Darren Trottman

As Time Goes On

When I first started training in kungfu I asked my old instructor for literature on our martial art, but unfortunately at that time he did not have any to give me. Back then hardly any books on kungfu were available in the West, so even finding a general book on the topic was difficult. Eventually I did manage to find some texts on kungfu, although I did not find anything on the Tiger Crane combination that I was training in.

At first read, I did not really understand what the authors of the books I had discovered were talking about as my knowledge at the time was limited. Yet that did not bother me as I enjoyed what I was doing and it felt good. Today I can read those books again with a far better knowledge of kungfu and our style, showing that through time there is always room for the growth of knowledge.

As time has gone on and the world has opened up to the internet, I am astounded as to how much information there is out there about not only kungfu, but the specific histories of our style. However, the issue that stands out most through the vast quantity of information now available on kungfu and other martial arts is that many people are exploiting students.

I have visited China and trained with truly great Masters, and seen what I see as being real kungfu. My concern for the West is how we can get people to understand what real kungfu is. When you begin training at a martial arts club, you should be given a set of tenets to work by; this should be your reference on all conduct and will carry through to the outside world beyond martial arts.

Martial arts in the West is still very young. But what we have to do now is make kungfu and all martial arts better for the next generation of practitioners, and for ourselves. As we get older, we are supposed to get wiser, not more arrogant. Never let greed get the better of you. Do not ask for too much, as in time what you strive for will come to you if you deserve it. Time and respect will get you where you want to and need to be.

Chief Instructor Darren Trottman

Edited by Heather McLean