When we bow in and say "past masters" we are giving respect and honour to those before us. When I say "past masters" I think of those that have passed away and whose knowledge we have lost. When I look at our altar, I see items that ground me, items that instil feelings of appreciation and reminders of impermanence. There is importance to each item that is in our Kwoon and I recently began to grasp the significance of our Nafudakake.
During the Black Belt ceremony there were two black belts that I had never met, Sifu Jason Barrett and Sifu Joseph Smith. I was honoured that they would take their time to join this ceremony so I wanted to know more about them. Sifu Brinker told me that Sifu Jason Barrett was one of his original students and is third in our lineage when he earned his 1st degree. Sifu Joseph Smith is also one of Sifu Brinker's original students who designed the Silent River Kung Fu t-shirts and certificates. Being a student of Sifu Brinker has linked me to these black belts but I also know that their knowledge has flown to me as well.
Since that ceremony I have been studying our Nafudakake. There are many people on that wall that have had a huge impact on my Kung Fu journey that are no longer regulars at the Kwoon. I know they are a part of me. It is the names of those that I do not know that have sparked my curiosity as I realize that they too are a part of me. Now when I think of "past masters" I am thinking of all those that were before me, not just the ones that have past.
**If those who have trained with or under Sifu Barrett and Sifu Smith would like to share a story, I would greatly appreciate knowing more about them.
See you on the mats!
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