Adult Student’s Corner
by Sifu D’Arcy
Fu For You Spring 2025
Before you continue reading this article, I’d like you to take a moment and think about something for a minute. Using some of those wonderful mental, self-reflective skills I hope you have been developing, I want you to compare yourself to the other students in the school. Think about how your skills and knowledge lineup in comparison: same rank, higher rank, lower rank. Be honest with yourself; how do you feel you stack up? If you’re like me, you might place yourself somewhere around average, or even below average, and I will say I don’t find that to be a bad thing! It shows an understanding that you can always improve, and even provides incentives to do so. So now you might ask why I had you undertake this exercise, one with the intention of pitting your perceived talent and skills versus that of others, something that I normally wouldn’t do. Well, here’s the point: in a room full of martial artists, you may see yourself as average, but what happens when you are in a different room? Are you still average?
According to a Canadian General Social Survey only 1.2% of the Canadian population participates in some form of martial arts. So outside of a room full of martial artists (in our academy, or at a tournament) you are well and truly above average with regards to Martial Arts skills and knowledge. There is a community structure at WKFA which often leads to strong friendships throughout the student body, which extends beyond the walls of the Kwoon. This leads to a bias in your thinking that a larger portion of the population actually practice some form of martial art. The reality? Your training makes you exceptional, from your very first class throughout your training. It’s important to remember that by nature of your training at all, you are in a special part of the population, the top 1.2% of Canadians who train in martial arts. Good for you!
Finally, I have one more thing for you to consider: If you ever feel that you are the best; most skilled; smartest person in the room, you might be in the wrong room. This mentality can only lead to stagnation in the sense that you may feel you have no need to continue growing. Part of growth is always pushing yourself to the next level, which means putting yourself out there. What does this mean at the academy? Attend the higher level classes; experience learning from different instructors; spar the advanced students.
There are two things to take away from this article, and while on the surface they may seem at odds with each other, try to hold onto them. Firstly, you are already exceptional in comparison to the average individual. By training in martial arts you are part of a unique percentage of the population. Secondly, always make sure you never see yourself as the “best person” in the room. It’s a delicate line to walk, but it’s one that will keep you on a healthy path in Kung Fu.