01/08/2024
This last Sunday marked 10 years since Sigung Chu Shong Tin died and I've been thinking a lot about him this week. His power and skill are what are most often talked about but there are other important things that aren't mentioned as often. His enormous presence, his ease and effortlessness and his mental sharpness. He seemed to encompass the whole room with a tangible presence that kind if rubbed off on you. By the time you had spent a few days with him and allowed yourself to let go a little, you just naturally felt a change. I didn't notice it until I came home but I came home a different person, much more aware, much more calm, and much more skillful than I should have been after such a short time with him. His mental sharpness seemed to pick up everything in the room all at once and he could get right to the heart of what was happening with you by just watching for a moment, whether you knew about it or not. He certainly transcended the martial arts and he completely changed my life.