Tiger Crane double silhouette

For the federation banquet I performed Fu Hok Song Ying (Tiger crane double shape/silhouette/image) After me, Uncle Hong performed basics. Uncle Hong is from the same hometown as Sifu. He came to the U.S. within the last 5 years or so and regularly hangs out at the Kung Fu school, mainly to chat with Sifu along with a few others who also share the same hometown and some other old Chinese men who happened into the school and the Lion Dance team through other ways. They may have been attracted by the kung fu, or perhaps were waiting to pick up their grandchild form across the Hall, or maybe they work close by. In any event, we welcome in the public (provided they follow Kung Fu rules) and a sort of social organization of older Chinese immigrants that drink tea at the school is almost as much a part of our identity as our actual Kung Fu students.
Uncle Hong is a restaurant worker and indeed had done some Kung Fu with a famous master in China, One who Sifu also knew of. Inevitably after talking about politics (both international, local and hometown village) sports, and other things, the conversation will also turn to Kung Fu. So when I first met Uncle Hong he was usually talking about this technique or that technique or asking about White Crane (he had learned a form of Old Hung Gar from Uncle Tong, Uncle as in a generation of above him. Uncle Hong is a generation above me) White Crane was actually quite famous in Taishan, in terms of fighting. At some point Uncle Hong actually started practicing basics and even performed at the Federation both last year and this year. This year's was much better than last year. He doesn't train particularly hard, mainly the pows and cups and benn ngows are very good for loosening the shoulder muscles (as long as you don't over train like a crazy young kid trying to prove something that is) In fact once I corrected his punches, mainly because he is always getting stuff for Noah and Jonah and even me, and I wanted to repay the kindness. He allowed me to correct him, but later he told me that when he was young, a lot of pretty famous masters wanted to teach him Kung Fu and he simply had no interest. He learned a few techniques, and that combined with the fact that he was a laborer that was still young and very strong got him by. He said in China he once punched someone in the chest and they started spitting out blood. In the U.S.  someone explained to him that fighting at the workplace could result in a lawsuit and other things in the U.S. and he said that made him not dare to fight. But in China people fight at work all the time. In fact there are some videos on Youtube of riots in the factory dormitories.
The point was that, he is practicing the basics, for health, not for fighting.

But today he had a lot of questions about my form. Health is health and fighting is fighting. But the truth is, a lot of people like our forms simply because of a coolness factor. You want to learn it, not to fight, or even for health (because for health and fighting you only need three or for moves.) It's just that you want to learn the form and can't really explain why. Later on as I was leaving Sifu said, "Sahng ah" (that's me), "You teach Brother Hong Fu hok song ying. You take care of him. He's going to learn it."
Uncle Hong laughed. You could tell it was like, he wanted to learn it, but at the same time didn't think he could, or that I wouldn;t teach him, but then Sifu just said it would be so. For me it would be so because he is my Sifu. But also for Uncle Hong it would be so because Sifu's status among his generation in the hometown is pretty high, and if he said he was learning, he would learn.
"Okay I'll teach you a few moves before I leave."
Uncle Hong's face brightened and he got up. I guess he was surprised that I would take the comment seriously. It's been a while since I taught adults, let alone a serious adult who was going to learn this form.(which is my specialty) It's not an easy form to learn. But I'm pretty optimistic and excited about having a student like Uncle Hong.