Who hasn’t watched a kung fu or martial arts fighting film and thought “I wish I could do that and fight like that.”

Well you will be able to do that eventually if you put in the dojo time and the martial arts training. You may not be floating around on tree tops in your kung fu shoes or sliding down walls in billowing pyjamas – I haven’t found a sifu for that yet, if I do I will let you know – but you can become a powerful example of discipline and fighting technique.

I used to love watching Bruce Lee as a kid and I bought all his movies as well as posters, books and even nunchuks! I still can’t use those but that’s ok. I soaked up martial arts movies and they helped inspire me in my pursuit of kung fu practice. It is good to have role models to aspire to and emulate.

Everyone following their dream needs to be able to see the people who have been there before them as examples of what can be achieved through training. Hopefully, the teachers we find in our classes will be our first “examples” and their commitment to passing down their skills will motivate us and help us on our martial arts training.

Seeing such skill in action whether in your class environment or through films and movies or demonstrations really helps to maintain that excitement and energy around our art. Nothing creates that drive for excellence as much as seeing the flowing movements and techniques of a master in action.

Without teachers and sifus we can still continue to learn Kung fu or whatever style we are interested in but we will be like ships at sea without a compass, we may get there eventually but we my make many detours and go many miles out of our way.