Mark Shim

Mark Shim
    Most activities in one's childhood are normally brief moments of discovery and diversion. When I first saw martial arts, I immediately knew this was something I wanted to learn. My first interest in martial arts was dismissed by my mother, since she did not want me getting into any rough sports. But when curious children with short attention spans seem to come back to the same questions, it becomes inevitable that they will find a way to follow their curiosity. I did so following what the media and my friends encouraged then. I tried contacting several different martial arts throughout my youth, but there were two main styles that I had practiced. As a child I learned in a structured leveling environment which is good for children, and I achieved a relatively high rank. Later, I noticed that I had better technique, but typically lost to brute force. From here on, I became interested in martial ideas that used less brute force and capitalized on intelligent geometries and I found another style which I practiced for quite some time.
    I began teaching, which was natural for me, to pass on what I had learned. But in courses of my teaching also allows me to discover new questions which would not be discovered on my own with my own training. I had always been modest and I knew that I had something to teach, but also had a lot to learn. I felt certain boredom coming up with my own training. An experienced martial artist will be familiar with the steps like progress in his skills. I have found that my physical skills and mental comprehension have not improved at the same rate in my Kung-fu practicing, so creating some periods of uneventful training.
    By chance, a friend and I noticed among a display of business cards a very special understated card that said, "White Eyebrows Kung-fu", with an address and phone number. The card was strikingly simple; no logo, or slogan. I decided to visit and investigate this organization.
    When I met Master Sam Choi he was attending to other diversions and made little time for me yet entertained conversation as long as I was willing to wait around. I remember something making him smiled, and then he said he would be willing to accept me as his student. I hadn't realized that I was making an application for membership. In an instant I was conflicted. You don't look for new books when you have access to a large library. Also, I knew that practicing a new style meant abandoning everything I knew before but to practice with an open mind. I thought quite simply, "What have I got to lose?"
     I have found that Pak Mei Kung-fu is so rich with its ideas and skills that I have a lifetime of information to teach, and yet a lifetime of various ideas to discover. Years later I am amused by a casual fortuitous event happened then that had been changing my whole life.