A Student Letter of Thanks



From: Dr. Mark Somos
Date: Tue, Mar 11, 2008
Subject: Thank you!
To: clfhungary@gmail.com

Dear Sifu Janos Palhalmi,

I would like to thank you for your Kung Fu instruction and respectfully note an unexpected health benefit. I've been struggling with a herniated disc since 1998, caused by a rowing incident. Over the last 10 years I received a range of various treatments from physiotherapists and chiropractors in the UK, the US, the Netherlands and Hungary. I also spent a substantial amount of money on spinal aids and orthopaedic implements of all kinds, none of which has helped. The exercises shown by the UK physiotherapists did prove efficient at relieving the pain, but they take 60-90 minutes a day to complete and require several aids that one cannot easily travel with or take to work. The effect lasts for 6-8 hours, and the pain is back by the evening.

Last October I joined your excellent Choy Li Fut Kung Fu school. The stances and techniques first felt counterintuitive, and were not always easy to maintain. Yet very soon, as the respective muscles strengthened, the core stabilised - and perhaps I started to make slightly fewer mistakes - I found to my amazement that even the first 15-20 minute of set forms, including the Ng Lun Ma, completely stopped the otherwise constant back pain. Still a total novice, using elementary forms and an imperfect execution, after a 90-minute training session I now remain pain free for 2 or 3 days at a stretch. One can only speculate at the health benefits that more than 4 months or more intensive training in Choy Li Fut Kung Fu can bring.

Again, many thanks for both the instruction and for this unexpected, brilliant gift.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark Somos