by 
There was once a student in our Kung Fu class who many thought had nothing in him. In my view, Abi (not real name) was not one of those who would become a fighter in the ring.
However, Kung Fu and the martial arts is not for fighters only, in fact, it is for training the mind and body for all situations in life and not just for fighting in the ring like some sports do. So, he trained and we watched him along with the others.
Seeing that he was slow and a bit ‘stiff’ in picking up techniques, I would take him through two or three techniques and tell him to practice them as home work until the next training session. Sometimes he did not turn up but he took the training without complain.
I told him that the motions in the techniques seem empty and meaningless but he must continue to repeat them.
“Don’t let your Kung Fu down, practice it because when you need it your Kung Fu will not let you down,” I advised him.
He was also small in height and weight so physical conditioning was important for him. One day, on his way to training, he was surrounded by a group of men. There were five of them.
Two stood in front of him while the other three went around the side and back. One of the two had a knife.
“Give us your phone and your money,” he said.
Abi stopped and faced them as he wondered what to do.
He told me later that he did not panic or worry as he would before he started training. “I don’t have anything, I am going to training. As you can see, I am only wearing sports pants and a t-shirt,” Abi replied calmly but confidently. They insisted but he stood his ground.
Suddenly, the second man reached out to grab him by the collar. What happened next surprised Abi himself and afterwards, he never failed to emphasize the importance of training and mastering your techniques. As the man reached over, Abi reacted with super-fast reflex.
He swung his arm in a circular outward motion deflecting his attacker’s attempt. And in the same motion he struck the man in the ribs under the arm with his palm.
It was powerful enough to send the man stumbling back onto the first man who was holding the knife. Realizing an opportunity, Abi turned to see the other three beside and behind him.
They saw what happened and shifted around to plan their next move. In the event, they left an opening and Abi did not waste time to take it.
He ran over to our training hall which was about three hundred metres away. When we returned to the scene, the robbers had gone.
He told his story and I reminded him that if he had not been honest with himself in training, he may not have been so lucky.
From that day on, he had never missed another training session.
