The Modern American Family: Adapting to a Shifting Landscape

The past several generations have witnessed the transformation of the American family and the momentous changes in our conception of marriage. What continue to endure are the ideals of respect, discipline and love that create values transcending all cultures and time periods. Once you have been introduced to the physical beauty of Wing Tsun Kung Fu, many of the values practiced in the martial art can be transferred to the world of the modern family.

First off, let’s define family law in a changing context. Rare is the television show that tackles this subject more effectively than Modern Family. The sitcom chronicles the tribulations of three separate households tied together through the traditional nuclear family. However, we have seen the combination of many different types of families all celebrated on the small screen. With characters like Gloria and Mitchell, the legal concept of step-parentage has been explored, as has the difficulties of inter-ethnic marriage.

Now let’s move forward to Wing Tsun Kung Fu, which at its most basic level is designed to help those who practice the art to become more self-aware. However, as with the changing nature of the American family, the allegiances that one forms through the practice of martial arts allow for transferring problems into other realities. Your kung fu instructor does not have to be a licensed therapist to understand the relationship dynamics of families, however.

While it has often been said that the five basic elements of teaching Wing Tsun Kung Fu include respect, discipline, courtesy, loyalty and trustworthiness, what they really add up to is the formation of a strong family unit. What are five dynamic values that, when employed correctly, form the basis for a solid family? Like many family therapists, martial artists understand that sometimes the main problem in familial units is establishing clear and concise boundaries. If a mother has a child who cannot share their toys, she often walks them through the steps of understanding why they cannot take a toy away from a sibling, which allows them to understand the meaning of respecting that personal property.

In the same way, the Wing Tsun Kung Fu master will tell his student to respect the power of the martial art. It is the same reasoning. There are no definitive answers in these matters, although we have seen how sometimes dysfunctional families do make things work. The idea is that instead of making those arrangements out of necessity, we can set down our own boundaries that help us to become strong and individual.

The question arises, how can martial arts help to form happy families or create more stable environments in households? For instance, where a wing chun practitioner is learning to relax their body with each level of skill building, we can learn to bring those lessons forward in life. If a father is frustrated by the way that the son or daughter is acting out at home or at school, he may think back to his time with band muay thai and how he used breathing and memory techniques to build strength, flexibility and grace of movement. He may decide to employ a similar strategy in helping his children realize that sometimes the way they are carrying themselves is harming their relationships. That is just one way of using martial arts in your family life.

Overall, the values of Kung Fu can have a positive impact on everyone in the family. In a world where size differs, we can find strength by adapting our behaviors to what works for us as individuals. Family law in a changing context has brought about many different ways for people to address the many problems they face, both within and without. The focus on the allowance of marriage is a reflection of how we adapt to the changing world around us, recognizing that ideas are evolving and we cannot live in the reality of the past.

Today’s traditional practices like martial arts can change in context to reflect the realities of our lives, while acknowledging that families can live together in many different ways. As we learn adaptability and perseverance from martial arts, we can improve our quality of life as we see fit.