It’s been some time since I last wrote, partly because my letter j, ’, u, and semi-colon keys have stopped working. I spilled some water on the macbook, and they quit two days later. You truly don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Now I’m obliged to copy-paste every instance of those keystrokes, and it takes a ridiculous amount of time. The days keep piling up behind me though, and I had better write something.
Today is the third day I’ve actually trained with the master. He’s a strict but encouraging teacher. So far we’ve gone through several warm up exercises, 8 kicking exercises, a basic stance, the beginnings of the first form, and so, so many stretches— the master could probably move to America and open a business based solely on his stretches. It’s difficult to believe the man has bones. When he stretches, his legs form a crescent, with toes at the points and the butt in the middle. I am far behind him, but I almost touched my head to my knees today with his help (basically he squashed me). We also practice Chi Gung, perhaps most easily explained as a form of standing meditation, although that's not exactly what it is. Today we stood and practiced Chi Gung for what felt like eternity. My legs were dancing an involuntary sort of tap-step by the end. Turns out we were standing there for half an hour, but my eyes were closed so I couldn't tell.
The master is taking me out to find new shoes this Saturday. Both he and Master Sui inform me that my current shoes are all too big, and they’re not practical, or safe, to wear during training. The shoes must fit very snugly so one can bend every which way at the ankles, and spin during kicks, without fear of twisting something that ought not to be. This is a great favor to me since I can’t make solo excursions into the city yet.
Oh, this is awful. Lying here in bed, my legs are tingling so much I can hardly bear to move them. I’ve been going out to warm up about a half hour before the others, because my idea of warming up is considerably more gradual than theirs. Speaking of which, it’s one thirty, which means I ought to be getting on, I’ll be back to finish later.
You are experiencing first-hand what we all read about - in China, little kindergartners are plucked out of their homes to live in training camps for whatever they are thought to have potential in. The type of sacrifice and work ethic is not what we are accustomed to - as your poor muscles are finding out! It was also interesting to read your comment about the internet and you should be able to contact your family, right? Whenever you want? Took me back to the days of snail mail and running to the mailbox every day. No phones - long distance was too expensive. How things have changed. And how "western" our outlooks are. My friend Michael complains of how tired he is of people excusing behavior by saying, "It's India." And I remind him it IS India where he's living! I think what you are doing is terrific, courageous, and will be a major influence on the rest of your life. Stick with it. Can't wait till you write more.
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