Training Under A Sifu Or A Grandmaster?

[MARTIALSTUDANT]

What is the diff if you train under a sifu vs a grandmaster?

[scholar]

How much money he charges? :D

[Sifu Darkfist]

Your direct teacher is always your Master. or Sifu, "father teacher". His teacher is always your Grandmaster or SiYue grandfather teacher "fathers father".
So in essence you always train under both unless you are loyal to a master and he sends you for a training period to the grandmaster and you return.

To confuse you further, if you leave your master for his master the man becomes your master.

Your students call your master Grandmaster so again you are training under a man that has both titles.

You see the west has perverted these titles into a quasi ranking system that really has simple functional meaning.

A grandmaster that only teaches one form for 50 years that has students with students is still a grandmaster regardless of how many of this or that he knows or teaches.

Also the man that trains simple effective movements for fifty years is always a man to be feared, because his execution of those move will be flawless.

Consequently, even in the perverted western interpretation "or comercial application that older man of simplicity still qualifies as grandmaster
:eek:

[David Jamieson]

No difference. Who ever is your teacher is your teacher.
You still learn, they still teach.

[Meklorien]

All posts right so far. Getting to learn from the grandmaster is an honor reserved for students who show the appropriate attitude and respect of their sifu.

Leaving your sifu to train with his sifu is confusing to me. If his sifu accepts you as a student it is a slap in the face to student who was your sifu. However, there are special situations, I imagine where it would be appropriate.

The only different from a quality point of view would be learning from an even more experienced teacher than your immediate sifu. It is a high compliment to be given such an opportunity and usually is reflective of a very good student and a very good teacher as well.

I would say it is a hallmark of a healthy and desireable style where this kindof thing happens.

[jmd161]

What is the diff if you train under a sifu vs a grandmaster?

Whether those below you call you Sibok,Sifu or Si hing:D



jeff:)

[Meat Shake]

IMHE, there is one big difference between a sifu and a grandmaster...
While the grandmaster may spar on seldom occasion, (any worthwhile system will have grandmasters who are all near jeriatrich) most younger sifu will get in the ring and go pretty balls out with you... Least if they are worth their weight they will.

[Ray Pina]

Great grandmaster (founder)

grandmaster

master

student


I've learned that Westerners have abused the title Sifu ... which really denotes a special relationship where the student lives with the teacher and shares in all the responsibilities of maintaining a house. It's more of a father son relationship.

MY master quickly corrected me on this when I brought the habit from western teachers of Kung Fu. Sifu dose not apply so easily in a broad sense as the Japanese use of sensei .... where even a higher ranked fellow students who has been put in charge of teaching should be called sensei.

As for "master," it has as much value as one puts into it. I've been studying martial arts now for 28 years (since I was 4 years old.) In all that time I have only met one man I have referred to as master. It was evident and no other term would apply.... like if all my life I shot hoops on the playground and then received person instruction from Michael Jordan in his prime, and some how he could transmit all his experience so that I could follow it in a way where I find myself heading in a similiar direction.

I've always said it's better to spend 4 years looking for a good teacher and only training with him for one year, then spending one year for a teacher that turns out to be average (or less) and training for four years.

Not much in martial arts is hard to do if you have the discipline. Most problems can be worked out in a few days, concepts can even be internalized in a few weeks or months if you train properly.