Youth Student’s Corner
by Chantal Moylan
Fu For You Fall 2025
Fall is almost here and it is a season of changes! The weather gets cooler, the days get shorter and the trees turn bright colours like red, yellow and orange before the leaves finally drift to the ground. If you’ve ever stopped to watch a leaf fall, you know it doesn’t just drop straight down, it sways and floats until it lands gently. Surprisingly, there’s a lot we can learn from that leaf in our Kung Fu training.
Think of our Kung Fu Dragon riding the wind, just like a falling leaf. A leaf falls gently, floating and spinning through the air without smashing into things. The Dragon does the same, moving carefully and fluidly, not crashing down. It teaches us to be calm, gentle and strong – all at the same time.
When we first start Kung Fu, one of the more important things we learn is how to improve our balance. Think about when you’re practicing a kick or a crane stance. If your balance wobbles, you might feel like you’re about to tip over. But just like that leaf drifting down, you can learn to stay steady, even when things around you are moving fast.
Leaves don’t crash to the ground; they fall with control. Kung Fu is all about that same idea, control is just as important as any other skill we learn. Anyone can throw a kick, but a good Kung Fu kick isn’t wild, it’s focused. You have to make sure you kick accurately and controlled, not sloppily and clumsily.
One drill that really helps me is practicing my kicks in slow motion. It definitely feels weird at first, but this helps your muscles learn how to control every part of the kick and makes you notice all the different parts. Try this: pick a favourite or challenging kick and do it as slowly as you can. Once you can control a kick slowly, doing it fast feels much easier.
Fall also shows us how important change can be. For example, the trees let go of their leaves so new ones can grow in the spring. In Kung Fu, we go through changes as well. We start with easier stances and techniques then eventually move up to more challenging things. We also change from one belt to the next. Sometimes change might feel challenging, but just like the trees, we can learn to embrace it.
Think back to when you first started training. Maybe now you can hold a horse stance longer, kick higher, or focus better. That’s progress! And it comes from accepting change just like the trees do. That’s the cool thing about Kung Fu—you’re always improving, even if it doesn’t happen overnight! Just like the trees, you let go of old habits and make room for new growth.
So next time you’re outside and see a leaf falling, don’t just ignore it. Watch how it moves: balanced, controlled, and ready for change. Then remember, you can train just like that!
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Submit your completed activity sheet by September 30th!