actually enjoy your practice

This video and article come from Gulun Kung Fu Online, which includes an eight-part series on the attitude that helps transform exercise from simple exercise into a gateway to self-mastery.

Many focus on the movements themselves, but the attitude you bring to practice—and by extension, life—matters far more than any technique.

流畅 Liu Chang – Flow

"先苦后甜 (xian ku, hou tian)"
First bitter, later sweet.
— Shifu Wu Nanfang

Contrary to the expression I see on most people's faces when they start practicing, you're actually supposed to be enjoying your practice.

Many people start practising kung fu and focus very intensely on getting it right. They look very serious and moves their arms like robots.

Not what we want.

One things I love about internal practice: The more you're having fun, the more you're smiling from the inside, the better your practice is.

Not like before when I played rugby, where the I used aggression and force, the better. Not with internal arts. You're supposed to be enjoying yourself.

I see Shifu Wu Nanfang every day and can feel this sunlight glowing from inside him. He's just happy for no reason at all. He practises Kung Fu with pure joy. He is a ball of sunshine.

He said to me just today: 先苦后甜 (xian ku hou tian) - first bitter, later sweet. Maybe when you start, you feel blockages in your body. But if you can persist, magic starts to trickle in.

The way of Tao is to harmonise ourselves with nature. When we are well-attuned, it feels like our body hums like a musical instrument. The more subtle the refinement of our Qi, the more exquisite this feeling is.

The Masters I've Observed

When I first met two Shaolin masters in particular, I observed something different. It seemed like in every moment, they were having a party from the inside.

I spend time with Shifu Wu Nanfang. First time I think, ah, you look very peaceful, happy, but maybe you're not like this every day. Ten months later, still yet to see an unhappy day where he is disturbed.

I speak with him about this. I say, these Western people tell me having big emotional swings is part of life, it's normal. He laughs: "Ha, ha, ha. No, no, no. It's very natural, very normal to feel peaceful and beautiful from the inside every day if you stop pursuing external pleasures."

The Shift in My Own Practice

So when you're practicing, please do have some fun. The moment my practice started to have a little flair was when I started to play.

At first I was too structured and mechanical, trying to execute a detailed training plan with no room for play.

I changed this around two years ago and suddenly I felt free. I let myself listen to music while practising. I started to play with different Qi qualities. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes powerful. I played with seeing how much variety I could enjoy in the movements while holding true to the core principles.

Your Practice This Week

What are the things you’re forbidding myself from doing which would be really fun? Go do one of those things, at least one this week.

When you practice this week, allow at least five minutes per day of unstructured time to play. Break the rules. Try different speeds. Listen to music. Don’t take it so seriously.

Life can be beautiful. Allow yourself this.