According to various sources from the Internet and a man in the park I was standing with on that brisk morning, the Chen family is a very famous family from Chenjiagou, Henan province of China and noted for combing an ancient form of kung fu with Chinese medicine and other exercises of the fist (technical punching) and balance – both physical and mental. The genealogy of kung fu origins is a lot like reading the first chapter of Matthew – long and very confusing if you don’t have prior knowledge about the significance of the genealogical progression. So, for the purposes of the story I am about to share, we are talking about Chen family Wushu kung fu.
As my friend and I walked to the back of the park we noticed, amid all the tai chi, a group of people moving their bodies very precisely and very low to the ground. Every movement was smooth, planned but not over thought, occasionally interrupted by a harsh kick, punch, or jab. I watched in awe, realizing that for the first time I was seeing a real kung fu community in action. What was almost more amazing is the fact that not one of them is less than 50-years-old. I asked my friend what we should do and he insisted that we walk in there and tell them that I need a master to train me. I was intimidated to say the least and being Western minded, I simply assumed that there was some arduous process involved…at least, according to almost every kung fu movie I’ve ever seen, the particular master being sought for training must be convinced of their potential pupils interest and that can involve sitting at his door for days without food or water, taking an excessive amount of unnecessary blows to the stomach to prove that you’re willing to endure pain and suffering…and other forms of self-denial like that. Either the movies are wrong or China’s modernization has softened the ancient ways. I think it’s a combination of both. Anyway, my friend, in a very Chinese manner, walked me right into the middle of a practicing group of students to the guy who looked very masterly. My friend told him in Chinese that I was seeking a master to train me. The man looked at me, smiled, laughed and then took my arm and led me into the group just next to them. I was pulled to man who stands about five feet six inches, solid muscle and 58-years-old. The students refer to him as ‘Shifu Lin’ – the translation of that would sound like, Master Lee. Between my friend, the two masters and about 20 students there was a long discussion that involved poking me in the chest, looks of bewilderment and eventually some laughing. Shifu Lin had some things to tell me before we agreed to anything and they are translated as follows:
- Are you willing to fight that which is within you?
o Yes
- If I train you, I will teach you discipline and sometimes you will be frustrated but you must stick with it!
o Ok
- Also, I will not train you to fight anyone except that which fights within you…there is no enemy except the self.
o Right
- Can you be here in this spot every morning by 5am?
o …Yeah
With that, Shifu turned and consulted the other masters for a bit while the senior citizen student group started rattling off questions in Chinese. My Chinese is limited so I told them that I have a family, I am a teacher and I study Chinese…yeah, the conversation was confusing for all of us. Shifu returned and told me that accepting this training is not just something to do and then quit, it is a commitment to a healthy lifestyle and representing the Chen family. I agreed and told him that I fully understand that I am joining the Chen family Wushu kung fu community. With that, he bestowed upon me the name, ‘Chen Yang’ – sounds like saying Chin Young. Fitting.
You see, when you start practicing a particular form of kung fu (which is all of them) you are joining in on an ancient journey that started with some family back in some dynasty a very long time ago, thus my name, “Chen.” The Chen family legacy probably started in the late Ming dynasty/early Qing dynasty. Basically, it’s around 500 years old. In China, the first name you give people is what we in the West refer to as the “last name.” First names, as far as I’m gathering, are quite meaningless here; they’re more for fun than anything. When you give your name in China you are also giving a history about where you come from and sometimes that dates back thousands of years.
Hearing an alarm at 4am is a devastating thing. After a few seconds of lying in bed, the excitement of why I was waking up hit me and the adrenaline carried me from bed, three miles to Children Park. While riding my bike I noticed a chill in the air and leaves scattered all about. It seemed like the season had literally changed overnight. When I arrived at the park, Shifu Lin had me start some rigorous stretching on some bars. I have two great physical weaknesses, my quads and flexibility – both are absent from my body. Kung fu requires both and it requires them at extreme levels. Just to my left was another student…a 65-year-old woman doing a full split on the bar and with her body lying fully across one leg she smiled at me and said, Ni Hao (hello). That was the moment I realized that I am way beyond my skill level. This certainly is a new season.
~Johnny Young
As my friend and I walked to the back of the park we noticed, amid all the tai chi, a group of people moving their bodies very precisely and very low to the ground. Every movement was smooth, planned but not over thought, occasionally interrupted by a harsh kick, punch, or jab. I watched in awe, realizing that for the first time I was seeing a real kung fu community in action. What was almost more amazing is the fact that not one of them is less than 50-years-old. I asked my friend what we should do and he insisted that we walk in there and tell them that I need a master to train me. I was intimidated to say the least and being Western minded, I simply assumed that there was some arduous process involved…at least, according to almost every kung fu movie I’ve ever seen, the particular master being sought for training must be convinced of their potential pupils interest and that can involve sitting at his door for days without food or water, taking an excessive amount of unnecessary blows to the stomach to prove that you’re willing to endure pain and suffering…and other forms of self-denial like that. Either the movies are wrong or China’s modernization has softened the ancient ways. I think it’s a combination of both. Anyway, my friend, in a very Chinese manner, walked me right into the middle of a practicing group of students to the guy who looked very masterly. My friend told him in Chinese that I was seeking a master to train me. The man looked at me, smiled, laughed and then took my arm and led me into the group just next to them. I was pulled to man who stands about five feet six inches, solid muscle and 58-years-old. The students refer to him as ‘Shifu Lin’ – the translation of that would sound like, Master Lee. Between my friend, the two masters and about 20 students there was a long discussion that involved poking me in the chest, looks of bewilderment and eventually some laughing. Shifu Lin had some things to tell me before we agreed to anything and they are translated as follows:
- Are you willing to fight that which is within you?
o Yes
- If I train you, I will teach you discipline and sometimes you will be frustrated but you must stick with it!
o Ok
- Also, I will not train you to fight anyone except that which fights within you…there is no enemy except the self.
o Right
- Can you be here in this spot every morning by 5am?
o …Yeah
With that, Shifu turned and consulted the other masters for a bit while the senior citizen student group started rattling off questions in Chinese. My Chinese is limited so I told them that I have a family, I am a teacher and I study Chinese…yeah, the conversation was confusing for all of us. Shifu returned and told me that accepting this training is not just something to do and then quit, it is a commitment to a healthy lifestyle and representing the Chen family. I agreed and told him that I fully understand that I am joining the Chen family Wushu kung fu community. With that, he bestowed upon me the name, ‘Chen Yang’ – sounds like saying Chin Young. Fitting.
You see, when you start practicing a particular form of kung fu (which is all of them) you are joining in on an ancient journey that started with some family back in some dynasty a very long time ago, thus my name, “Chen.” The Chen family legacy probably started in the late Ming dynasty/early Qing dynasty. Basically, it’s around 500 years old. In China, the first name you give people is what we in the West refer to as the “last name.” First names, as far as I’m gathering, are quite meaningless here; they’re more for fun than anything. When you give your name in China you are also giving a history about where you come from and sometimes that dates back thousands of years.
Hearing an alarm at 4am is a devastating thing. After a few seconds of lying in bed, the excitement of why I was waking up hit me and the adrenaline carried me from bed, three miles to Children Park. While riding my bike I noticed a chill in the air and leaves scattered all about. It seemed like the season had literally changed overnight. When I arrived at the park, Shifu Lin had me start some rigorous stretching on some bars. I have two great physical weaknesses, my quads and flexibility – both are absent from my body. Kung fu requires both and it requires them at extreme levels. Just to my left was another student…a 65-year-old woman doing a full split on the bar and with her body lying fully across one leg she smiled at me and said, Ni Hao (hello). That was the moment I realized that I am way beyond my skill level. This certainly is a new season.
~Johnny Young