My daughter and I have been attending a Kung Fu school (kwoon, according to Sifu, but I’m not confident in my pidgin spelling, so if you know the correct term, be sure to comment) for several months now. I have to admit that I had two reasons for suggesting Han begin training:
Firstly, because she needed something physically engaging that would help her learn self-control where her strength is concerned. For a kid barely out of toddlerhood, she’s frighteningly strong.
Secondly, I’ve also been wanting to go back into training, and I’ve wanted something the kids and I could do together. My son has gone with us a few times and wants to train with us, but the boy will have to wait a couple more years.
As we attend class, Han has realized that weapons-training is part of her education. Granted, I’ve put a hold on that until she’s got some more height on her and got the basics of the staff down first, but she sees the cern-do in my equipment bag.
“Dad!” she said while I was talking to Sifu. “You could fit your lightsaber in your Kung Fu bag!”
At first, I was mildly embarrassed at that. I may be comfortable with my nerdiness, but you never know how someone else is going to react when they realize just how nerdy you are.
“Is the lightsaber rated for sparring and combat?” Sifu asked. Well, yeah actually. What good is a lightsaber if you’re not going to have a sparring match with lights and sound effects with other specky nerds?
“Start packing it with you and we’ll see if we can figure out a form for it.”
Oh. Well then. Nerds know their own, I suppose. It took some searching, since I hid the thing and not have to worry about Han whacking her little brother with it, but the lightsaber is now in the Kung Fu equipment bag.
I’m going to be amused if I’m asked to use this for a broadsword form and I’m told to widen my swings because “the blade is all edge so you can’t keep it too close.”
With that, I’m off to see to my son’s appointments. If I’m lucky, I’ll have some downtime if he takes a nap and can get that chapter worked on. Stay safe, readers.
-JB Swift
Swift's Corner 