My name is Kyle Lai, a student of Shaolin Kung Fu Zen and have been attending the studio for 10 years. I train at class twice every week. I go to Leland High School where I am currently a Junior.
When I first attended Kung Fu classes, I was very young and did not have much experience in sports or physical activities. After a few years, I could show a couple forms in front of an audience.
When I first attended Shaolin Kung fu Zen, I was only 7 years old and did not have many challenges or difficulties in my life. With all the extra time I had, my mother enrolled me into this martial arts studio. At first it was very difficult. The stretches were strenuous and there were a lot of new movements I learned every class. At one point, I even thought of quitting. My mother urged me on and I made a commitment to stay. As I progressed through the different levels, I started attending more performances and events that Shifu Andy organized. This deepened my connection to not only Kung fu but also with my classmates. Through group performances I was able compare my form with others at the same level. I saw that there was a lot of things I could do to improve myself so from then on I started putting more power into all my movements, I made sure to take any opportunities to improve and I did not give up when I felt tired. After a while I started showing progress. I felt my overall energy improve and my power get stronger. Then Shifu put together a trip to china. It was an incredible opportunity to see the famous Shaolin temple and study Kung Fu with Shaolin monks. One of the most memorable experiences from the trip was when we all hiked up the Dharma mountain. I remember at the beginning of the hike the mountain looked incredibly imposing. It towered over everything. This was the challenge I faced where I didn’t turn back. It was exhausting every step of the way but I would never forget the feeling when I reached the top. When I got to the top, I was able to enjoy a breathtaking view and the relief of accomplishing this incredible feat. This was one of the many instances where without the lessons I learned from Kung fu, I wouldn’t have overcome it. For that, I have gratitude for Shifu for giving me opportunities to work hard and improve myself, and I also want to thank my family for encouraging me on my Kung fu journey.
How did Kungfu benefit in your overall life?
When I first attended Kungfu classes, I was very young and did not have much experience in physical sports or activities. I did not work hard or have much motivation. After a few years, I could show a couple forms in front of an audience. Then when I graduated to the higher belt levels, Shifu took me and some of my classmates to China. It was a trip with many experiences centered around Shaolin Kungfu. That two week trip was an enlightening event because it connected with all of Shifu’s teachings. I felt appreciation and reverence to the martial arts masters and monks which I never would have without my time at Kungfu. From then on, I developed a more hardworking mindset of always giving it my all in both Kungfu and my daily life. Now I understand that more work equals success.