Sifu Jeremy Norris
Junior Student’s Corner
by Sifu Jeremy Norris
“Focus on the positive and not the negative.” It seems simple to say but is usually easier said than done. Looking into our current circumstances where we are constantly forced to change and adapt, focusing on the positive may seem impossible. Yet, there are ways that we can make the most out of what we are given.
We can look to our own Kung Fu community as an example, where there has been constant flow of new rules and changes that we must adapt to on a frequent basis. The way we train Kung Fu now is definitely different from how we were able to train at the start of the year. With this amount of change it easy to get caught up in the negative, but let’s examine some ways of how we can approach our current Kung Fu circumstances from a positive mindset.
First we’ve had the physical changes to our training space. We are now forced to stay within a box to train our Kung Fu. A negative mindset would be to only focus on the restrictions that this brings, but with a positive mindset we can look at the opportunities that this change provides us. Being restricted in our training space allows us to be more creative with our training than ever before! It forces us to come up with new ways to move within our forms and techniques, and it allows us to develop a better understanding of our movement as martial artists. The physical space we train in may have changed but the way we approach our training has not.
Another change we have faced are the limitations of working sparring and self-defense. Government regulations dictate that we cannot make physical contact with others. Although this hinders our ability to develop these skills it does not mean we have to stop training it all together. By looking at the opportunities this brings we can focus on developing our non-contact skills. We can work shadow boxing, ¾ stance drills, and go through our self-defense moves in the air to get a better understanding of movement and body control. Looking at the negative of this situation would be to eliminate training these skills at all, but by examining our opportunities we are able to develop and grow in a positive manner.
The most change comes from sources that are out of our control; when this happens, it is easy to get discouraged and negative, but we must look at the opportunities that each situation brings. I challenge you to not only view Kung Fu in this way, but to look at your everyday life the same as well. By doing this we can adapt into a better version of ourselves and be prepared for the day when we can return to our normal lives.