Getting Unstuck
- By Janis McGrath
- Published 08/11/2008
Janis McGrath
I am co-owner of an internal martial arts/healing arts school. We teach the arts of Hsing yi, Ba Kua, Tai Chi, and QiGong. Our students are dedicated individuals willing to do the hard work it takes to achieve excellence and spiritual growth. I am the written voice of my partner who has taught martial arts for 15 years. He rejected a death sentence by western doctors and sought healing and life through the Eastern Healing and Internal Martial Arts.
We have recently lost a few students in our internal martial arts school. The first said he felt he was too old to “get it” ,meaning too old to understand the instruction that he was given to relax, hold proper structure, and allow the flow of internal energy; the second said his track practice schedule conflicted with the martial arts class schedule; the third said that her work and school schedules conflicted with class schedule. I give them all credit because they did have the courage and integrity to actually tell us they wouldn’t be attending class anymore. But, the truth is, they either did not have a passion for the internal arts or they felt safer staying in their comfort zone, doing all those things they have done every day of their lives without once pushing beyond a mental limit that was established early in life. Others that have left this year just stop showing up. They couldn’t admit that they lacked the courage to face their emotional or spiritual demons and persist in an art that will challenge them to grow and mature and strengthen every day. The part they didn’t realize is that if they had just had that courage to persist, the gifts to them would have been growth, maturity, and strength to do whatever they wished to pursue in life. By their own choice, they will remain stuck, accepting whatever is handed to them instead or reaching for something more; doing what others expect of them instead of pursuing what fires their passion; deciding that they cannot or must not question what they have been told instead of exploring beyond in the quest for knowledge. By their own choice, they will continue to deny the need for change and they will occupy their minds by busying their bodies with mindless activities that require no focus.
The students that remain continue to accept the challenge of facing the worst in them with the understanding that they can eliminate their weaknesses, face their fears, and develop a new understanding of themselves and others that they will face in life’s journey. They will occasionally feel stuck or stagnant, but they will be willing to look inside and ask why. They will be willing to hear the answers, especially the painful ones, and change in response. They will know that when they have reached one goal, another lies beyond. An important aspect of the internal martial arts is the ability to relax. Most people carry themselves in a tense, guarded manner and face the challenge of dropping their shoulders and releasing muscle tension in order to deliver the internal energy. Every student and the instructor understand that no matter how relaxed they are, there is another level of relaxation to achieve. When you reach the point of thinking you have fully achieved relaxation, or learned all there is to know about Hsing Yi, Ba Kua, Tai Chi, or QiGong, you have failed. When you constantly question your level of relaxation or level of understanding of any of the arts, you open the possibility of change, of growth, and you become unstuck.
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2 Responses to "Getting Unstuck" 
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said this on 12 Aug 2008 1:27:52 PM EST
I feel that some of the statements you made are incredibly short-sited and conflict with the actual mental purpose you're trying to explain. It's incredibly difficult for a student of any style to recognize that he or she has limitations - the fact that a student had to choose between your classes and their school schedules, track, work, or anything else does not mean that they did not have a passion for the internal martial arts. It means that the student was faced with a difficult life choice and had to do what would benefit him best in the NOW. A high school education will not be available forever; running track with friends will not be an option forever; internal martial arts WILL be around forever, and it's something your students will be able to carry with them as long as they can remember - and, hopefully, come back to it later on in life when the time is right.
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said this on 12 Aug 2008 6:36:23 PM EST
The statements I made are not short-sighted, nor are they in conflict with the purpose of our school. We are not a substitute for aerobics or the plentiful karate classes. The internal martial arts require a long-term dedication. The internal martial arts are ultimately about master of self. If you master yourself, you can then master anything you take on in life. The sooner a student commits to this dedication, the greater the benefit. We have many other students with schedules just as time-consuming. They are pursuing college degrees, Reiki certifications, participating in community activities, all without compromising their studies at our school. If a particular student's schedule does not permit full-time participation in class or perhaps conflicts with all classes, private lessons are available. The most dedicated of students take advantage of this one on one time to hone their skills and advance their physical skills, internal development and spiritual growth. The students that understand how rare and valuable the education that is available to them at this school find jobs that have hours that won't present a great conflict. The internal arts require great mental focus, so the more typical student is of college age or older. Our class schedule is at night to accomodate those college classes and work schedules. People do not quit the school because they absolutely can't make it. They make a conscious choice and establish priorities that they feel suit them at the time. We don't fault them for that, but we do know what they have chosen not to participate in. We do understand that the high level of training and education we provide is not for everyone.
Running track will be available for much of a person's life, if not on a competition level, on a personal level. It's available in almost every community in this country. A person who loves running can use their neighborhood to train every day. The internal martial arts, particularly those with training in the pre-heaven energy, are not readily available. John is the second teacher in the entire United States to be teaching this. You should have used a search engine to confirm your opinion before stating it as irrefutable fact. What some students walked away from may never become available to them again. You have not walked into our school and witnessed the progress of some students who are willing to persist through their personal obstacles to achieve incredible personal growth. You have not seen the ones that obviously gave up on themselves when the training grew a little bit beyond their comfort zone; students that we saw great potential in and that we counseled in that potential. I am not criticizing them. My blog was a lament that they never recognized the value of what was available to them in their own neighborhood and a plea to anyone who read it to not give up when things grow difficult because that is when the greatest personal growth may be achieved. |