No Offence Taken
Wu Jing, Thanks for the clarification. Try not to jump to conclusions on anyone that he/she is learning low-level chi kung or kung fu. Allow me to relate an experience here.
Many years ago, I witnessed a scene that have humbled me as much as the people watching it. It was a performance by a pugilist trying to make a living selling herbal oil for rubbing (like the rubbing alcohol of the west) in the Orient.
For almost half an hour, the man, about 70, extolled the oil's goodness. Beside him was a piece of granite six inches thick which he had earlier said he would break but had yet to do so. A young man who was watching, impatient, decided to challenge him and said that if the oil was as good as the old man claimed it, he would have showed how he (the pugilist) would break it - unless of course, he had low level kungfu.
The old man was taken aback but to save his face (reputation) amid the laughing crowd, he stopped talking and asked the young chap to lift up the granite and bring it to him so that he could break it.
The young man struggled and stooped to carry the rock and finally succeeded, in limping steps (because of the weight), to bring it to the foot of the pugilist.
The old man squatted down, used his palm to sweep across the rock a twice as if to clean the sand from the surface of the rock before hitt it. Then he paused and asked if the young chap could help him move the rock to a position where the crowd would have a better view. The young chap, looking irritated, bent down to bring up the rock to move it. But as soon as he grabbed the sides, the rock snapped into two.
The pugilist, looking surprised, said: Oh, how unfortunate. Perhaps next time I will show you everyone how to break the rock when I am able to get another one.
With that, he packed his things and left. He refused to sell the herbal oil to anyone that night after the incident.
When I expressed my opinion that the pugilist could have still sold his oil even if he did not break the rock, an elderly bystander replied: Young man, the pugilist had just broken the rock with his sweeping hands after he was challenged and you did not even see him use force. But because of his dignity, and the insult from the young chap, he has decided not to sell anything tonight. Have you not learn anything watching?
Wu Jing, Thanks for the clarification. Try not to jump to conclusions on anyone that he/she is learning low-level chi kung or kung fu. Allow me to relate an experience here.
Many years ago, I witnessed a scene that have humbled me as much as the people watching it. It was a performance by a pugilist trying to make a living selling herbal oil for rubbing (like the rubbing alcohol of the west) in the Orient.
For almost half an hour, the man, about 70, extolled the oil's goodness. Beside him was a piece of granite six inches thick which he had earlier said he would break but had yet to do so. A young man who was watching, impatient, decided to challenge him and said that if the oil was as good as the old man claimed it, he would have showed how he (the pugilist) would break it - unless of course, he had low level kungfu.
The old man was taken aback but to save his face (reputation) amid the laughing crowd, he stopped talking and asked the young chap to lift up the granite and bring it to him so that he could break it.
The young man struggled and stooped to carry the rock and finally succeeded, in limping steps (because of the weight), to bring it to the foot of the pugilist.
The old man squatted down, used his palm to sweep across the rock a twice as if to clean the sand from the surface of the rock before hitt it. Then he paused and asked if the young chap could help him move the rock to a position where the crowd would have a better view. The young chap, looking irritated, bent down to bring up the rock to move it. But as soon as he grabbed the sides, the rock snapped into two.
The pugilist, looking surprised, said: Oh, how unfortunate. Perhaps next time I will show you everyone how to break the rock when I am able to get another one.
With that, he packed his things and left. He refused to sell the herbal oil to anyone that night after the incident.
When I expressed my opinion that the pugilist could have still sold his oil even if he did not break the rock, an elderly bystander replied: Young man, the pugilist had just broken the rock with his sweeping hands after he was challenged and you did not even see him use force. But because of his dignity, and the insult from the young chap, he has decided not to sell anything tonight. Have you not learn anything watching?
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