As I sit here convalescing from the stab wound my husband lovingly gave me I have had much time to both ponder and receive much criticism about how this whole chain of unfortunate events were put in motion. Ultimately I knew in my heart of hearts this was an accident that could have easily been prevented in a couple ways. I should have not gone against my better judgement and bought the spears, my niece and I definitely should not have taken the rubber guards off to fight my husband, and he probably didn't need to deliver a "death blow" to a 16 year old who was flat on her back. However my personal assessment of how to assign responsibly is not universally accepted by all members of both mine and my husband's family. I understand all three of us were some what to blame and the situation really was the sum total of a series of bad decisions but a couple of my more conservative/fundamentalist relatives believe that there was something darker at play. I would love to just write it off as crazy religious talk but they do bring up some interesting points, that's now why I am curious at what line does a secular tradition which may have roots in another religion become a form of idolitry.
Anyways, my husband is for all practicality a sei-fu(Kung fu master) his family has a long tradition in southern shaolin kung-fu. However, his parents are both Christian ,he himself is Christian and he grew up in the states so no, he is not, nor has he ever been a shaolin monk. His skill both armed or empty handed is phenomenal and he is constantly in his dojo training. From a physiological stand point his remarkable skill is from the hours he spends training, he is constantly lifting weights, stretching and practicing forms . I have absolutely no problem with that (well almost absolutely no problem more on that later).
However, there is also a very heavy spiritual side to Chinese Kung fu, here is where my curiosity was piqued by my relatives. The video of fight between my husband, my niece, and myself had made its rounds in or families. The general consensus is that she and I were dumb to be brandishing spears, my niece was dumb for attempting a surprise attack, and my husband should have taken a more playful approach to us and realized there wasn't a real need to disarm and "defeat"us. But my fundamentalist aunt made a rather bold accusation that while practicing Chinese Kung fu, my husband some how channeled the devil's strength (apparently the final blow he administers shattered the broom handle and permanently bent the spear that I got stabbed with). Of course I wrote the devil's strength comment off but it did get me to start thinking about the things my husband does when he trains.
In his dojo he has 4 statues of Chinese "gods" I guess is what you call them. Kwon yu: the General of heaven, Wong Tai shin: the king of heaven, Sun Wu Kong: the Monkey King,and Yim Lau Wong: the emperor of hell. When he begins to train he always lights an incense sick before the statutes would this be considered idolitry? I have asked him why he does this and his answer is always "I don't know, it's tradition". For the most part I have accepted that as no different than him wearing the fancy pajamas. Like I Daud his parents raised him Christian and when I ask them they told me the same "tradition" I would like to add that he never bows to them or prays to them though.
When he does weapons training he has a set that are called the "weapons of heaven"; the spear: king of all weapons, the sword: marshal of all weapons, the Bo staff: grandfather of all weapons, the Kwan Dao: general of all weapons and the chain whip: lady of all weapons. At first I found it strange that he would address them as such and I find it odd that each time he removes one to train with he gives a bow then again when he replaces it. Is this idolitry? My queries are again answered with "tradition".
Perhaps the thing that causes me to question most is his practice of drunken boxing. Unlike in the movies, 99% of it is done sober. Most of the forms and motions only imitate intoxication. However the Hong Gar style my husband practices does have some motions which are performed slightly intoxicated. When he trains in those forms he actually gets intoxicated in his dojo, this bothers me because I don't believe Christians should get intoxicated and because whenever he does this, every drink he pours for him self he always pours one before the king of heaven and one before the emperor of hell. The explanation for this, again "tradition". His parents tell me the same thing and they are some of the strictest Christians I have ever met.
My question is when do you cross the line between tradition and idolitry? I am asking more out of an academic curiosity.
Anyways, my husband is for all practicality a sei-fu(Kung fu master) his family has a long tradition in southern shaolin kung-fu. However, his parents are both Christian ,he himself is Christian and he grew up in the states so no, he is not, nor has he ever been a shaolin monk. His skill both armed or empty handed is phenomenal and he is constantly in his dojo training. From a physiological stand point his remarkable skill is from the hours he spends training, he is constantly lifting weights, stretching and practicing forms . I have absolutely no problem with that (well almost absolutely no problem more on that later).
However, there is also a very heavy spiritual side to Chinese Kung fu, here is where my curiosity was piqued by my relatives. The video of fight between my husband, my niece, and myself had made its rounds in or families. The general consensus is that she and I were dumb to be brandishing spears, my niece was dumb for attempting a surprise attack, and my husband should have taken a more playful approach to us and realized there wasn't a real need to disarm and "defeat"us. But my fundamentalist aunt made a rather bold accusation that while practicing Chinese Kung fu, my husband some how channeled the devil's strength (apparently the final blow he administers shattered the broom handle and permanently bent the spear that I got stabbed with). Of course I wrote the devil's strength comment off but it did get me to start thinking about the things my husband does when he trains.
In his dojo he has 4 statues of Chinese "gods" I guess is what you call them. Kwon yu: the General of heaven, Wong Tai shin: the king of heaven, Sun Wu Kong: the Monkey King,and Yim Lau Wong: the emperor of hell. When he begins to train he always lights an incense sick before the statutes would this be considered idolitry? I have asked him why he does this and his answer is always "I don't know, it's tradition". For the most part I have accepted that as no different than him wearing the fancy pajamas. Like I Daud his parents raised him Christian and when I ask them they told me the same "tradition" I would like to add that he never bows to them or prays to them though.
When he does weapons training he has a set that are called the "weapons of heaven"; the spear: king of all weapons, the sword: marshal of all weapons, the Bo staff: grandfather of all weapons, the Kwan Dao: general of all weapons and the chain whip: lady of all weapons. At first I found it strange that he would address them as such and I find it odd that each time he removes one to train with he gives a bow then again when he replaces it. Is this idolitry? My queries are again answered with "tradition".
Perhaps the thing that causes me to question most is his practice of drunken boxing. Unlike in the movies, 99% of it is done sober. Most of the forms and motions only imitate intoxication. However the Hong Gar style my husband practices does have some motions which are performed slightly intoxicated. When he trains in those forms he actually gets intoxicated in his dojo, this bothers me because I don't believe Christians should get intoxicated and because whenever he does this, every drink he pours for him self he always pours one before the king of heaven and one before the emperor of hell. The explanation for this, again "tradition". His parents tell me the same thing and they are some of the strictest Christians I have ever met.
My question is when do you cross the line between tradition and idolitry? I am asking more out of an academic curiosity.
