Mr. Miyagi's Tai Chi Training

Yesterday in Tai Chi class we had a special set of warm up exercises.  It definitely came as a surprise to all of us (especially our instructors).  George comes into our class as we are performing our warm-ups and says, “Everyone stop.  Instead of the normal warm-ups we are going outside and work on traditional Kung Fu warm-ups.  We are going to work on our Horse Stances.”  Immediately we are all suspicious.  When we arrive outside we find bales of pine straw stacked up at the end of the drive way.  Well, coming from a family of some pretty intense yard and gardening experiences, I knew what was going on immediately.  We have been brought outside to help spread the pine straw throughout the property.  Practicing Horse Stance did not last long once we started getting into it.  No one was expecting this so no one was really prepared for being covered in dirt and dust.  However, we did get a lot of practice at spreading the pine needles.  Especially when the group did a fantastic job of spreading the needles over the front area near the road only to find out that they didn’t need it there.  That area was reserved for wood chips.  This meant a collective effort of picking up the expertly laid pine needles and relocating them to the back.  I do have to give Sifu and George credit though.  They didn’t just sit back and supervise while the students toiled in the fields.  They were right there in it with us the whole way and you have to respect that.

The one thing about the Peaceful Dragon that sets itself apart from other Martial Arts studios is the focus on “fellowship”.  By engaging the students in the care and up keep of the facility, you permit the students to feel a sense of belonging to the environment.  It also draws out the people within the fellowship who desire to really commit themselves to the cause and who want to stand out from the others.  To tell you the truth, I like this type of engagement within a fellowship.  It allows me to feel like I am part of something greater and (ultimately) get a larger sense of worth out of my training. 

Now we all have busy lives and our demands on our time are wide spread.  However, to just doing little things like spreading pine needles for 20 minutes can provide the right amount of support to the overall fellowship, but not detract from other responsibilities that compete for your attention at the same time.  Now if I have to paint someone’s fence or wash and wax their car, I may re-think it.  For now, I’ll just sit back and enjoy the ride.  Maybe I’ll bring some gloves next time as well.