Chi Ku – Eating Bitter

In times past, when someone wanted to learn Chinese martial arts from a master, the master would ask, “Can you eat bitter?” Chi Ku (吃苦), or Eating Bitter, refers to being able to endure both physical and mental hardships.

While we can be enthralled by the artistry of outward movements, explosive skills, and flashing swords, what is important to realize is that the path that paves the way to such skills requires not succumbing to the rigors of hard training.

The premise of building a strong, resilient body fosters a strong will; this enables you to go beyond physical exhaustion and persevere in making one more repetition, to push your stretch a bit further, to hold your Horse Stance one more minute. The late Great Grandmaster, Ye Yuting, referred to the severity of this sort of training as Ku Lian, or bitter training. Ku Lian requires mental persistence and physical endurance. The two cannot be separated.

While the Shifu or Master leads the class and prods you to try harder, the ability to perform or the failure to do so is self-imposed. And because it is imperative to understand that all training is aimed at helping you acquire the ability to face your opponent in an unprovoked confrontation that will require you to engage in actual combat, failure is not an option. Hence, you press on; you learn to Eat Bitter.

Eating Bitter is embodied in the following adage: “Mo Shi Zhi, Lian Shi Ti, Qiang Shi Xin,” or Temper the Will, Train the Body, and Have a Steadfast Heart. This exemplifies the objective of Ku Lian. Like a sheathed sword, these intangibles are hidden within you and can be drawn upon when needed.

The self-control and resolve that you acquire by accepting the need to Eat Bitter will ultimately prepare you not only to be resolute in facing your enemy, but, perhaps more important, you will have developed a tenacious and unyielding spirit that prepares you to face and overcome the adversities and challenges of daily life.