My biggest challenges during my year in Shengjing Shan #2
Staying motivated and the secret of self-discipline
In this article I would like to share with you what means kung fu for training as well as for life in general and what for me is the key to motivation and perseverance.
I am quite proud to share that I attended every class during my stay at the martial arts school. Honestly, I never questioned whether I should go to class or not, no matter how tired I felt.
The meaning of Kung Fu
My teacher in Beijing once told me: “Kung Fu is not difficult; actually, everyone can learn it.” But the real challenge is to persist in training — every single day, consistently. In Germany, I was told that Kung Fu means hard work. Qu Shifu explained to me a different meaning: time. Everything is right, and everything makes sense. To master Kung Fu, you need time, persistence, and hard work. That’s why mindset, inner motivation, and attitude towards training are the most important.
I’ve seen many students, whether in China or Germany, lose their motivation. They get bored doing the same exercises, feel exhausted, tired, or just don’t want to push themselves anymore. I would be lying if I said I never had these thoughts. I had them—many times. Especially when the body gets tired, the mind tends to follow. And when the mind is tired, the body feels tired too.
Of course, not every day is perfect. Nobody feels 100% all the time. But if you’re truly passionate about something, there’s always something inside you that pushes you forward. I love training and martial arts, and I have the will to keep going. That’s why I can train almost every day.
Motivate the body and the mind will follow.
It’s not just about training or Kung Fu. The same principle applies to everything we do in life. Let me tell you a short story from my own experience.
Sometimes, you face big decisions, and it can feel very difficult because you’re unsure of what to do. From my perspective, there are two main reasons why we struggle with making decisions. The first is that you don’t know what you want. The second is that you do know what you want, but there are many voices in your head telling you that you can’t do it—that you should follow what everyone else expects or thinks. This inner conflict can leave you feeling paralyzed. I’ve felt that way many times.
Follow your heart
After finishing my master’s thesis, I decided to take a break and go abroad. At that time, I was struggling with what I truly wanted. Studying chemistry no longer felt right, and my desire to switch to a job that works with the body and pursue martial arts as a profession grew stronger. When I read an article about a girl training Kung Fu in China, I knew that’s what I wanted. Suddenly, everything became clear and easy. I arranged my visa, booked my flight, and committed fully. I was so determined that nobody questioned my decision.
On the other hand, when I signed the contract for my doctoral studies, I felt sick. There was no joy, nothing. My body and mind felt heavy. I was doing a job that no longer brought me happiness, and after three months, I knew I had to stop.
I have a good intuition and a strong sense of what’s right for me. But following that feeling isn’t always easy, especially when society’s idea of “normal” life—owning a nice flat or house, having a partner, a well-paid job—has been told to you since childhood.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do – Steve Jobs
To conclude, I want to share something I tell myself whenever I face an important decision:
Always follow your heart. Trust that inner drive, that motivation. When you do, you won’t need to force yourself to be disciplined—your inner motivation will naturally carry you forward. And I believe that if we do this, we can live lives that truly fit us. You should be happy with your life—your life—and not live according to someone else’s expectations.
I found my passion in martial arts, what is yours?