Stretch

I once read a National Geographic article about how young Chinese boys are trained in martial arts. They’re taken to a secluded place in the Hunlkijiu Mountains and put through rigorous training to stretch their control over mind and body. One of the exercises is to stand perfectly straight for five hours with a ceramic bowl on the head. They hang from ropes for two hours punch hot and cold water to stretch their resistance to heat and cold punch a stone wall to strengthen their fists and their pain tolerance and there are exercises to stretch concentration too.

The ultimate goal of all this training is for them to perfectly imitate a creature of the animal kingdom. To move using every limb and muscle exactly like a lion or like a cobra.

When I finished this article I thought That’s what it was all for? To imitate an animal?!

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I recently accepted a job teaching English to five-year-olds from irreligious homes. A few of them are so smart I keep thinking Those brains need Torah! After repeating the ABCs three times they’ve got it down pat. We take out a little time to talk.