Master Fung’s Legacy

Master Fung’s Legacy 

By appearance, no one would ever think Master Fung was an expert in martial arts. He was short, slender in build, and was very humble in his manner. Outside of his five pupils, no one in the town he lived in knew of his skill.

Fung never possessed a formal training hall. Instead he chose to teach his students secretly in the early morning in the mountains. He never took any money from his disciples, so he lived a very quiet life living off the land.

After one morning of training, one of the five said,“Master Fung, you are a great master of the martial arts but we are the only ones who know it.”

The master smiled and said,“What are you hinting at?”

Bowing his head, the student replied, “You could be a great success in our community by opening up a formal training hall. You could have many students and lots of money. Then everyone would respect you, just as we do. You could be a great success.”
The other four students nodded their heads in agreement.

Master Fung laughed, “Do you think the picture you are painting makes a martial arts master a success?”

They all shrugged their shoulders.

Again, Master Fung replied,“No, I don’t have many students. I don’t have a training hall. I am not known as a great master in my community, but that is not how I envision success.”
Then another student asked, “Then how do you see success, Sir?”

Fung bowed his head to his disciples, and said,“The measure of success is not in what you possess. My success will be in the five of you someday. You are my legacy.”

After fifteen years, Master Fung died, but he knew he had given his students what they needed to carry on his art.Then they established five schools of martial arts throughout the region and multiplied the legacy of Master Fung’s success.