Ruffle My Feathers.

I've been contemplating lately, how grateful I am for the support I have received throughout my years of kung fu training. Not once have I ever had anyone say anything remotely close to, "why do you do that stuff?". Even when I've been a bit sore and bruised, no one has ever questioned my training. I have always been met with full support for fulfilling one of my passions.

In my experience, people are starting to see that far more is involved in the martial arts than what you see through the window. A popular response that I often get when people find out I am in kung fu is, "wow!" "Good for you". "Martial arts is very disciplined and there is so much more to it than self defense, isn't there?" This opens up a great avenue to educate them about what's really behind the window.

I have become quite particular over the years with those I associate with. I push more towards people who uplift and edify my life and people who support me, and help me to become the best person I can be. No matter where I go, and who I am associating with, my friends, family, co workers and all who know me well, give me respect, support and they show sincere interest in my life's passions.

When I joined kung fu, it wasn't so that I could learn how to beat the snot out of people, or become real tough. I joined because it looked like fun. A part of me wanted to join because of the abuse I had as a child. I wanted to gain the ability, confidence, and knowledge to defend myself if I ever had to.

Now, as a 2nd degree black belt, I ask myself, "could I really defend myself if I had to?" I don't know beyond a shadow of a doubt if I could completely take out an attacker. I do know, however, that I could make my way out of a bad situation. Before kung fu I was like one of those victims you see in the movies. While being choked, they are screaming and trying to pry the attackers hands from around their neck. Thanks to kung fu, I have the knowledge and confidence to worry little about the hands around my neck, and to pay more attention to the attackers groin, shins, or cheekbones. I know how to use the attackers weight against him, and how to use it to my full advantage. I know how to turn the situation around and become the attacker while making my attacker become the victim.

Some people say that kung fu should make them rough and tough. They say that women should be able to "put on their big girl panties and suck it up". I suppose there is more than one way to define rough and tough. Kung fu has not made me tough in a sense of masculinity. I know that kung fu has made me tough in a way that I can better utilize my inner strengths. I can overcome pretty much any kind of adversity that gets thrown at me, and even attack it from all sides.

As I age, I know that I can't physically rough up my body the same as I did even 5 years ago. The arthritis in my hips has forced me to limit any kind of brutal falls such as the scissor technique. A hard slam to the floor could lead to a broken hip. Then where would I be? Arthritis and long term abuse to my wrists now make push ups and wrist locks painful when they never used to before. One person can not judge the pain of another. A slam to the floor for an arthritic body hurts more and does far more damage than it would to an average body. It goes without saying, that a hit of any kind, hurts an older body more than it does a younger one.

I don't go around and complain about my aches and pains. Nor do I go about looking to get injured. I do my best with what I have, while taking care of myself so that I have this body of mine to use for years to come.

No matter how people try to look at it, men and women are NOT created equal. Men do not get sore breasts, cramps and bleed every month. The last time I checked, men could not have babies, and women could not pee standing up. Not without a mess anyways. Women do not have the muscle mass that men do. Biology 20 says that a mans main body mass consists of muscle, while a woman's consists mainly of fat. I believe that it would feel far different for a woman to get punched in the belly from a man, than it would for a man to get punched in the belly from a woman. We just quite simply are not the same, in my opinion.

I believe the world needs more tolerance, and less tunnel vision. Just because we think and act and feel a certain way, it in no way means that the guy beside us does too. We can't judge others by who we are. We have to accept people for who THEY are.