Ice and Hung Gar

Life is hard. Since an ice storm hit my county, life has been a bit harder. Numerous trees have fallen, heavily encrusted with ice: glittery, beautiful and dangerous. Tangled with the trees are the wires that bring electricity, telephone and internet service, usually considered essential, but actually only conveniences compared to more serious concerns of safety and freedom.

As I worked alongside my family in an effort to clear the road, for ourselves and our neighbors, the power of nature was everywhere -- shown not only in the beauty which many can appreciate but more astonishingly in splintery destruction. Whole trees had been uprooted by the weight of ice. Harmless and life-giving droplets of water had gathered to such an extent that they combined into a force that destroyed. Each tree trunk, every branch, individual pine needles, all were encased in ice. Each item weighed much more than normal.

As I began the work, grabbed the first limb, I was astonished at the effort required to shift its dramatically-increased mass. It took me a few minutes of adapting to the weight to realize that the first impulse I had was to shift my stance to accommodate the weight, and that stance was pure Hung Gar. Turns out, powering a punch from the ground, through the heel, channeling through the body correctly equals power to push a variety of items. The stance and shifts required to pull an opponent off balance equals power to move heavy objects. A correct stance meant that I was less likely to tumble backward onto splintered tree stumps. Properly shifted weight meant that I could pull heavier branches than before. Consistent training meant that I could work for hours instead of minutes.

Alongside my husband's powerful, efficient, and careful chainsawing, and both my sons' durable, enthusiastic energies, I was able draw on the power of Hung Gar to enhance my own effort. As a result, combined with the unexpected assistance of (believe it or not) volunteer firefighters from Alvaton fire department, the road to safety and freedom was cleared in a day.