I am frustrated with kung fu, or maybe with myself. Kung fu does not come very instinctively to me. Fighting class feels much more natural. I can punch punch punch as hard as I can, yes, fine, and go home exhausted and happy, but to stand there with my knees bent at that angle, just holding the stance, that hurts, and it doesn't feel like a position that anyone would want to be in, for any reason.
Plus, I'm in remedial kung fu. My knees hurt so badly that when the other students practice the forms the instructor calls me over to the side and gives me exercises to practice to strengthen the muscles around my knees, and between that and the fact that I just this week figured out how not to be delirious and blind with hunger by the end of kung fu when everyone is practicing the forms,* I don't know them at all. Not even the first form we were doing, and now we have partially moved on to a new one.
I am frustrated. I want to quit, sometimes, but my stubbornness kicks in, along with the knowledge that it's good for me and for my body to persist at this new, unfamiliar thing.
"Do you know how long it takes to earn a black belt?" my instructor asked me.
"No," I said.
"It takes five years, at least. [Co-owner] has been doing it for seven years, and she's a green belt. You should feel like it's not working, sometimes. That is when you are learning."
* Nature Valley Crunchy granola bars save my life again.
Plus, I'm in remedial kung fu. My knees hurt so badly that when the other students practice the forms the instructor calls me over to the side and gives me exercises to practice to strengthen the muscles around my knees, and between that and the fact that I just this week figured out how not to be delirious and blind with hunger by the end of kung fu when everyone is practicing the forms,* I don't know them at all. Not even the first form we were doing, and now we have partially moved on to a new one.
I am frustrated. I want to quit, sometimes, but my stubbornness kicks in, along with the knowledge that it's good for me and for my body to persist at this new, unfamiliar thing.
"Do you know how long it takes to earn a black belt?" my instructor asked me.
"No," I said.
"It takes five years, at least. [Co-owner] has been doing it for seven years, and she's a green belt. You should feel like it's not working, sometimes. That is when you are learning."
* Nature Valley Crunchy granola bars save my life again.
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