Gaura
08-03-2004, 11:07 AM
There has been a good deal of talk about why students don't get the proper training at WL. My former Sifu said that it was because students can't handle proper training...they are Americans and incapable of enduring the rigours of real kung fu. Now....this begs the question, is WL a martial art or a corporation like any other that caters to the slack-jawed, SUVdriving-cell phone addicted-pill popping masses? Does tai chi have a purpose apart from being some kitchy unique new age relaxation technique? Have we reduced kung fu to tai bo?
If a student can't handle the training, should he really be a student? If only a few good students can't sustain the lifestyle to which a teacher has become accustomed, should he really be making a living at it?
...and one more question....is it ethical for a teacher to require a student to pay money AND insist that they "volunteer" whatever they can of their talents/skills/free time to the school? Is that the "traditional" way of a kung fu master? I really expected something more enlightened...it sounds so...typically American.
If a student can't handle the training, should he really be a student? If only a few good students can't sustain the lifestyle to which a teacher has become accustomed, should he really be making a living at it?
...and one more question....is it ethical for a teacher to require a student to pay money AND insist that they "volunteer" whatever they can of their talents/skills/free time to the school? Is that the "traditional" way of a kung fu master? I really expected something more enlightened...it sounds so...typically American.