EARTH DRAGON
I’ve always heard the opposite concerning tradional belts in Karate. You start with a white belt and, since belts aren’t washed, the dirtier (and darker) it get’s the longer you have been wearing it (practicing). Thus a ‘black’ belt means you have spent many years training.
Inquisitor
I agree with you about a Sifu playing a specific role but I think you’re limiting the Sifu title to specific knowledge. A Sifu is, technically, a teacher. As such he has sufficient knowledge and experience to take on students of his own. This does not mean that he has learned all that his Sifu has to teach. There can be different levels of Sifu. In Wah Lum we have Sifus operating their own schools yet are on different levels of the curriculum. What they have in common is that they all reached at least the minimum level of profeciency to allow them to teach. I believe you should never reach the same level as your Sifu, or learn everything he knows, since that would indicate that he has not progressed or improved the whole time he was teaching you. Unless circumstances prevented him from continuing his training like permanent injury or health reasons.
what you said is true! my mistake , what I meant was that after one reaches a certain level you complete a circle and return back to the basics, meaning after the dirty belt has been tied and untied it returns back to white. My point was that the ranking in between i.e colors was an american influence to satisfy impatient students but Im glad some one out there knows the truth! and I agree with your statement of shifu meaning (teacher/father) not learning all that his shifu has to teach him… however your last staement of your student should never surpass you in skill, my teacher says that if your teaching is great, your student will one day be better than you, you will then know you have taught them the best that you could holding nothing back…you mentioned wahlum how is master chan pui? I ve had the pleasure to train with him very breifly on my trips to goldenrod road!!!
I was a little off in that last part of my post but didn’t have time to think it out and put it to words. The student should strive to surpass his Sifu in order for the system to progress. I was thinking along the lines that a Sifu should be continuing his training and advancing the same as his student. If that’s the case then the student should never equal or surpass his teacher. But then that’s in an ideal world I guess.
Master Chan is doing fine. We’re all looking forward to him leading us through another exciting tour of China. If you like you can e-mail me your name and I’ll pass on a hello.
hey 6secmantis you little ****** you talk **** about my sifu and good freind mike! Im comming down to hamburg and waiting for you outside your office real soon! Im gonna break your fuckin fingers so you wont be able to type any more lies about anyone you inbread ******!who the hell do you think you are? and as for talking about his wife, Im sure you wife would love to hear that! if you can get her to stop sleeping around on the reservation long enough! watch your back Im dead serious