Five Elements Master Class- An Article by Rajan Allenby (8 years old) Worthing WCMA

On Saturday I went to a Kung Fu master class on the Five Elements. Because the master class is two hours, you get to learn stuff you don’t normally learn in class.

Our Chief Instructor Russell Suthern said the point of the five elements is to make connections between different Kung Fu moves.

The five elements are:

• Metal – like looking at yourself in a shiny piece of metal like they used to use for mirrors in the olden days
• Wood – your legs are the roots, your body is the trunk, your arms are the branches and your hands are the twigs and leaves
• Water – your hands and your arms are like a tidal wave (a tsunami)
• Fire – your arms and hands shoot up like flames
• Earth – your hands and arms smash down like they are hitting the earth

There are two cycles, which are the destructive cycle and the creative cycle. These cycles are different ways of representing different moves and connections.

The master class was really fun and I think all of us there really enjoyed it. I liked learning about the philosophy as well as the moves. Some of the moves were really deadly – one of them could shatter your arm – don’t use them except in class!

In White Crane, it’s not all about fighting…it’s about taking in the ideas and learning them with your body. If you learnt for 10 years, there would still be loads left to learn – that’s why it’s so great!

Rajan Allenby

Worthing WCMA