I’m Jerry Zhao, and I will be attending UC San Diego next fall, studying biology as a pre-med
student. I’ve been doing Kungfu since I was 5 years old, and it has played such a huge part in my life ever since. It was a time and place where I could truly embrace my Chinese culture, to learn and experience the history behind martial arts and the integral a role it played in shaping Chinese history. Kungfu has given me theopportunity to express all my emotions along with meeting and developing many meaningful relationships in a community that Iwill carry on with me for the rest of my life.
It’s still crazy to comprehend what I’m truly experiencing: I’m going to college. Wow. I know one thing for certain though: all of the lessons Kungfu have taught me—discipline, hard-work, passion,
motivation, dedication, pain, leadership, and love — will guide me to success both as a student, and as a person. My advice to future and current students is LISTEN AND TALK TO SHIFU. Don’t only see him as your Kungfu instructor. See him as a teacher, a mentor, someone who is trying to help, not hurt you, but most importantly, a friend. A Chinese saying goes as follows: “Some have eaten more salt than we have eaten grains of rice.” Shifu has been through everything. He has knowledge, wisdom, but most importantly: experience. You can read all of the books in the world about wars, but you’ve never known what it was like to kill or see others killed. You can listen to all of the songs about heartbreak, but you’ve never known what true loss is. There are just some things in life that you cannot simply teach. Experience is extraordinarily crucial, and my greatest advice is to learn from them. Both good or bad, you have to learn from them, but more importantly, you have to change. Time moves on, whether you’re ready to or not. Also, when you’re in Kungfu class, I advise that you GIVE IT YOUR ALL. Because if you’re not, why else are you here? Learn to handle pain, learn to bleed, and learn to hate. But most importantly, learn to love. Both yourself and others. I’m so glad that I’ve spent a huge majority of my life doing what I love, and meeting the amazing, hard-working, talented, caring, and important people that I can call my friends through Kungfu. So no matter what happens, I know that I will forever have Kungfu. My mental toughness will always
be stronger than my physical limitations. Push yourself, never give up, and lastly; Fulfill yourself, and care for others.
Much love, I’ll never forget everyone.
