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NJ & NY most experienced Kung-Fu instruction since 1982.
 Kung-Fu:
In Chinese, a general term for spiritual discipline. While many in the
West use the term to refer to a particular form of martial arts, the
word actually means any discipline that one undertakes as a vehicle for
spiritual development. Thus, besides martial arts, other arts such as
dancing, flower arranging, calligraphy or painting can be considered
one's "kung-fu."
Therefore, the other disciplines
offered on this site are all forms of Kung-Fu. QiGong, Tai-Chi and Feng
Shui are thought of as higher forms that primarily focus on meditation
and health. Kung-Fu animal forms, while also rely on meditation, focus
on self defense and fighting applications.
For a process to truly be Kung Fu, the following three elements must be present:
- Motivation
- Self-discipline
- Time
Motivation
is the basic driving force, and without it, Kung-Fu can never be
reached. It means both interest and the will to do something; a person
who is forced to do something is not truly motivated. A motivated
person, on the other hand, has interest in learning: they have a goal.
It
is important to note a difference between the various types of
motivation: a person can be motivated to do something, because if they
do not they will be punished. Money can also lead to motivation,
because you know that doing something will give you more money.
However, the motivation Kung-Fu comes from is an interest and an inner
desire to learn and develop, in which the goal in not an external gain,
like avoiding punishment or earning money, but an internal one with the
only reward being knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom. This
motivation can be inspired, but not controlled, by other people.
Self-discipline
is closely related to motivation, but refers to the effort and patience
required actually get something done, and to get past obstacles that
might appear on the way towards one's goal. While motivation is the
mental state of wanting to do something, discipline is required to put
motivation in action: a person might want to do something
very much, but lacks the required amount of discipline to get started.
Without this, motivation will lead to nothing.
It is
true that a competent instructor can assist a person by providing
discipline, helping that person to get past obstacles. This is good,
but will not last forever, and in the end, it is always up to the
individual to put their thoughts into action.
Time
is essential for finding one's motivation and self-discipline, and to
actually accomplish something by making use of them, but motivation and
self-discipline are also important to make a person willing to put time
into accomplishing their goal: to prioritize.
In later
stages, once motivation and discipline have become an integral part of
a person's life, it is important not to stop spending time on practice.
This is said to be a very important aspect of Kung-Fu: many ancient
Chinese philosophers and martial artists consider time the most
valuable commodity in a person's life, as time cannot be replaced. By
finding interest in and putting effort and time into every action, one
will make the best use of time and live a happy and productive life.
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