When one bows to their Sifu, it is one of mutual respect. The bow is always returned. There is a saying,“Without a Sifu, you wouldn’t be a student, without students, I wouldn’t be a Sifu”
I love my students. Our school is truly a family, where new students feel welcome, and seniors feel at home. Respect is there for many reasons; one, because by teaching, you give them your time, your experience, your self. No assembly line, belt factory McKwoon, but alot of hands on one on one. Everyone counts. And why not? Everyone is a person, an individual, everyone wants to feel special. I have been in schools where everyone was just rank and file, and I was made to feel that way. I never want any of my students to ever feel that.
There are peple who abuse the privilege. Power trippers. “I’m Sifu and you’d **** well better bow!” Students will put their teacher up on a pedestal, no matter how down to earth and accesable you try to be. To take advantage of this is dishonerable. There are many of these schools around, and they have cult-like followings.
When one shows respect and is treated with respect, they develop self-respect. They feel better about themselves.When this happens, they end up treating others equally. They have nothing to prove. Egos have no place in a mo-kwoon.
When a student enters and leaves the mo-kwoon, they are expected to bow and greet their Sifu and Si-Mo. This is common courtesy. You don’t walk in and out of your house without greeting your parents, do you?
Respect is a way of showing gratitude, of honoring your art, your teachers, your family, your self. It is a way to develop self-esteem, as well as humility.
my two cents-for what it’s worth
Ah!..lot of posts.
Let me clarify my first post.
Teacher and student show each other mutual respect as human beings. But when it comes to respect as teacher and student, the respect is not mutual ie. the same. In the bow, the student is non-verbally saying he will be diligent in his studies and train hard, he will not bring dishonor to his teacher or school through his actions, he respects the time and effort his teacher gives to him, he will be an honorable student. When the teacher returns the bow, he is saying, I will teach you to the best of my abilites, I will not hold back and will teach you in accord with your understanding and character, I will not mislead you, I will teach you what you need - skill, knowledge and character. So the respect is not mutual. I think maybe mutual is not the best term for this - it is different type of respect the student gives to the teacher as compared to what the teacher gives to the student.
Often when students are in the school for awhile, they begin to think they know just as much as the teacher and in some cases know better. When this happens, they need a ‘lesson’ to bring them back on the path or to send them on their way. When I say teacher, I am referring to a true master, one who has many years of knowledge and experience behind him. This type of teacher has already learned from lower rank students when he was helping his teacher to run a class. Now, at the level of a true master, he has so much experience and knowledge, that he is no longer learning from his students.
True masters, do not need students, but they do want to pass the art on, but only to the ‘right’ student. If he cannot find one, he would rather let the art die with his passing, than to give it to someone who does not deserve it. And this has happened in the past.
Great ideals folks. Once again, back on the path. This really helps clarify some of my deepest concerns and lets me know that My picture of a decent to good Sifu is not like trying to find something too perfect. I started to question that maybe its me or maybe I am meking up this Sifu that doesnt exist. At any rate, thanks again and train harder!
Amitoufu,
AOF
Arhat, I have always had this idea of what a Sifu should be. Probably spent too much time watching Kung-Fu, thinking I was going to meet Master Po. I am now realizing that sifus are human too, and suffer from human frailties. A few Sifus that I have studied under, I left because they were of a moral calibre that I couldn’t,wouldn’t tolerate. I am not holier than thou, but there are certain ideals that I hold myself to, and will not compromise.-although, being human, I have certainly approached it, I again am not perfect. (I’m only human,I’m trying to outgrow it) Some of these are jealosy, power tripping,control freaks,two-facedness (I just made up that word!) So instead of searching for that Sifu, I will try too become that Sifu to my students.
10 Tigers,
Glad Im not the only one whos been(going) through that. It kind of reminds me of Father<---->Son relationship. Most sons(that will one day be fathers) grow up and notice thisgs that Dad did that they feel is not right , involuntarily(sometimes voluntarily) the make sure they dont make those same mistakes that their father did.
I think it boils down to one question a person must ask themselves. Does the good outweigh the bad? It is also very hard to make a decision about leaving a sifu because of the loyalty factor.
Thank you for the comisseration(just made that up)
AOF
“Thank you for the comisseration(just made that up)”
Nah. you just misspelled it. 2 ms 1 s.