Andrew at the Shaolin Temple

Ni Hao,

Well, I’m ALMOST done my first day of training.  Just have to eat dinner, and then an easy one hour session.  Well, I hope it’s easy. My initial experience with the training goes all the way back to last night (Sunday March the 1st).  The day was winding to a close, so I decided to take a walk around the grounds.  (Side note:  Did you know there are billions and billions of stars in the sky?  This is my first time seeing them!  I used to laugh at those people who wanted to turn off more lights around Toronto so they could see the stars at night.  “What a silly cause to fight for”  I thought.  I must say, I owe them all my deepest apologies.  It makes me want to weep knowing that Toronto has been missing out on the stars all this time.)  As I neared the training hall, I noticed the light was on, and there were voices echoing inside.  I tried to quietly slip inside, but I’m still not used to these spring-loaded doors they have installed all over the academy.  As the door slammed shut echoing through the great hall, three chinese men stopped their secret late-night practice and stared at me.  “Ok?” I asked, pointing towards the center of the room.  “Ok?” the echoed, I think not out of consent for my entering, but just some sort of confused mimickry.
This is when I met Wong-Shin.  A smiling, stout man of about 60years old.  I asked Wong-Shin to teach me some Kung Fu.  So, he placed my hand against his shoulder, and then proceeded to grunt and twitch just the tiniest bit.  I can only describe the sensation that went up my arm (down my spine and back up again) as “excruciating”.  I promptly thanked him for the lesson, and told him “you are as strong as a sifu!”  (that’s teacher for those who don’t remember).  I then took my leave to go to my room and nurse my sprained wrist.
Today, I entered the training hall at a sleepy 5:30am.  And, who was standing before me dressed in full sifu’s attire?  Why, Wong-Shin of course!  My jaw dropped to the floor and I just pointed at him and said “you? Sifu?”.  I think he enjoyed that look on my face.  All that time, I had been getting a lesson from the Master, and I didn’t even know it.
Anyway, I’ve known him for one day, but already I can tell Wong-Shin Shifu is a great man.
I’ll have to write more about the training later.  But, so far it’s going great!
Yes, I definately met a man with GREAT chi (chi is the energy used in martial arts), today.