Back to the Beginning

Editorial

by Sibok Lloyd Fridenburg
Fu For You Fall 2024

A general theme for the fall newsletter seems to be motivation and routine, so be sure to read all the articles.

The beginning of September marks a return to what many see as our normal routine, and in many ways it is. Summer vacations have been relegated to memory, kids are back in school, workplaces are back to full staff, and we are back to our regular routine.

Routine can be both a blessing and a curse. Some people thrive on routine while others despise routine. In some cases, routine can be replaced by the word rut, and rut is synonymous with a lack of motivation. Have you ever thought of your Kung Fu training in terms of a rut? You attend class regularly, usually on the same days, with the same instructors, but something seems to be missing. You don’t get the same enjoyment out of training as you used to, even though nothing has really changed. Well, you’re not alone, it happens to all of us, students and instructors alike. How you react when it comes along is what really matters.

If your motivation has really taken a serious slide you may even be thinking about leaving to find another activity. That’s always a possibility, but don’t be too quick to make that decision. After all you decided to begin training in Kung Fu for a reason and perhaps it’s time to take a journey down memory lane to rediscover that old motivation.

I remember well my Yellow Sash essay where I was asked, why I started Kung Fu training, and why I chose WKFA? Like Sigung my answer to the first question was movies and TV, but unlike Sigung my motivation was the original Kung Fu TV series starring David Caradine and later Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee (I watched it at a theatre that no longer exists when it was first released in the early 70s). As a side note, Bruce Lee was to have starred in the Kung Fu TV series, but was deemed to be “too Chinese” by the producers.

The answer to the second question was simple, WKFA was right next door to where I worked at the time and offered noon classes. But I qualified my answer by referencing the reasons that I chose to stay, citing quality instruction and a welcoming inclusive, supportive, training environment. The same reasons that I have read in countless essays written by students over the years.

Whenever motivation declines go back and read your Yellow Sash essay and ask yourself if the answers to the questions are still valid. Remembering why you began something in the first place might help you apply those reasons to your current circumstances.
If the reasons are basically still valid but you are still lacking motivation, try watching some movies. Or switch up your training routine and expose yourself to different instructors. We are all unique in our teaching style and personalities, while adhering to a common approach of quality instruction and a welcoming inclusive, supportive, training environment.

Returning to the beginning may just be the spark you need to reignite your motivation.