It is said that the greatest value one can attain in kung fu training is “The will to exert and strive hard without stopping at anything.” Through the conditioning of your body, you discipline your mind and gain a greater understanding of yourself. By understanding yourself, you learn to live in harmony with your emotions and with your environment.
Our exposure here in America to the many sport-like karate styles have made people put the most value on the achievement of rank, with black, of course, being the highest achievement. Although traditional kung fu styles nowadays have adapted to the color sash system to signify different levels of rank, it is not viewed in the same manner as in other styles of martial arts. It is not the color of your sash alone that measures the true level of one’s rank, but the knowledge and growth one has attained from the beginning of one’s training. It is said that “the journey we cross and the growth we have made both in our mind and body will determine our next level of training.
Your teacher(s) work really hard on guiding you through your different levels of training and helping you grow mentally and spiritually in preparation of what’s to come. They help build your character, integrity and self-respect. Therefore each color rank brings you one step closer to the Sifu. Each level represents a new journey in which you must prove to your Sifu that you have the confidence and strength to work hard in what you believe in. To exert and strive hard to move to the next level. Eventually, you will be a reflection of what your Sifu stands for and believes in and not just a reflection of a color rank.
