The Forgotten Arts

Do you remember the first time you went to the gym? Amidst a plethora of curious-looking machinery and oddly-shaped people, you probably sampled a rep or two from just about every contraption you could figure out. Unsure of your ability, you lifted weights simultaneously far too heavy then embarrassingly small. You might have cast sideways glances at the regular clientele, hoping not to make eye contact as you scrutinize technique and the often miraculous evidence of where many hours training can get you. By the end, I know you walked out of that strange place on shaky legs, marveling at the exaltation and sense of accomplishment you now felt. I could’ve been at the pub, you say to yourself, or watching TV with a bowl of sour-cream-smothered wedges between my fleshy legs. But instead, I took the initiative, rustled up some of that good ol’ fashioned get-up-and-go, and did my body a favour for once. And I feel fantastic!

The next morning you put one foot out of bed, try to stand, and promptly collapse with a whimper.

That’s what my first experience with Tong Long was like.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. And seeing as this is supposed to be a recap of events, I should probably begin at the beginning. My name is Nick and this is my blog; a detailed chartering of my tuition in the art of Southern Praying Mantis Style Kung Fu – Tong Long. My ramblings will be a monthly occurrence on www.theforgottenarts.com, where you can follow me as I learn, and hopefully grow, with my fellow students (or ‘Sehings’) at the Beenleigh and Coomera academies.

And let me tell you, I’m excited. Hot-headed even. Up until my recent introductory lesson with Sehing Scott, everything I thought I knew about martial arts was taught by the likes of Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Ryu (from Street Fighter… keep up!) and so naturally, I lunge into this world with pipe dreams of learning Hadoken and how to kill someone with a spatula and a loud-mouthed, blustering sidekick. But alas, it was not to be. What I did discover, however, was nonetheless enchanting and encouragingly real.

Wise-cracks aside, I now believe I was totally unprepared for what I got myself into. In a great many ways I still am, but my perspective has changed. Remember the gym? You didn’t stroll out of that place with six-pack abs and quivering pectorals, did you? What you gained was respect for the art; a realization of the marriage between immense dedication and immense result. Tong Long, like any martial art, is an undertaking of immensities. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll appreciate it, and the sooner you can get down to the fun stuff.

I’m talking about jong’s, and practicing the forms. As a beginner, the forms are relatively simple. Performed solo, one moves through a distinct pattern of strikes and motions to build energy, promote coordination, discipline and a foundation of technique. Though easy to memorize, even the beginning forms are difficult to master. I was also privileged to witness some advanced forms in action as my instructor performed them. They’re like a dance. Intricate and powerful. I confess that at one point, after he displayed an advanced form involving my favorite weapon – the staff – I felt like I was starring in every Karate Kid movie at once. It was awesome.

Then we moved onto jong’s: hand-to-hand combat with an opponent; the understanding of technique; the meat and veg of training. Don’t be alarmed! This isn’t an excuse for experienced students to pummel you. A jong, in training, is a repetitive affair designed to drill into you the correct method of striking and defending against a real life opponent. Competitively, a jong is a contest of said techniques and is not something you will participate in until you’ve reached a certain level of ability. Like the forms, jong’sare simple in theory yet hard to master. Personally, I found the combination of strikes, footwork and breathing akin to rubbing your belly and patting your head whilst reciting the national anthem backwards. I enjoyed it, and by the time we wrapped up that lesson I like to think I was getting a handle on it. Incidentally, it was by this time that the constant contact of a much more powerful adversary left my arms tenderized in that gym-esque fashion that doesn’t actually hurt until you wake up the next morning. They call that ‘conditioning’, by the way. And yes, I’m afraid it is necessary if you want to progress in any martial art.

First impressions, I hear you ask? (Probably not the most suitable idiom, considering this is a purely onlineordeal but I’ll indulge). In a word: intriguing. In a bunch of words: Intriguing, stimulating, encouraging, humbling, arduous, gratifying and just-plain-fun! In Tong Long I’ve discovered something as enrapturing as any kung fu fantasy Hollywood can conjure; all the more so because it is actually attainable.

And that’s not all. Throughout the frantic crash-course that was my first lesson, I was baited by tales of prowess by masters of the art. At proficient levels a student of Tong Long will learn to harness the power of their bodies in amazing ways, channeling that inner force known as chito enhance strength, applying the very science of human anatomy in astonishing ways. And then there’s the affiliation with Tai-Chi; the melding of arts that I cannot even begin to comprehend.

All in all, I have not even scratched the surface of what promises to be a very multi-layered approach to kung fu. I look forward to progressing in my training, and I hope you look forward to my next ramble, monthly on The Forgotten Arts.

Nick Gellatly