Many students ask us some sort of variation on this question. Some ask how long it takes to earn a black belt. Some ask how long before they feel like they can apply the Kung Fu we teach in self defence. Some ask how long they need to train before they start learning weapons.
No matter how the question is phrased or what the ultimate goal is, the answer is always the same - it depends. It depends on how hard you train. It depends on how much you practice. It depends on how coachable you are. It depends on how well you can deal with obstacles and setbacks (because we all have them).
The bottom line is that training in Kung Fu, or any martial art for that matter, is a lifelong journey (To be a martial artist is a way of life, both mental and physical). If you’re always looking for the finish line, you’re missing the point. It’s great to train with goals in mind, but training goals should be short-term and attainable; mastery is certainly not.
Studying Kung Fu is like learning medicine (they both take a long time), before you become a consultant or a specialist you need to learn all the basics to become a GP first, through years of practice and further study you will reach the next level.
My advice to anyone wondering ‘how long before I…’ is to just train hard and enjoy the journey because the further along on the path you get, the more you realize that there is no finish line.
"The black belt is not a mark or symbol of the end of the journey to one's mastery of the arts; rather it is the mark that one is done packing for their journey and may now take the first step in their true journey. This a journey which can not ever be complete, only traveled..." ~ Unknown
So is there any fast track to black belt?
Yes, just go and buy one, but a true martial artist does not concern himself with decorations and adornments. A piece of paper or material will not protect you against an assailant's anger.
"The weakest of all weak things is a virtue that has not been tested in the fire" ~ Mark Twain
Ref: Hung Ga
No matter how the question is phrased or what the ultimate goal is, the answer is always the same - it depends. It depends on how hard you train. It depends on how much you practice. It depends on how coachable you are. It depends on how well you can deal with obstacles and setbacks (because we all have them).
The bottom line is that training in Kung Fu, or any martial art for that matter, is a lifelong journey (To be a martial artist is a way of life, both mental and physical). If you’re always looking for the finish line, you’re missing the point. It’s great to train with goals in mind, but training goals should be short-term and attainable; mastery is certainly not.
Studying Kung Fu is like learning medicine (they both take a long time), before you become a consultant or a specialist you need to learn all the basics to become a GP first, through years of practice and further study you will reach the next level.
My advice to anyone wondering ‘how long before I…’ is to just train hard and enjoy the journey because the further along on the path you get, the more you realize that there is no finish line.
"The black belt is not a mark or symbol of the end of the journey to one's mastery of the arts; rather it is the mark that one is done packing for their journey and may now take the first step in their true journey. This a journey which can not ever be complete, only traveled..." ~ Unknown
So is there any fast track to black belt?
Yes, just go and buy one, but a true martial artist does not concern himself with decorations and adornments. A piece of paper or material will not protect you against an assailant's anger.
"The weakest of all weak things is a virtue that has not been tested in the fire" ~ Mark Twain
Ref: Hung Ga