As a family

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.