My philosophy is that one never stops being a student of Tiger Crane, as the world of kungfu holds infinite resources to plunder and grow through. This means one should never stop learning and maintaining the humble persona required to accept instruction.
Training in kungfu reflects on everything I do in my life. You have to put in the hard work to get the results; it’s as simple as that. With kungfu, every time you think you are getting somewhere, the boundaries you initially saw move away from you, as you are able to see further into the style and realise that there is so much more to learn. In kungfu, no matter how good you get you can always be better, and there’s so much more to do in order to get better. The golden rule is you have to put in the work and practice, and no one can do that for you.
I study Tiger Crane kungfu and related styles of Tiger and Crane that may or have had a bearing on the development of the style over past decades. I spend much of my time researching further into kungfu and talking to many senior members of the global martial arts community about my style of kungfu, its history, principles, techniques and applications.
I train every day in the UK, working on his patterns, which are the foundations of Southern Crane Kungfu, plus hard and soft Chi Kung. I also train with Master’s in China to further my skill and grow my knowledge to make myself a better martial artist, and a better teacher. I have also graded in China, gaining my Second Dan under the National Wushu Committee from Beijing. This was in Yongchun District, Fujian Province.
But it isn’t all about grading, nor is it about collecting patterns. It is about being the best that you can be, and working towards that. Kungfu is a lifelong journey. Don’t forget that. There is always someone out there that knows more.
Darren Trottman
Chief Instructor
Southern Crane Kungfu
