The hierarchy within a family, sect, or organization of Chinese martial arts is based on that of the family. Most everyone has heard the term 師父-- "si-fu" (Cantonese) or "shi fu" (Mandarin) -- before. 師 means "teacher" or "master, and 父 means "father". Therefore, a 師父 is a teacher-father. This should not be confused with 師傅, which is used to address or refer to someone as a master or expert in a particular area of skillful work, and not just within martial arts.
Along with your 師父, you have 師兄弟 (si-hing-dai), et cetera. I wonder sometimes if the meaning behind these relations are often lost in the modern world. Perhaps it has to do with the proliferation and commercialization of martial arts, where individuals undergo less scrutiny before being accepted as a 徒弟 (to-dai) and become part of the "family." But perhaps this is just an extension of the family paradigm that had been chosen; you don't choose your parents or your siblings. Families have those members we think of as black sheep. So it is the same with martial art families.
Looking at the positive side of things, apart from having a 師父, many are fortunate to have their 師兄, 師伯(公), 師叔(公), and 師公 help to oversee and guide them along their path of learning and improvement. I am blessed to be one of those people. I wish everyone pursuing their martial art dreams will find such good fortune as well.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Monday, April 2, 2007
Reinventing the wheel
is there ever a time when it's good to "reinvent the wheel?" i think yes. it is often employed in schools and other teaching environments to help with a student's development, to give him the experience of struggle and discovery.
when it doesn't make sense, in my opinion, is when the wheel exists but you choose not to consult the experts who've already built it, or who were taught how to build it by previous experts. save for the very few true geniuses throughout history, to reach mastery of any subject or art requires guidance from someone who's already been there. otherwise, you're taking a long and difficult exam with no answer key to consult. then, of course, it is very easy to be pleased with one's self and one's answers.
and for those of you who are (or would like to think you are) such geniuses, would your time not be better spent learning from a master and then taking your newfound knowledge and developing it even further? to go into uncharted territories and truly have a challenge worthy of your genius?
obviously i speak of ideal scenarios, devoid of real-world obstacles, financial constraints, and politics. for those who have these challenges more as excuses than legitimate problems, your chosen path of "least resistance" may prove to be a more short and turbulent ride than expected.
when it doesn't make sense, in my opinion, is when the wheel exists but you choose not to consult the experts who've already built it, or who were taught how to build it by previous experts. save for the very few true geniuses throughout history, to reach mastery of any subject or art requires guidance from someone who's already been there. otherwise, you're taking a long and difficult exam with no answer key to consult. then, of course, it is very easy to be pleased with one's self and one's answers.
and for those of you who are (or would like to think you are) such geniuses, would your time not be better spent learning from a master and then taking your newfound knowledge and developing it even further? to go into uncharted territories and truly have a challenge worthy of your genius?
obviously i speak of ideal scenarios, devoid of real-world obstacles, financial constraints, and politics. for those who have these challenges more as excuses than legitimate problems, your chosen path of "least resistance" may prove to be a more short and turbulent ride than expected.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Insecurity
from dictionary.com:
in martial arts, a practitioner must feel secure that the art he is studying is a proper match for his personality, goals, and potential. furthermore, a student of an art must feel secure that his classmates and instructor either share or acknowledge the goals that he seeks, and can assist him in his journey. i find it to be especially important that the instructor takes a genuine interest in educating and guiding his students, or at least those that truly wish to learn. and thus, such an instructor must make his students aware that this is indeed the case, to save them the anguish they might suffer from doubts and insecurity.
there is no question that a teacher must feel secure in the art he trains and teaches--insecure teachers are more liable to deceive their students, fearing that their students will come to the realization that the teacher or art is lacking. unfortunate effects of this include negative attention being drawn to other styles or instructors--attempts to divert attention away from the insecure teacher's own feelings of inadequacy. little does the teacher realize the (sometimes blind) devotion of his students, who take his every word to heart. the students thus imitate their teacher, consciously or sub-consciously, and make a habit of bad-mouthing others.
a worthwhile goal, then, would be to eliminate one's own insecurities. WingTsun can be a vehicle for achieving this goal (though by no means the only one). through our constant training with a partner, especially in chi sau, we learn how others' actions affect us, and how our actions affect others. we learn how to react only to those things that matter (e.g.--attacks that could cause damage), and even in those circumstances, to react efficiently and avoid complicated solutions. through training one can achieve a heightened awareness and control of one's own body and being. sufficiently understanding one's self and one's body (and their limitations) results in a calming and reassuring sense of identity--and thus security.
so what does insecurity have to do with 詠春拳? i believe that in martial arts, as in life, insecurity is the cause of all politics and interpersonal problems. i have trouble seeing a factor that drives a person to intentionally inflict physical or verbal harm on another living being that cannot be traced back to the aggressor's own insecurity. (yes, there is revenge, but revenge is a response to a harmful act, which can also be linked back to an initial harmful act caused by insecurity.)in·se·cu·ri·ty [in-si-kyoor-i-tee]
–noun, plural -ties.
1. lack of confidence or assurance; self-doubt: He is plagued by insecurity.
2. the quality or state of being insecure; instability: the insecurity of her financial position.
3. something insecure: the many insecurities of life.
—Synonyms 2. precariousness, shakiness, vulnerability.
in martial arts, a practitioner must feel secure that the art he is studying is a proper match for his personality, goals, and potential. furthermore, a student of an art must feel secure that his classmates and instructor either share or acknowledge the goals that he seeks, and can assist him in his journey. i find it to be especially important that the instructor takes a genuine interest in educating and guiding his students, or at least those that truly wish to learn. and thus, such an instructor must make his students aware that this is indeed the case, to save them the anguish they might suffer from doubts and insecurity.
there is no question that a teacher must feel secure in the art he trains and teaches--insecure teachers are more liable to deceive their students, fearing that their students will come to the realization that the teacher or art is lacking. unfortunate effects of this include negative attention being drawn to other styles or instructors--attempts to divert attention away from the insecure teacher's own feelings of inadequacy. little does the teacher realize the (sometimes blind) devotion of his students, who take his every word to heart. the students thus imitate their teacher, consciously or sub-consciously, and make a habit of bad-mouthing others.
a worthwhile goal, then, would be to eliminate one's own insecurities. WingTsun can be a vehicle for achieving this goal (though by no means the only one). through our constant training with a partner, especially in chi sau, we learn how others' actions affect us, and how our actions affect others. we learn how to react only to those things that matter (e.g.--attacks that could cause damage), and even in those circumstances, to react efficiently and avoid complicated solutions. through training one can achieve a heightened awareness and control of one's own body and being. sufficiently understanding one's self and one's body (and their limitations) results in a calming and reassuring sense of identity--and thus security.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Praising Spring
as the spring equinox (for those residing in the northern hemisphere) is upon us, a quick look at what 詠春拳 means.
拳 (kuen) is used to denote a style of fighting.
詠春, according to legend, was a person's name. the individual characters themselves have the following meanings:
詠 = to praise
春 = spring
as nice and perfect it would be if 詠春 had a deeper meaning, it does not. no eternal youth or eternal springtime (surprisingly widespread misconception due to 永, which means forever, being mistaken for 詠).
perhaps it's fitting, considering that the names of the movements in 詠春拳 are what they are, without decoration or hidden meanings. it is just as well that our founders spent time developing this amazing martial art system rather than trying to come up with a creative name.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
60 years
today Grandmaster Leung Ting celebrates his 60th birthday. since many people have heard or read things about him and formed opinions without actually meeting or knowing him, i would like to say a few words here about him.
Grandmaster Leung Ting has worked tirelessly for over 40 years to develop, teach, and promote WingTsun. one of the things about him that struck me (insert joke on getting hit by his fist, etc.) was how much he loves WingTsun. i consider myself to love WingTsun, but when i saw how much effort and enthusiasm GMLT put into teaching a brand new beginner, after over three decades of teaching, it made me realize why he has been so successful. he loves WingTsun, and his passion and goal has been to promote, develop, and grow WingTsun. he does not tell you how great he is or why he is the best; he tells you how great WingTsun is and why it works well and makes logical sense. the problem of overbearing egos exists across all martial arts, and pretty much all areas of life. i will even draw criticism to individuals within the IWTA, who also make the self-centered choice of trying to promote themselves instead of promoting WingTsun.
in the long run, nearly all of us will no longer matter in the history of 詠春拳. but Grandmaster Leung Ting's impact and influence has already been written into history. so hopefully, on this day that marks 60 years since his birth, he understands that, despite all the doubters and haters, there are those of us who respect and appreciate all he has done for the art of 詠春拳.
Grandmaster Leung Ting has worked tirelessly for over 40 years to develop, teach, and promote WingTsun. one of the things about him that struck me (insert joke on getting hit by his fist, etc.) was how much he loves WingTsun. i consider myself to love WingTsun, but when i saw how much effort and enthusiasm GMLT put into teaching a brand new beginner, after over three decades of teaching, it made me realize why he has been so successful. he loves WingTsun, and his passion and goal has been to promote, develop, and grow WingTsun. he does not tell you how great he is or why he is the best; he tells you how great WingTsun is and why it works well and makes logical sense. the problem of overbearing egos exists across all martial arts, and pretty much all areas of life. i will even draw criticism to individuals within the IWTA, who also make the self-centered choice of trying to promote themselves instead of promoting WingTsun.
in the long run, nearly all of us will no longer matter in the history of 詠春拳. but Grandmaster Leung Ting's impact and influence has already been written into history. so hopefully, on this day that marks 60 years since his birth, he understands that, despite all the doubters and haters, there are those of us who respect and appreciate all he has done for the art of 詠春拳.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
i train, therefore i am satisfied
any 詠春拳 enthusiast that has searched the internet to further their love and understanding of the art has undoubtedly stumbled upon many civilized discussions on the virtues and areas of improvement of various masters' and grandmasters' interpretations and development of 詠春拳. (italics denote words of sarcasm)
particularly visible examples are unavoidable on YouTube where, as the cliché goes, everybody's a critic. the disappointing thing is that the true criticism is outweighed by outright slandering. i am all for freedom of speech, but it grows tiring reading the same things over and over again. it would be nice to read about the differences in approach other styles have, and perhaps learn something from one another. the only common thread i see is that there is a lot of hatred and bad history. perhaps the blame falls largely on our instructors, who perpetuate the politics of the past.
so here is the challenge i present to all who claim to study 詠春拳. the challenge is not a combatitive one, but an individual one. to reflect on one's self. why not follow the principles of 詠春拳; to flow and react--and not to be preoccupied by the forceful resistance of the negative energies of your perceived opponents and yourself?
we all would like to believe (to varying degrees) that our style is "the best." but arguing about it on the internet is a war that can never be won, so why waste so much energy and time trying to convince others to your point of view? unless perhaps, subconsciously, it's not others that you are trying to convince.
particularly visible examples are unavoidable on YouTube where, as the cliché goes, everybody's a critic. the disappointing thing is that the true criticism is outweighed by outright slandering. i am all for freedom of speech, but it grows tiring reading the same things over and over again. it would be nice to read about the differences in approach other styles have, and perhaps learn something from one another. the only common thread i see is that there is a lot of hatred and bad history. perhaps the blame falls largely on our instructors, who perpetuate the politics of the past.
so here is the challenge i present to all who claim to study 詠春拳. the challenge is not a combatitive one, but an individual one. to reflect on one's self. why not follow the principles of 詠春拳; to flow and react--and not to be preoccupied by the forceful resistance of the negative energies of your perceived opponents and yourself?
we all would like to believe (to varying degrees) that our style is "the best." but arguing about it on the internet is a war that can never be won, so why waste so much energy and time trying to convince others to your point of view? unless perhaps, subconsciously, it's not others that you are trying to convince.
Monday, January 1, 2007
i blog, therefore i am
greetings. for my inaugural post, i would like to introduce this blog (and through it, you can likely infer some things about me).
as both thinking and doing are requisite acts for learning, i naturally look for outlets to satisfy both these activities. to clarify, when i refer to thinking i don't just mean the solo act of thinking, but also the group act (ie--discussions). class is as suitable as any environment for doing. thinking is satisfied to some degree through discourse with classmates and instructors both in and outside of class; however, for me, pondering WingTsun has come to occupy any "idle" moments my mind has--when not preoccupied with work, friends, or other activities, all brain cells drift toward thoughts of WingTsun.
some of these thoughts aren't necessarily suitable for conversation, but instead serve as good "exercise" for the brain, to ponder the reasons why things are the way they are in the world of WingTsun. so here i share with you my thoughts, so perhaps you can take a similar mental journey, and we can all find within ourselves a better understanding of why we choose to be students of this beautiful art.
as both thinking and doing are requisite acts for learning, i naturally look for outlets to satisfy both these activities. to clarify, when i refer to thinking i don't just mean the solo act of thinking, but also the group act (ie--discussions). class is as suitable as any environment for doing. thinking is satisfied to some degree through discourse with classmates and instructors both in and outside of class; however, for me, pondering WingTsun has come to occupy any "idle" moments my mind has--when not preoccupied with work, friends, or other activities, all brain cells drift toward thoughts of WingTsun.
some of these thoughts aren't necessarily suitable for conversation, but instead serve as good "exercise" for the brain, to ponder the reasons why things are the way they are in the world of WingTsun. so here i share with you my thoughts, so perhaps you can take a similar mental journey, and we can all find within ourselves a better understanding of why we choose to be students of this beautiful art.
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