Kung Fu, or rather Gong Fu (Mainland China), I learned, meaning “with effort”, or something close to “work” (gong) and “time” (Fu). It applies to a skill or anything, that is carefully and mindfully acquired and exercised over time to the best of one’s abilities. It requires patience, introspection, discipline, thoughtfulness and concentration, and attention….

It is rather a wide umbrella-term for a holistic worldview than just a wide term for different mixed martial art types as we rather know it in the West. This is the first thing I learned about Gong Fu. If it was interesting to me before, the philosophy of Yin and Yang, the 5 Element theory and 8 Trigrams, Feng Shui and Chinese Traditional Medicine became even more interesting after the introduction by Master Zhou at the Tianmeng Shaolin Kung Fu Academy in Shandong Province, China.

This holistic view on life and the world circles around many related subjects, not only styles of Martial Arts - Health, Culture, Philosophy and Education are, in Mainland China Gong Fu, equally important. In the context of Martial Arts - may it be more meditative internal styles like Qi Gong, or physically intensive and external styles like Sanda -to gain a good understanding of Gong Fu Martial Arts and become a good Martial Arts practitioner, it was explained to me, these other subjects cannot be excluded. This would be like trying to command a horse without understanding the animal itself.

I haven’t even pinched the iceberg here when it comes to knowing much about traditional Chinese culture and Martial Arts, but after my 4 weeks' visit here, I certainly got a taste for it. I didn’t know much of anything when it came to Martial Arts when I got here either. I just needed something new or other than what I had been doing for the last 30 years.

Apart from Mei Hua Quan relayed to me by Master Zhou, thanks to Wang-Shifu I got drilled in the basics and body mechanics, Tai Chi Quan, and a couple of Shaolin forms. It involved not only physical training and fitness. It involved just as much (or more) …patience, introspection, discipline, thoughtfulness, concentration, and attention…and was very rewarding, physically as well as mentally. With this came a sense of completion. If I didn’t see the forest before because of the trees, Gong Fu to me makes more sense now.

With more understanding of the whole concept my perception of Martial Arts has changed from what one perhaps typically expects (which is to focus on the external) to also include focus on the internal. So, Gong Fu goes beyond Martial Arts. It is a holistic approach to mental as well as physical fitness and well-being.

Thanks also Emily for all your help, and Master Lu (who gave me the calligraphy drawing and the Book about speech) as well as the other Master Li who gave me the other book about How to heal with Qi Gong.

It was a memorable visit. It was lovely to live simply for a while. I’ll be back!