Sometimes it gets tough

Well it's been a busy month for Breakthrough so apologies for neglecting the blog. Like many Martial Artists out there I also work a full time job and the month of June is the biggest challenge for me in my "Other Life". Breakthough most recently has put San Shou into focus, the tough contact sport which is the basis of many Wu Shu tournaments. It is so much fun, but is at the end of the day a contact sport. Thats right, I choose to engage in fight sports it makes me happy despite my senescent body! I teach a lot of good students and a lot of good people. One of whom recently and sadly passed away in very tragic circumstances. Big D or Tenacious D will be missed but never forgotten. He had the ability to inject fun into proceedings and his presence in a room, and the efforts that he made,served as a shining example to all who took their ensuing steps into the Martial World. Big D's driven nature happily continues on within some of the other students. Yes they are all progressing and getting tougher and tougher to handle on the mats. A good instructor should spar with his students, surely a great instructor should get beaten by them? Then it means he has nothing more to give? I managed to get a good couple of black eyes from the last big fight sesh that we did. My father with excellent comic timing (and a pinch of salt) asked when next I saw him "So have you finally met your match?". One of my newest and youngest students asked how it had happened at the next class, when I told him he still failed to comprehend and incredulously blurted "how?"

We engage in life and in sport for various reasons. Nowhere near the top of the list is the "to get hurt" option but it does happen due to the nature of the respective beasts. I am surprised at peoples surprise in seeing bruises or scars. Pursue it and try it out, sometimes things don't go according to plan. I can continue pointing the way from my understanding none the less. As for Big D he will too. His role has changed but he is right there, in our hearts and in our laughter as he always was. Wherever he is now he still has something to teach us, his understanding however will be far more vast than mine. Take it easy till next time Derek. I'm sure you still owe me a scrap!!