Harry Tries Kung Fu

I love movies. I especially like kung fu movies. And animated movies about insects.

Imagine my delight when I found both of my favorite things in one movie! I’m talking about “Kung Fu Panda,” which I just watched on DVD. Technically, the movie is about a panda bear named Po, but it’s the other members of the Furious Five that caught my attention. There’s even a character named Mantis who uses a style of fighting called—wait for it—Northern Praying Mantis!

That movie inspired me. Why couldn’t I be a master of Northern Praying Mantis style kung fu? I’m Chinese. And I’m a praying mantis. It should come really naturally to me. It doesn’t look that hard when Jackie Chan and Jet Li do it.

Well, let me tell you that it’s a lot tougher than it looks in the movies. In fact, it’s ridiculously hard. Apparently a real kung fu master is supposed to devote years and years to nothing but mastering the art. There’s all sorts of meditation and practicing and even dieting involved.

I guess I’m more like Po than Mantis. I like to eat. A lot. And I’m way too busy having fun to make time for an intense training regimen right now. I think I’ll stick to watching kung fu movies instead.