What constitutes a Grand Master?

[LFJ]

When studying southern systems, my teachers were addressed as Sifu. When I studied northern styles in Taiwan, both of the teachers I had (one old and the other fairly young) were addressed as 'laoshi' (teacher). I never heard anyone using the title 'Shifu/Sifu'.

I don't often hear Laoshi on the mainland, although sometimes, often when it's like one to one tuition. Usually the head of a martial arts school is the Shifu and anyone teaching under him in the school is the Jiaolian (coach). The terminology has far less connotation of virtually unbeatable, top-level skill, like a football coach. We don't have football masters and grandmasters leading the teams.

[YouKnowWho]

When I studied northern styles in Taiwan, both of the teachers I had (one old and the other fairly young) were addressed as 'laoshi' (teacher). I never heard anyone using the title 'Shifu/Sifu'.

In Taiwan, the term

- Laoshi is used as a "student" to call his teacher.
- Sifu is used as a "disciple" to call his teacher.

If a student is not a formal disciple of his teacher, he can only calls his teacher as Laoshi. He should not call his teacher as Sifu. For example, my long fist teacher is my Laoshi but my Shuai-Chiao teacher is my Sifu.

As far as in China, it may be different.

[Bai Chi]

What constitutes a Grand Master?

Followers willing to call someone a Grand Master. Documents and belts mean nothing without followers who praise the achievement.

[Chun Ki]

What constitutes a Grand Master?

Followers willing to call someone a Grand Master. Documents and belts mean nothing without followers who praise the achievement.

GM Hendrik already has followers who give him praise to his [fabricated] documents. He claims he will reach a thousand students this year alone.
His student base is IWKA.

[PalmStriker]

GrandMaster is a title reserved for those great Kungfu Masters that were born before the turn of the Century. Modern day Kungfu lineages no longer require titles such as this nobel title. Master is sufficient. One should honor the legendary status of the Masters that lived during times of Legendary Deeds and skills unprecedented.

[crazedjustice88]

I'm not a wing chun man but I have my answer hahaha

My sifu, Grandmaster David Chin of the Hop Gar (Ng Yim Ming lineage) and the Original Yang tai chi style (Kuo Yuen-Ling) is held in very high esteem by many people. I personally believe he has the term grandmaster besides having students that have students. When I think of a grandmaster I think of these:

- someone who is battle tested
- someone who has explored every nook and cranny of his art and its obvious to even the newest of people in the field
- someone who is open to something to help his style because that is his/her baby
- someone who is humble and lets other people call him that and never referes to himself as it.

Thats just me though.

[anerlich]

"Grandmaster" IMO is a title that should only be conferred posthumously.

Any live person answering to such a title IMO is a w@nker.

[RenDaHai]

Its simply a confusion in the terminology.

Shifu means literally 'Scholarly-Father' as in someone YOU (and its a personal address) take to be your adoptive father in the scholarly realm. It CAN be translated as master, but master as in the office of authority NOT as in an expert of a skill. These are different uses of the word master in English. It means master in the way you call the school coach the 'games master', or how you are master of your house. As in a position of authority, not a level of skill.

Now of course you could also say someone is a master of kung fu implying skill but that is a different use of the word master. Shifu does NOT confer that. To say that in Chinese you would say 'Haoshou' or 'Wulin Gaoshou' (an master/expert and grandmaster respectively, literally 'high hand').

In such a way ShiYe or any of the other terms, they also imply an office of authority, a kung fu family relation, not a level of skill. As long as you understand this then thats fine. In this way a grandmaster in a school is basically the headmaster.

In the dictionary grandmaster can be defined as the head of an order of chivalry which is kind of what the head of a kung fu clan is, after all the 'Wulin' is a kind of chivalrous fraternity. In such a way the term can be used but one must understand that it does NOT refer to skill but rather to authority. Since this is ambiguous in English I would suggest headmaster as an alternative.


And before anyone gets ideas of having their students refer to them as 'Wulin Gaoshou' this is NOT a title, no one would ever address you as it and you cannot call yourself it, it is used about you in the third person after you have won renown.

[PalmStriker]

The GrandMaster Title of Reservation: http://wingchunpai.com/my-impression...chu-shong-tin/

[Charles S]

Its simply a confusion in the terminology.

Shifu means literally 'Scholarly-Father' as in someone YOU (and its a personal address) take to be your adoptive father in the scholarly realm. It CAN be translated as master, but master as in the office of authority NOT as in an expert of a skill. These are different uses of the word master in English. It means master in the way you call the school coach the 'games master', or how you are master of your house. As in a position of authority, not a level of skill.

Now of course you could also say someone is a master of kung fu implying skill but that is a different use of the word master. Shifu does NOT confer that. To say that in Chinese you would say 'Haoshou' or 'Wulin Gaoshou' (an master/expert and grandmaster respectively, literally 'high hand').

In such a way ShiYe or any of the other terms, they also imply an office of authority, a kung fu family relation, not a level of skill. As long as you understand this then thats fine. In this way a grandmaster in a school is basically the headmaster.

In the dictionary grandmaster can be defined as the head of an order of chivalry which is kind of what the head of a kung fu clan is, after all the 'Wulin' is a kind of chivalrous fraternity. In such a way the term can be used but one must understand that it does NOT refer to skill but rather to authority. Since this is ambiguous in English I would suggest headmaster as an alternative.


And before anyone gets ideas of having their students refer to them as 'Wulin Gaoshou' this is NOT a title, no one would ever address you as it and you cannot call yourself it, it is used about you in the third person after you have won renown.

When I was learning, I was taught Sifu, sigung, then gon gon. I don't know what it means, or what language it is. It just means you have students that have made Sifu level, and one of their students became a Sifu. When you had grand students who made Sifu, you became a leader of your own clan/line. Since wing chun can be absorbed fairly quickly, you have a lot of this. I personally think a grandmaster should be the head of the style. Good luck with that in wing chun

[stonecrusher69]

A Grand Master is some one who is hopefully skilled,knowledgeable,and has many years of experience and is recognized by his peers as such. It should not be politics, or about how bad ass you are and how great your teacher is or what lineage your from. A Grand Master title is something your peers gives to you not your self. I realize this is not how it always works though.

[Grumblegeezer]

A Grand Master is some one who is hopefully skilled,knowledgeable,and has many years of experience and is recognized by his peers as such. It should not be politics, or about how bad ass you are and how great your teacher is or what lineage your from. A Grand Master title is something your peers gives to you not your self. I realize this is not how it always works though.

IMO all the above is what a "Master" is. The term "Grandmaster" seems excessive somehow. In some arts rank inflation has reached the point where living individuals refer to themselves as "Great Grandmaster". That's really over the top.

[Phil Redmond]

Ok fair comment so what constitutes a extremely high calibre teacher? I hate marketing as much as the next guy, but in fairness there needs to some order in classes/kwoons/organisations etc!

There is nothing wrong with marketing. That's how business can make money. There is nothing wrong with a martial arts teacher making money. Yip Man charged, and so did his Sifu Chan Wah Sun. Now if some people decide they want to teach for free because they feel charging is a bad thing they have a right to their opinion. But you can't fault a Sifu for charging for all his/her years of training, sacrifice, and experience.

[WcForMe]

There is nothing wrong with marketing. That's how business can make money. There is nothing wrong with a martial arts teacher making money. Yip Man charged, and so did his Sifu Chan Wah Sun. Now if some people decide they want to teach for free because they feel charging is a bad thing they have a right to their opinion. But you can't fault a Sifu for charging for all his/her years of training, sacrifice, and experience.

I have no problem with people making money with martial arts at all let me make that clear! It is an expensive hobby/job/second income in time and money so there's no issue with that at all!

What i hate about marketing is all the claims about how original or deadly or the secret special powers you could possess if you only come to Sifu so on and so on! Yeah you have to sell your school to the masses but is this really the best way? Just look at General people's perceptions of wing chun today! It's not good! Not that I care as I still train hard. As you rightly say people can charge whatever the hell they like, if people are willing to pay then fine. If people are willing to believe outlandish claims with little to no proof again up to them! Like I say you need to have some order in classes with sifus, coaches, various student levels etc. This part of marketing I have no issue with.

I was more interested in what people actually thought what the title meant of grandmaster. And even more interested to see if people thought if you where at a level of Sifu, grandmaster etc if you have a bad day (as we all do as we are only people) what peoples perceptions where on that. Which mainly came from the God aweful Sam kwok video as per op. I have been to quite a few seminars from various high level well thought of sifus here in the UK. Even some of them I have seen mess up various drills, chi sao and sparring. Do I think less of them because they had a off moment or day. No I dont. Just surprises me people expect perfection every single time from these guys! The just insane In my opinion anyways.

[stonecrusher69]

I don't understand why many WC guys get their panties in a bunch if someone uses GM..For me it does not bother me. You can call your self whatever you like. If people in your lineage or organization recognize you as such who are we to say otherwise. I say look past the title and see what the person is all about.