. (as if we wouldn’t have eaten enough that day)  Some people have said I am crazy to have 2 main events in 1 day.  They would be right. (However… I have done this many times before… holding a tournament and a huge stage production the same day anyone?)  I like to pride myself in my logistical prowess, and my strong event planning skills… while both events will be incredible, I am feeling the effects.  We just returned from the Grand Opening of Wah Lum of Germany less than 2 weeks ago, had a big Parent Day Show for the kids class right when we got back, and then jumped into planning for all the events this weekend… I’m stressed.  I admit that I can’t handle it as well as I did in my extreme youth.  I’m grumpy, I’m tired, and I’m frustrated!  My parents and I have different planning methods, that often clash and I have had to make adjustments over the years.  As I get older, I get more stubborn…and I think it’s safe to say the same goes for them!  It can be a nightmare to try to work it all out, but in the end I remember one of the most important things in life is gratitude, and it leaves me with these questions:

How lucky am I that I have parents that are around with soooo much energy to drive me bananas?

How lucky am I to have the opportunity to throw a 70th birthday party for my mom and celebrate the 37th anniversary of the Wah Lum Temple all on the same day?

Pretty darn lucky.

 

 

 

Juggling

Nope. I can’t juggle. I actually can barely catch a ball. However, I do juggle tasks and priorities all the time. Same goes for my personal training, unfortunately sometimes it has to take second or even third place in line of what needs to get done.

When the Sifu Test was approaching, I was in kung fu mode 24/7.  I even visualized my forms before sleeping!  Not that I don’t practice my kung fu consistently, but as I have mentioned in previous posts, my year is scheduled out according to my work schedule, and I go from there. This weekend, O is at a 4 day fitness summit learning a bunch of fun fitness things. So for these few days, the priority is taking care of his fitness clients and coaching his classes.  At the same time, I also have to make sure that the kung fu and tai chi classes are covered, as we also have most of our instructors out of town on vacation. This is actually pretty easy, because it was scheduled a while ago.  The tough part is when a wrench is thrown in my perfectly planned schedule.  This is what often happens with my personal training and wellness habits.  I admit there are times when I have run myself so ragged, it was a detriment to my health! I do not recommend this.  When someone tells me they have kids or too much work that prevents them from eating right or working out, I always ask: What is it they always say on the plane? (What? No one listens to the safety talk right?) Well I do, and they say: Put your oxygen mask on before assisting others! This is so true. How can I expect to help my family, cook for O, teach my students, and get work done if I am not taking care of myself?  I am basically writing this out to remind myself that it is important to eat, sleep, work out, relax, and enjoy life. So how do I do it?  Juggling!  I basically make sure that the priorities are always being rotated. (It’s the only juggling I think I’ll ever be able to do)

In tai chi we teach the philosophy of the yin and yang, the balance to life. single whipI try to follow this principle with every little thing. If I am on the computer too much, I set a timer to walk away and get off the screen. If I am eating too many delicious foods, I make sure that I am working it off at kung fu, walking extra on vacation, or making better choices the next day.  If I am feeling guilty from eating delicious foods, I remind myself that it is ok, and reiterate to myself that I can enjoy it… and feel good about it. I am sure you will notice by now that I talk about food and eating a lot.  Good food brings me joy!   So think about what brings you joy, accept it, be thankful for it, and then keep on juggling.

The kids are all grown up!

When people ask me how long I have been teaching, and I say over 25 years, I often get a confused look.  Perhaps because I look so young! ha.  I wish!

I often think about age and experience and realize those two numbers represent entirely different things.  Just because someone is ‘older’, doesn’t make them more experienced in things they haven’t practiced.  Just because someone is ‘younger’, doesn’t mean they don’t have experience.  Reading those lines back is confusing, but basically… you know, the old saying: don’t judge a book by its cover!

I have the perfect story for this that dates back to… oh maybe 18+ years ago.  I was attending the Yee’s Hung Ga tournament in New York, and had brought my students with me.  My friend was a male Sifu from Yee’s and we went to meet an uncle of one of my students.  When we arrived, the uncle immediately ran over to my friend and shook his hand exclaiming how happy he was to meet his nephew’s Sifu.  Embarrassed, my friend said, “No, no, I’m not his Sifu, she is his Sifu.”  The uncle did a double take, because as you can imagine this was about 18 years ago, so I looked even younger (lament), and I was a she, not a he!

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2017 Test Weekend – Lady Sifus
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2008 Test Weekend – Lady Sifus

 

 

I always laugh at these situations, and don’t get too offended, because this is the stereotype I have dealt with my whole life.  I am really proud that in the Wah Lum system there are several female Sifus and a good number of female kung fu practitioners.  My father is always really proud of this fact as well. *Girl power!*

Post instructor certification weekend, I’ve been doing a lot of ‘thinking about the old days’.  Perhaps this is because I had 2 students from my earlier demo teams testing together this year. (Matthew Martin of Wah Lum of Raleigh and Hiep Dang of Wah Lum of Portland)  It was a double take for me to watch them both testing together after all these years.  This was Matt’s 3rd test and Hiep’s 1st test.  I cannot believe how quickly time goes by.  On top of it all, they were fight partners and teammates for a long time.  I never imagined they would both be testing to become a Sifu and that they would even produce students of their own one day.  As I don’t have biological children, I imagine this is what a parent feels like when their kids are all grown up!  I’ve been through so much with these guys, been to their weddings, been through hard times… and now they have decided to follow the path of becoming a Sifu.  They have chosen to propagate and share Wah Lum with others.  I am proud.

I am really proud of the growth of the entire Orlando branch of the Wah Lum tree, the students that have studied with Sifu Tu Truong and I at the Temple.  Antonio Guerrerio of Wah Lum of Brasil, who has been traveling back and forth to the Temple for the past 20 years.  Torsten Landau of Wah Lum Germany, who has been spending his summer training with us for the past 9 years. Last but certainly not least, Oscar Agramonte, my husband who has taken the word partner to another level with being not only my husband, but my partner in Wah Lum.  (not an easy task)

I look forward to watching them grow as instructors and meeting their students. I look at all the members of the Wah Lum family and am overwhelmed by the growth of this tree with so many branches.  All from the seed that my father planted.  He took the teachings of his Master and brought it to the USA to share with the world.   I like to remind my students that they are part of something so much bigger than just the classroom they are standing in.  Somewhere in the world there are others lining up to ‘bisan‘ and start their kung fu class just as they are.  How cool is that?

Torsten, Matt, Hiep, Antonio
Torsten, Matt, Hiep, Antonio

 

 

Test Prep

Every 3 years all Wah Lum instructors take the Sifu test, even if they have previously certified.  Why?  Standards.  In order to maintain the highest standards and quality of instruction, we are all required to test in front of Grandmaster Chan and our peers.  Yes, even I have to test!  This weekend, my kung fu brothers and I will be testing in front of Grandmaster Chan to ensure that we are teaching in accordance with the high standard of the Wah Lum System.  In 1 week, all of the instructors from around the world will be coming to the Temple and will be doing the same.  Some instructors will be testing for the first time, while for others it may be there 10th test!  For those of you who are good at math, that is at least 30 years in the system as a Sifu!  Why would we require someone who has been in the system for 30 years to test?  Standards.

Personally, I enjoy the test experience and use it to hold myself accountable.  I speak to my kung fu brothers often, and believe we all feel the same.  There is no pressure from Grandmaster Chan, but rather for us to hold ourselves accountable, to continue learning, and to be a student first.  Each instructor who intends to certify writes Grandmaster Chan a letter of intent.  In my letter, I outlined the reasons I intend to test.  Beyond being certified to teach, I strive to constantly learn and improve.  It keeps me humbled, helps me be a better teacher, and reminds me that I am a student first.  As many school owners will tell you, it is a treat to be a student again.  As a Sifu, you spend most of your time attending to your students needs, and our own training becomes second priority.  Although being a teacher is fulfilling in so many ways, it is important for me to continuously learn and be challenged.  Believe me,  the Sifu test is a challenge.  The test lasts 3 full days, and covers everything in the Wah Lum System.  We test forms, weapons, self defense, applications, philosophy, and teaching methods.  It is also like a family reunion for us, and a wonderful weekend of camaraderie.  I truly look forward to it every 3 years, and wish we could do it more often.  Wah Lum is one of the few kung fu systems that has instructor certification every three years, and I feel we are stronger for it.  Those that do not renew their certification are no longer licensed or sanctioned to teach Wah Lum.  Why? Standards.  If an instructor does not maintain the Wah Lum standard, we do not feel they are qualified to continue representing the style.  Grandmaster Chan has set high standards, but I feel that we should strive to always improve.  (see full listing of qualified instructors here)

How does a Sifu prepare for a test?  The same way a student does.  Practice!  As the test is only every 3 years, we have 3 years to prepare.  I am not certain everyone uses the 3 years for test prep, but I can tell you that one year out, they have already begun preparing.  Many instructors start coming to the Temple for private training… and to get away from their students ;).  Since the instructors come to the Temple to do their reviews, that means the Sifu Tu and I always have to be ready.  Although we are ‘ready’ year round, we still value our own training time to

Sifu Seminar
Sifu Seminar

work on our personal training growth and goals.  We also teach a seminar during the test weekend.   Last year it was an honor for me to teach the seminar.  I taught an advanced form to the group (it has my signature move: the butterfly), and although it was a lot of fun, it was exhausting after three 12 hour days of kung fu!

It is challenging for me to get ‘my time’ being a student.  So I end up going on a 27 day trip to train! Sometimes it seems like literally leaving the country is the only way I am able to practice my kung fu.  I will leave my test prep training tips for a future Kung Fu POD episode, if anyone is interested let me know.  In the meantime, I have to go prep for my test.  Wish me luck!

 

 

The Butterfly, the Hurricane, and the Cow Hands

Sifu Antonio’s wife, Suelen told me that the students requested that for the grand opening show in Brazil, I do at least 1 butterfly kick.  It seems to be my signature move.  It makes me laugh because the very few films I have worked on always involve this movement. Mulan, Mortal Kombat Conquest, etc.

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Growing up I always called the butterfly kick the hurricane kick.  Why? My father called it hurricane, so it was the hurricane kick.  Fast forward to when I was 16 and trying to learn Cantonese.  I started dissecting words and expanding my vocabulary.  The Chinese for the movement I was so famous for was Wu-dip-tui, which translates to… Butterfly kick.  What!?! For 16 years of my life I called it hurricane and now it’s a butterfly?  I was so frustrated!  Why would my father call it hurricane?  I am not sure really, but the tornado kick in Chinese is a jumping crescent kick, so I am guessing he confused tornado, hurricane, and then the whole thing got jumbled.  Either way, it was crazy to have that discovery after so many years.  I also have an affinity for the butterfly kick, because it was a move I absolutely could NOT do.  I could do gymnastic aerials before I could do the butterfly kick.  So what did I do?  I practiced and did thousands of them.  Maybe 10,000 (DYK: 10,000 is the number of hours for mastery according to Malcolm Galdwell, but before that book came out the number of days for mastery according to the Wah Lum Handbook states… you guessed it, 10,000!)

That’s my short story…

Oh, wait. Cow hands.  You are probably wondering why I have cow hands in my title.  My mom is the chief tai chi instructor at the Temple. She is a master of tai chi and has been studying extensively for decades.  Around the same time of my butterfly epiphany, she also had one of her own.  She would teach the students cow hands, because that is what my father taught her.  One day she decided to print out all of the moves of the form for everyone and translated the Chinese.  The Chinese translation for our ‘cow hands’ was actually cloud hands!  My father had been pronouncing it cow hands, but meant cloud hands.  Ah, communication.  So much fun! I can only imagine how many things have been lost in translation, or pronunciation through the years.

Oh, wait, wait.  Did anyone get my title comparison?  Hint: any C.S. Lewis fans out there?

Kung Fu at Sea

Kung fu at sea is challenging. Even though we are on a relatively large ship, the movement of the ship can be felt while walking, sleeping, and most notably while training. I have always loved the sound of the ocean. It is calming to me. When we are on cruises, we usually get up in the morning to work out on deck. The sound of the ocean, the img_2351endless horizon, and the fresh air make a nice training environment. I’m a pretty private person, so I dislike the gawkers that pass by and watch or even try to take photos like we are an exhibit. I ‘politely’ let them know that it is impolite to do so, and then we resume our training.

One of the biggest physical challenges at sea is doing bai fut sow. img_2357
Holding your horse stance and rooting while the ship is moving is a special challenge, but it is fun. O and I mostly get laughed at by my father, who is often on the sidelines stretching or jumping into 360 img_2295
sweeps as his ‘warm up’. It may seem odd that I get some of my best kung fu training in when I am not at the Temple, but there are no distractions here…. No phone calls to take, no one to ask questions about the ‘karate’ we teach, or even those that still think we are a Chinese restaurant.

We used to bring our weapons on board, before all the strict security measures. Now we aren’t allowed to bring our swords with us, but we img_2341did smuggle in a fan and a retractable stick. Since the Sifu test is around the corner, we are using these few weeks to prep for the test while there are no distractions. The Sifu test is always a stressful time for all of the Sifus in the system. Every 3 years it is mandatory for all the instructors to re-certify. It is an extraordinary weekend of kung fu, fellowship, and fun. I enjoy getting together to brainstorm and share ideas, but mainly it is a family reunion. Since most of us live far away we don’t stay in touch as often as we like, and the test is the perfect opportunity to catch up. This year the test is the largest in history. I’ve been preparing the schedules, seminars, and test format while I’ve been away. It’s funny to be on ‘vacation’, but working as much as I do at home. I have to admit, I’ve gotten more kung fu training done in the last week than the last month! So I guess in order for me to get more training in, I will need to go on more 27 day trips 😉

Any suggestions where I should go next?

Performance Training

I spoke with Sifu Antonio a couple of weeks ago, and he told me how excited his students were for the Wah Lum of Brazil Grand Opening.  It was a special treat for them that Grandmaster Chan and other Wah Lum Sifus were attending.  He was wondering what we would be performing at the show, and I confessed that because of Chinese New Year, we had not planned out our performance.  As much as I loved performing growing up, I am actually fine if I do not perform these days.  I can’t pinpoint exactly why I don’t often feel motivated to perform, but part of it is that I enjoy seeing the next generation step up.  I am excited to see what the youth and newer generations put together creatively and how they execute their forms.  Throughout the CNY celebrations I sometimes considered performing if we were short on help, but then I would see the kids really flourish and push themselves to the limit. (we call it CNY pride)  So, I opted not to perform during CNY.  I learn a lot from observing and it helps me become a better teacher.

Of course it will be an honor to perform at the Grand Opening in Brazil on behalf of the

Sifu Tu with the double edge sword
Sifu Tu with the double edge sword

Temple and to be a part of this great celebration.  Sifu Tu will be doing his famous double edge sword, Sifu Oscar a mantis form, and I still hadn’t decided what to do. I will also begrudgingly admit that I often don’t decide what I am doing until I am on stage!  Improvisation is a big part of my repertoire.  Good or bad, it definitely keeps me on my toes.

Do I recommend this route?  Certainly not!  My method for training students is to drill and drill and drill their performance routines until it is engrained in their brain. It may seem odd that I do not want them to do as I do, just do as I say!  I worry that makes me a hypocritical teacher, but then I realize I had to create my own system for performance training.  Although my father was always there to guide me, I had to do the majority of my performance training on my own.   I had to drill and drill and drill until I got it right. I was also fortunate that we had a lot of live shows to gain experience. I’ve spent entire summers performing kung fu shows daily at theme parks. Not many other martial artists have had this experience. Ultimately another reason I have a flare for the dramatic, is I take after my teacher, Grandmaster Pui Chan. No one performs like he does! I have seen masters through the decades from all over the world, and while many have incredible kung fu, none of them have the showmanship like my father. Even the other masters always comment on his performances. In addition, he is always performing. On the streets in Brazil, or on the cruise; he starts talking to anyone who fish-pondshows interest, and immediately he is on stage. If they are lucky he does some kung fu moves for them too. Through these experiences, I learned the art of performing, and
not just the art of kung fu.  They really are 2 different animals!  (I never had animals growing up, except for the fish at the Temple, but they hardly count as pets right?)

 

My students are fortunate that I developed a system for producing entertaining shows.  I don’t often compliment myself, but I do believe I can put on an exciting show.  Instead of having to discover these techniques on their own, I am there to guide them and essentially give them short cuts.  Some might say it isn’t good for them, and that they should discover things on their own, but then I see them perform and realize they are much better performers at this stage of their training than I was.  In having to figure it out on my own, my progress was slow.  My hopes for my students are for them to surpass me by trillions and gazillions!  In order to do this, I combine my experiences to give them what I hope is the best system of training for their progress and growth.  Although I have been doing this a long time, I am still learning.  I am pleased that the crowd is always happy at our shows, and my goal is to always improve and challenge myself.

 

Watching the kung fu show in Rio de Janeiro that was led by Sifu Antonio was such an inspiration. I was thrilled the moment they stepped on stage. img_2316The music, the uniforms, and the performance resembled shows I have produced in the past. I was so happy to see that this has carried over all the way in Brazil! Sifu Antonio and his students captured the essence of my Wah Lum kung fu performance style, and it was excellently executed! Kudos to everyone who performed!

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It is such a unique thing to realize that all over the world, Wah Lum students are doing the same classes we are doing at the Temple, and now to see them perform the same, was a special moment for me. It makes me unbelievably proud, and it was pleasure to share the stage with my Wah Lum of Brazil family. Congrats again to Sifu Antonio on a successful grand opening and for all of the hard work these past 20 years to make the school what it is today.

My Exercise for the day

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Shout out to my Canadian cousins!

One of the earliest memories I have of getting on a plane was when I was going to Toronto to visit my family as a young child.  I think it was on Eastern airlines. Anyone remember them?  I believe the flight was delayed, it was a long drawn out day, and I was really tired.  Thank goodness for modern day travel; where flights are always on time, the seats are comfortable, and the food is fantastic.  Right?  Not so much.  It’s kind of disappointing that we haven’t really made progress with travel in the comparison of going from the steam boat to flying.  I guess I’m asking for too much.  I am often guilty of asking for too much, but I feel like traveling is sometimes such a chore, it deters people from exploring the world.  Once you can get past the travel woes of TSA lines, luggage costs, and grumpy airport people, it is totally worth it.  Getting the TSA pre-check has helped immensely in eliminating long lines at the airport, and careful packing can curb being overweight and more importantly over packing.  I always seem to gravitate toward giving advice on organization and am stopping myself from doing so now (although, get these packing cubes, they are great!).  Ok, don’t worry, I am not going to get into the nitty gritty of packing in this post.

The reason I decided to write a post today was to share some of the thoughts running through my head as I pack and prep for my trip.  It would be easy to get caught up in the negative parts of traveling, and get grumpy about it, but that would be ridiculous.  It is ridiculous, because I should be nothing but appreciative for this unbelievable opportunity!  This is beyond a cup half full or half empty scenario.  It’s more like, I am lucky I even have a cup!  It’s ok to be a little grumpy about some of life’s inconveniences, but I try to use gratitude as my reminder to ‘kick me out’ of any grumpiness. I used to write in this 5 minute journal.  I finished it, and haven’t been diligent to get back into it, but I feel it is an exercise everyone can benefit from.  It’s a simple exercise, and you don’t have to buy the official journal to do it, any notebook will do.

  1. Write 3 things you are grateful for today.  It can be as simple as the sun is shining, or as meaningful as your health.
  2. What 3 things would make today great? Again, you can be as simple or as elaborate as you want.  There is no right or wrong.
  3. Daily affirmations. I am… (I am a tiger, climbing up a mountain… and why not?  Usually I write something like: I am healthy, happy, and will do my best to help others today.)
  4. At the end of the day, you write 3 amazing things that happened, and how could I have made today better? (I usually am patting myself on the back if I ate a good meal, got good sleep, or spent time with someone I care about.  How lucky am I? Every day in my life is amazing!)

It might take a little longer than 5 minutes, but I think it is a valuable exercise that helps me see beyond any of my excuses I make myself or petty inconveniences.  I believe gratitude can solve most of life’s problems.  Whenever I am feeling grumpy (more often than I like), I try to take a moment to think what I can be grateful for.  Today, I am grateful for all of you who are reading!  Thanks for supporting and taking a moment out of your day.  What do you do for daily exercise?

What’s Next?

Chinese New Year is almost over, so what is next on the Wah Lum calendar?  It turns out 2017 is quite a busy year.  I am a planner.  I like organization. I like to schedule in advance, because I get so busy throughout the year.  I’ve always been this way, even as a child.  My parents on the other hand… are very spontaneous.  My father is famous for saying, ‘OK, we go now!’.  (just ask anyone who’s been around for a day and they’ve probably seen him running around the Temple in fast forward)  Last year, I looked at the 2017 calendar and knew what to expect.

1st Quarter: CNY!

2nd Quarter: This year is the big Sifu Test, yes we Sifus also have to test! Wah Lum Sifus have to certify every 3 years to maintain the standard of the system.  More on this in the future.

3rd Quarter: This is usually tournament and training season for students.

4th Quarter: Temple anniversary events and holidays…AND I have my big trip to Antarctica planned from 3 years ago!  I’m psyched.

We also planned out events for 2018: Brazil and Germany Wah Lum Grand Openings and the next China trip.

However, late last year, my parents decided now is as good a time as any to have Brazil’s grand opening event, so we called Sifu Antonio in Rio de Janeiro and told him the ‘good news’.  Surprise! Would you like to have your grand opening in February?  Why the change? I told him that Sigung and Simu are adverse to flying now, but they found a cruise from Rio to Orlando, so you can have your event in February if you like.  Sounds good?  Sifu Antonio graciously accepted and was even excited that his grand opening was imminent, and started scrambling in fast forward.  So, the Chan family will be going on a 24 day retreat to study kung fu, vacation, and philosophize together in February.

This past January, my parents were discussing the European cruise they are going on in October.  They came up with the idea that since they will already be in Germany, why not have the grand opening for Germany then?  So I made a very similar phone call to Sifu Torsten that I made to Antonio.  Guess what? Surprise your grand opening might now be in October of 2017 if you agree…  Sifu Torsten graciously accepted and is now scrambling in fast forward too.

Fierce Lucy does the splits at CNY
Fierce Lucy does the splits at CNY

We sometimes call this the Wah Lum Way.  We plan, but ultimately, when my father says, “OK we go now!”  Well, we go now.  In Wah Lum, moving in fast forward is sometimes a requirement, and learning to be flexible is beyond just the physicality of doing the splits.

 

 

Who am I to complain?  I’m going to South America, Europe, and Antarctica all in one year!  2017 had a good plan, but now has an even better plan.  Being a part of the Wah Lum family means moving in fast forward and sometimes having to drop everything and  ‘go now’, but at least we know that we are going places.

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Lions and Firecrackers and Kung fu, Oh My!

We are almost  finished with the shows for Chinese New Year (CNY).  It’s hard to believe in 2 days we didcny over 30 performances.  I’m not sure why I am always surprised, because this has been our tradition… this is our culture.  I only know how to celebrate CNY one way: with lion dancing, kung fu shows, and firecrackers.  Lots of firecrackers.
When I was younger and the Temple would go out to perform, we had a lot less participants, which meant a lot more kung fu for the few of us that performed.  It didn’t matter.  We loved it.  As much of a ‘mysophobe’ as I am, CNY was one time I didn’t mind the germs or dirt.  Rolling in firecracker dust on the parking lot floor was expected.  Exciting even!  What is CNY without hearing the drums play over and over in your head before you go to sleep, or coming home and finding firecracker remnants in your hair?  No cuts or scrapes?  That just means you didn’t celebrate properly.
Ask any performer what the shower at the end of CNY day 1 is like, and they will all tell you the same story.  You watch the girlsdirt literally go down the drain, you feel the burn from scrapes you didn’t know you had, you feel amazing to be under the warm water, and could probably fall asleep right there in the shower.  That is the essence of CNY.  The lunar calendar marks the ‘new year’ for us, a new beginning.  We wash away the dirt and negativity from the past, recognize the hardships that will soon be in the past, we embrace the warmth of the new beginning, and we feel the challenges of being tired from hard work…  But then we get up and do it again.

This is me running into the lion tail this year!

I remember telling my students this year after the floor was wet from the rain, “you don’t need to split and roll on the ground.”  Sure enough, they get out there and did the split and rolled around on the ground.  At first I wondered why they are doing it, I just told them they didn’t need to do it!  Why are they getting all dirty?   Then I remember how I was at their age, and what I did as a young performer.  The excitement of the shows, the adrenalin, and the fun of just getting messy for CNY.  Why would I try to stop it?

It’s part of the tradition, part of the culture.

 

 

Photos: Courtesy Karl Simpson and Hao Nguyen

Good fruit comes to those who wait!

 

Today I did something I never do.  I went outside to pick starfruit from the tree outside of my house.  I do not consider myself to be overly girly, but I am not what one would consider an ‘outdoor’ person.  I have allergies, I don’t like insects, and mosquitos are attracted to me like honey to the bees.  I decided to make a fruit basket as a gift, and  I thought fresh starfruit from my tree would be a great addition.

When I went outside (ugh), I started using the nifty bamboo stick tool my father made to reach all the high starfruit.  I was suddenly reminded of the day the tree was planted.  When I was around 9 years old, my father rushed into the house, and told me to come outside to see the tree that would bear fresh starfruit.  He said, “You are going to be so happy, this tree will have a lot of fruit. You really likey.”  I quickly put my shoes on, as I was ready to eat some fruit!  (I loved fruit growing up, and still do)  I img_1539stepped outside and saw nothing except a little stick in the ground with some branches and a little leaf.  I said, “Where’s the fruit?”  He said excitedly, “In 10 years you are going to be really happy.  You 100% have a lot of fruit.”  I grumbled and went back in the house.  10 years?  How was I supposed to wait 10 years for a piece of fruit?  Why not go to the grocery store and get it NOW?  Why wait? I was an impatient child, and had much to learn.  10 years quickly passed, and I had forgotten about the tree. (again, not an outdoors person, so not once had I watered that tree)  The tree did bear fruit, and so much in fact, that we always had an abundance of starfruit almost year round. Fast forward 30 years later, and here I am gathering fruit from that same tree today.

My father wakes up before the sun rises and starts his day by going to the Wah Lum Temple to light incense to honor his ancestors.   After this ritual, he spends several hours nurturing his plants and tending to his fish.  This  is all a part of his routine, but it is much Control, patiencemore than just simple chores.  He is constantly planning for the future, planting seeds today, for the fruit for tomorrow.  My father, a true master, has the foresight to know how fruitful and abundant a tree can be with consistent care and hard work.   I do not have a green thumb, so I have a lot to learn before attempting to plant a new tree.  However, I will continue to nurture the trees that my father has planted, and I will continue the traditions he began.  I will also light incense to honor my ancestors, and I will try to practice hard work and patience (foh gee diu jin) every day during every task no matter how big or small.

 

DISCLAIMER:  I was waiting to ‘fix’ this post and improve it, but then I realized I would never post it if I waited for it to be ‘perfect’.   I do not consider myself to be a pro blogger or a distinguished writer.  I have some fond memories of my Wah Lum journey that I simply would like to share.  I came to the realization that I’ve been fortunate to lead an interesting (and unconventional) life to say the least, and I’ve been asked to share.  I consider myself to be a private person, but sharing positive energy when there is so much negativity feels right.  I hope you are at the very least entertained.  So I intend to share my stories either by blog, vlog, or podcast. (all coming soon)  Please follow, like, subscribe or whatever the term is!