respect for your sifu and the art

[weakstudent]

i've only been a member of this forum for a little while. but i read alot of things that really bother me coming from my wing chun brother and sisters. i mean the first thing that you are taught in any MA class is to respect your style and never talk bad about other styles and instructors.but i read negitive thing here all the time. i just wondering does anyone writing these things sifu know what they are doing. when negative things are written by someone learning wing chun it bring the whole art down. and it breaks my heart.by the way are there any sifus of wing chun on this forum. if so please respond so we can learn the meaning of respect . i thank everyone for there time in reading this post.

nelson

[EmptyCup]

I agree that respect is always a good thing. One must always respect his sifu and his art. However, that doesn't mean you allow yourself to be blinded or to delude yourself. You can have respect but realize reality as well. If you were taught wrong math by your Calculus teacher, would you refrain from acknowledging his mistake or if another teacher was teaching his students wrong, would you refrain from telling your friends that they are being taught wrong?

Martial arts is no different. It is only different because many people still cling to the old concepts that one's sifu is not merely one's teacher but a higher authority who is your master and your second father. This is a very old way of thinking, a ancient mentality. Things progress and improve. Racial equality. Sexual equality. There is no more "white man over slave" or "men over women". In this modern age, respect should still be there, but that doesn't mean your sifu must be perfect or your style immune from scrutiny. That is how you improve your style or how you improve your teaching.

Remember, you pay for your lessons. It is a business transaction. You exchanged hard-earned cash for the product called Martial Arts. If you bought a faulty car, would you hesitate to criticize the salesman, or the company?

Just my two cents worth...

No offense intended or taken :)

[weakstudent]

empty cup thanks for responding no offense taken

[mun hung]

If you think that learning Kung Fu from your SiFu is some sort of business transaction - I think you've got the wrong idea. Exchange "some hard-earned cash for Martial Arts?" Like buying a car??? It sounds like you're "just a customer". It's this line of thinking that turns kwoons into commercial McWingchun schools. People pay and expect to be "given" something. Kwoons turn into businesses - student into customers. Just great.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I do feel that my SiFu is my secondary father. Not because I have to, but because I look up to him and respect him - just like my father. I don't feel that this is a "very old way of thinking" or "an ancient mentality". It is a traditional way of thinking. And there's nothing wrong in tradition.

[kungfu cowboy]

As with most things, it should be an equal and healthy blend of both attitudes, I think.

[Gandolf269]

The way I read the original post, WeakStudent is talking about trashing other sifu's and styles. Is this correct?
If it is - I agree that there is to much trashing of other sifu's/styles. But I really hate to see WT vs. VT vs. WC cr@p. Politics suck and so do politicians.
If Weakstudent is talking about trash talking your own sifu and/or style then my question is "why are you still taking lessons under that sifu." I agree that you shouldn't blindly follow anyone and that you should question what is being taught. If you find that you disagree with the majority of what you're learning then find another sifu or style.
In reality we get more from our sifu's than we actually pay for and that's a good Return On Iinvestment if you want to look at that way.

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'...and China is still serving rice in Tibet!'

[JasBourne]

Respect is always earned.

:D

[unclaimed effort]

I agree with you. Although, we lose a lot of tolerance from going on the forums too much. And yes, the forum is addicting!

[weakstudent]

gandolf269 is right on target, sorry if i miss lead anyone. i feel a forum is a place to exchange ideas and help promote the arts not bash them. and one reminder its not the art but the person behind the art. becuase if you can fight you can fight nomatter what the style do you agree.

nelson

[EmptyCup]

I think kungfu cowboy is right...there must be a balance. Mun Hung, there is NOTHING wrong with respect, but one must not take it to extremes. In the old days, sifus would accept from the student a red pocket which would basically be a hefty sum and for most, their life savings. They would live with their sifu and serve him hand and foot. They would obey all his commands and not question ever. I doubt your relationship with your sifu is one such as this.

Instead, I'm betting that you pay your monthy fees, go to class once or twice a week and go home to your family and job. Respecting your sifu has nothing to do with recognizing certain things which you might not agree with. If you sifu was a triad leader and told you to go chop someone (and many TCM teachers have underworld connections), would you go do it because you RESPECT him?

I mean, if students never questioned techniques they were taught and accepted everything blindly, then they would be robots and systems would never have changed. Wing Chun would have never existed. Yip Man would not have changed his techniques. We would all be doing the EXACT system the founders of Shaolin kung fu were doing from day one. That is not the case. Do you know why?

And as for the other comment, just because someone finds fault with some things his sifu teaches doesn't mean he should leave and follow someone else. NO TEACHER IS PERFECT and you'll never find a perfect teacher. You might find that you agree with him 99% of the time but recognizing that you do not 1% of the time doesn't mean you do not respect him or that you should look elsewhere...

[Gandolf269]

Empty Cup, I didn't say that you should find another teacher if you disagree with something he/she said. What I said was 'If you find that you disagree with the majority of what you're learning then find another sifu or style.' Key word "majority". Sorry for the confusion.
:cool:

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'...and China is still serving rice in Tibet!'

[EmptyCup]

Gandolf269, I just skimmed over your post before replying and then read it in more detail after. I then realized that I mis-understood what you said but left my message unchanged because there are those out there that feel that way. Sorry about that :)

[whippinghand]

... know the meaning of "respect".