When I started Tai Chi 22 years ago I was like a little kid in a lolly (candy) store.
I wanted all the lollies, every colour except the black ones and I wanted them now.
In my first year I watched various students practice weapons, do some boxing drills, push hands and I wanted to do all of that straight away.
Well, all I did was learn the Tai Chi form and basics and it took a while before I was slowly introduced to push hands, weapons forms and self defence.
I realised that Tai Chi was not something you can knockover in a few months. If it was I’d be bored and leave.
So 22 years on I feel I’ve hardly scratched the surface. In the early years it worried me because I didn’t feel I was making much progress.
As the years crept by I stopped worrying about comparing myself to others who were more experienced and talented.
I just kept plugging away, practicing and now realise there is no end to the journey.
Just as soon as you feel you have climbed a mountain top, you look up and there are higher mountain tops.
I can now understand it is the journey that is important not the destination.
I haven’t trained at a club or with a partner for some time now because running our business has taken up most of my time.
However I will get back into training with a partner in the near future and until I do I will keep practicing on my own.
So I suppose I’ve come a long way from that little kid in the lolly store who wanted everything now.
I’m more patient now.