There Are no Secrets

[red5angel]

Keeping my thoughts to myself also denies important perhaps crucial for my comrades growth. Even if someone would be hurt by my words, the fact that we are on the same spiritual path recquires me to help them - and me - to become stronger.
The obligation to help your comrade grow and become strong recquires courage, but the closed heart denies itself the path."

This is from a book called There Are No Secrets by Wolfe Lowenthal on Professor Cheng Man-ch'ing. The word comrade is loosely translated means spiritual brother, or as the professor pointed out, kungu brothers.

[reneritchie]

Anything you haven't been told is a secret. Some are meaningless, some have great import. "Practice" is often a secret. Details can also be secrets. The difference between 85 degrees and 83 degrees can be a secret.

BTW - The saying is interesting, but pre-supposes there is insight to be shared and gained. Maybe his words will retard his "brother's" growth? In general, though, I think sharing is great because, right or wrong, it encourages thought. Maybe I have something to learn, maybe you or someone else. As long as we're open and genuinely interested in improving, then we can benefit (though the signal to noise ratio can sometimes nullify this).

Peace,

RR

[red5angel]

I think of it as especially applicable to training partners as the more you help them along thier path, the more you can follow down your path.

[anerlich]

Keeping my thoughts to myself also denies important perhaps crucial for my comrades growth.

In your case, the chances of that happening appear infinitesimal :D

I wrote an essay on Rene's site about "Secrets". Sometimes it is in the students' best interests for information to be withheld until the appropriate time.

This has been made most evident to me in a BJJ context, but is equally applicable to WC no doubt.

Every technique in BJJ has a counter, but my instructors have been very careful not to teach counters to techniques until the student has gained proficiency in the technique itself. Only when the instructor sees the majority of students pulling off the technique regularly in free rolling is the counter introduced.

Why? If you know how to counter the technique before you apply yourself to learning it, you're not going to commit yourself to learning it properly. If your attempts to apply the technique are continually countered, you are never going to becime good at applying that technique. And conversely, if your traning parners are not good at applying the technique, you will be robbed of the opportunity to learn to counter it really well also.

The instructor can also teach a technique or training regimen to only one or two students, to give the rest of the class an opportunity to problem solve. "Why is he cleaning you all up? What can you do to handle it"?

I'm well aware that "secrets" and the knowledge of their concealment can be abused and result in manipulation, emotional blackmail, etc., but the control of provision of information to the student is a valid tool in teaching and can work in the students' best interests.

[gnugear]

Wasn't the third form traditionally a "secret"? Interestingly enough, it's also filled with counters.

[Alpha Dog]

Originally posted by anerlich
...the control of provision of information to the student is a valid tool in teaching and can work in the students' best interests.

Well put.

[Martial Joe]

Anything you haven't been told is a secret.


What you talkin about Willis?

[Grendel]

Originally posted by Martial Joe


If Wing Chun was a man, he would be The Man...



Cool Sig, Joe.

Regards,

[Martial Joe]

Thanks Grundel...:D :rolleyes:

[red5angel]

Anerlich says - "I wrote an essay on Rene's site about "Secrets". Sometimes it is in the students' best interests for information to be withheld until the appropriate time. "

I agree, this is a very good point, and well explained.

[yuanfen]

I agree. I see the light. I am so excited. Glory be.

[Grendel]

Originally posted by reneritchie
Anything you haven't been told is a secret. Some are meaningless, some have great import.
This is so true to be almost profound. I learn new Wing Chun "secrets" every day of practice, usually imparted by my Sifu or Sihengs/Sijes. It's secret to you until you learn it.

So, while an honest teacher shares "all" with the teacher's students, it is a time consuming process. Furthermore, no teacher knows everything, not even everything that Yip Man knew.

Leung Sheung told Ken Chung, he thought that he had about 85 percent of Yip Man's Wing Chun. Ken says he thinks he may have gotten about the same percentage of LS' Wing Chun. I believe that perhaps among all of Yip Man's many students, some things were probably lost.

Can the "secrets" be recovered? Of course, but it doesn't mean that every Tom, ****, or Mo can declare themselves a master and start inventing random things to the betterment of the art. IMHO, it is better to attempt to convey to the best of one's ability, the whole art that one recieves, while recognizing that in the realm of human effort, this isn't a perfect process.