Hungry ghosts
Written by Rachel
     

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The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts

Every year the Chinese celebrate a festival whereby the dead return to haunt the living.
Unsettled souls are doomed to return to the Earth and never find peace.
The martial arts world has its own version of 'hungry ghosts'...



Quitting


Students often write lovely feedback concerning their experiences in class.
They express gratitude and respect; without reserve.
Yet, a few months later this very same person decides to quit...


Blame

Rather than feel like a failure, the quitter blames the class, the teacher, other students, work commitments.
They occasionally desire to lash-out, cause hurt, indulge a mean-spirited need to externalise their own self-loathing.
Sadly, what they lack lies in themselves.
Their reasons for quitting class, their subsequent shame and ultimate bad feeling says more about the quitter than it does about the class they left.


Lost

These tormented souls may spend many more years on the periphery of the martial arts world seeking to re-capture something they imagine was taken from them.
They watch combat clips on YouTube, join discussion groups and martial arts forums.
They interact with ex-class members on Facebook.


Later...

Occasionally a quitter will meet an existing student or even the instructor.
The quitter no longer looks healthy
.
Their poise is bad, they look twitchy and uncomfortable.
They assure you that they still train what they were taught; despite the contradiction presented by their physical appearance.


The returner


The returner is a well-intentioned sort who plans to live out their days savouring the dream of one day resuming their martial arts training.
This day never actually arrives.
The older they get, the less fit they are and the less plausible the dream becomes.
Eventually, the dream is simply a conversation piece.


The dilettante


The dilettante is basically a tai chi/martial arts/alternative therapy/spiritual tourist.
They drift around various classes undertaking whatever interests them.
Unfortunately, these people never stick any class long enough to gain skill, understanding or integrity.
In lieu of meaningful knowledge they possess titbits from various teachers and enjoy sharing their experiences with other dilettantes.



The turkey

Martial arts classes attract all kinds of people.
The absolute worst is the person who trained a martial art at some stage in their past and is seeking recognition or acknowledgement from the new teacher.
20 years may have passed by...
The former martial artist wants to 'pow wow' with the new instructor and share their 'insights'.
This is truly absurd; bordering on a mental health issue.


Finding peace

The best way to find peace is just to move on...
Learn something different.
Let your tai chi experience fade.


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Page created 11 December 1995
Last updated 07 November 2018