What is it that makes a person know that they have the understanding to teach another?
What knowledge is so finite that a person reaches a point when they can say ‘I have mastered this’?
We all share our understanding of our art on this board and some tend to post in a way that suggest they have all the answers (I myself am probably guilty of this). Where does this confidence in our understanding come from?
Re: Who’s the Master?
What is it that makes a person know that they have the understanding to teach another? -----
Confucius said, the one who continously review and examine the old learning and arive at new paragidm has the capability to by a teacher.
What knowledge is so finite that a person reaches a point when they can say ‘I have mastered this’? -------
rest on a tempur-pedic matress, one will be able to tell what is the feeling in the same time, one is sinking down but supported up.
until then, what is mastery of Tempur-pedic experience? is it an experience or a knowledge?
BTW. one has to open one’s 7th Chakra to be a be to be a master. 
(ofcause it is joking.)
Who’s the Master?
Sho nuff
Does one really ever teach another?
Perhaps people merely assent, on any number of terms, to enter a process of exploration and discovery together.
Regards,
Re: Who’s the Master?
Originally posted by AmanuJRY
What knowledge is so finite that a person reaches a point when they can say ‘I have mastered this’?
Justin,
Great question…
I would say that in reality we never truely master anything in the sense that we can approach, but never reach perfection. It’s all realitive. So, realitive to someone who starts training today, I may look like I know something I guess you really can fool some of the people, some of the time, when in fact relative to my sihing’s and sifu I know very little. In my mind, you need the “permission” of someone much more advanced to teach to younger brothers and sisters. They should be able to tell you that you have reach a level of skill and understanding where you can guide students to a limited degree.
In the broadest sense, we are always teaching each other. Sometimes we just teach how not to do it… 
BTW, I don’t take most people’s comments as a suggestion that they have all the answers - although there are some exceptions. :rolleyes: Usually I look at a post as saying “this is how I understand this idea/concept, what do you think?”
We don’t know what we don’t know.
We know what we know.
We know what we don’t know.
We don’t know what we know.
Who is a master?
He who gives the Tao to the lost, truth to the slave, and life to the dead.
Can one find him among the living masters? =)
If a teacher does a good job then the student should be able to teach what he has learned so far to people who know less than him. No one knows it all. No one can do it all. One can’t even define what it means to know it all. Ideally it is best to know a complete system so that teaching material can be explained from a viewpoint of the whole rather than from a limited viewpoint of just a part of the art.
Some knowledge is like learning to tie your shoe. Once you know how then you know how and learning stops. No use to analyze how to tie your shoe all your life.
Most things in Wing Chun can be learned in less than a year and the rest is physical and mental mastery to reach whatever level you can achieve in the time you have available to train. Wing Chun is just a subject anyone can learn. Some people become very good at it and others don’t just like in any other school subject or in any other sport.
Originally posted by Dark Knight
[B]Who’s the Master?
Sho nuff [/B]
****! Dark Knight beat me too it.
I guess I can say I am (or Bruce Leroy)!
hahahahaha
Seriously though. IMHO, if you can put a positive influence on someone martial arts wise you should be able to teach them. You may not be able to teach them at a high level until you first understand that level of training, but definately on a basic level. My sifu wants all his students to teach others outside of class (aka - get your own students) after about 2 - 3 years of training. He thinks that teaching is an important training tool.
There are no masters , just people further along the road then you at that time .we are all just guides that offer direction to the place we know how to get to
I leave titles, sashes/belts , and pretty outfits for beauty pageant contestants they need re assurance and ego boost .
Martial artist should not .
Anyone can show you something if you are receptive , but the best teacher can not help a closed mind , so it’s up to you
Better to be a master student , then a master
Last night one of my Karate young friends decided to have “a taste for the other”. He landed a roundhouse kick to my chest out of the blue sky. The next moment we circled around and before he knew it. I quickly rushed in, jammed his coming kick and gave him a couple of pops on his face damaging his eyeglasses just a little in the process! =) I hugged him right afterward and we laughed. No master of whatever WC there, just feel at home moving around and do my things. =)
Yes it’s all relative, dependant on your definition of Master. Is one a Master in MA if they can perform something alone in the air(forms) perfectly, or has ultimate knowledge of a subject or someone that can utilize his/her technique in random environments with efficiency and effectiveness or all of the above? I remember watching the first UFC events in the early 90’s, and do to the fact that GJJ was not well known then, Royce Gracie had little problem winning the events. I would consider him a Master of his craft/art. He was able to beat guys without really hurting them, which is hard to do, correct? Today this may not be possible for him just do to the fact that he forced fighters to be aware of the ground game and the effectiveness of GJJ/BJJ and other grappling arts.
If the label of Master is going to be used then I think it should be given to one by others and most definitely it has to be earned(using time in & skill as the primary measuring tools), instead of self appointment for the purpose of marketing one’s self. In my kwoon we wear sash’s and uniforms(which I totally agree with, sorry Ernie, but over the years I have found that I tend to kick and punch faster with the uniform on, lol). Me, I wear a gold sash which signifies that I have completed the system and am a full instructor(Sifu level). I also have 4 red stripes on the end of the sash, each stripe signifies 2yrs at this level, so I have 8 yrs at instructor level. Once one has earned 10 red stripes they will receive a red sash which indicates a “Master” level, 20yrs at instructor level IMO is plenty of time in to be considered a Master at something. To earn a red stripe one has to be active in the association, which means consistent teaching,training and innovation is the requirement. Does this mean that one is the “deadliest” fighter alive at Master level? Nope. But it does mean that it will be dam hard to take this guy/gal out, I can guarantee that.
James
James
But it does mean that it will be dam hard to take this guy/gal out, I can guarantee that.
–Of course he will be hard to beat , the opponent will be confused by all the pretty colors and sparkly gold things , be like fighting a Christmas tree
Sorry couldn’t help myself , you go on and be the best proudest pea**** in the whole wide world
Look there I go again =)
Bad Ernie bad Ernie now go sit in the corner until you learn to play nice
Originally posted by YongChun
Some knowledge is like learning to tie your shoe.
Ray,
They don’t tie shoes anymore. It’s all about the velcro. There’s a hidden message in there somewhere, I think.
Originally posted by sihing
Me, I wear a gold sash which signifies that I have completed the system and am a full instructor(Sifu level). I also have 4 red stripes on the end of the sash, each stripe signifies 2yrs at this level, so I have 8 yrs at instructor level. Once one has earned 10 red stripes they will receive a red sash which indicates a “Master” level, 20yrs at instructor level IMO is plenty of time in to be considered a Master at something.
James,
You really impress me, man. No matter what the topic you always manage to get a plug in for the number of years you’ve been training and what sash you wear. You’re something else man.
Masters…
There are no masters , just people further along the road then you at that time .
First off, I love this quote by Ernie…this is how I look at it. I honestly hate the term Master, I only use it when someone uses it for their title. This being just purely out of respect, not because this is how I view them. The terms Sifu, Sensei, Si Hing whatever you use are sufficient enough in my view.
Personally, when one says they need the title master or are given this title, it almost has a feeling that one has learned it all. And in many occasions, in my experience, this attitude is taken by the person under this title. Though, not always…but is by many. I personally, will never use this term in our school, as I feel I am always a beginner. I would really hate to think I have come to an end of learning in my Wing Chun!
It is kinda funny…my kung fu brother and I were just discussing something similar to this subject. We have been discussing how the further we get in our training and personal discoveries, we realize how little we know. I realize some may find this statement funny, or maybe that we don’t have confidence in what we do. This couldn’t be any further from the truth…I feel this is just what happens once you start to let go of ego and open up a bit.
As for me…I never compare myself to any other, that isn’t what I am about. I could care less if I can enter a NHB and win, I don’t care if I am ever considered the best Wing Chun man in our generation…it is just about being the best that I can personally be. Where am I today compared to 5, 10, 15 years ago??? This is the only way any of us should rank ourselves in my opinion.
Ok, enough rambling…I will go back into my cave and observe! LOL!!!
Can’t help it Bill if you have a problem when I use myself as a example. First you give me flack for “namedropping” then you do the same when I use myself as the example. Go figure. But I’m glad to impress…
Yes Ernie, the mixture of gold and red does a good distraction on the opponent, and it’s pretty too, lol. I never saw the corelation to the Xmas tree until your post. Personally I like the traditional aspect of it all, but that’s just little old me. I remember the first time I put on a pair of Kung-fu pants, I felt like that genie from Aladdin’s Lamp, lol…
Azwingchun:
You shouldn’t hate, it’s bad for your health. It’s only a term, a label. I consider my instructor a Master, but we do not call him that in the kwoon. He’s Sifu, always has and always will be, but outside of the organization if I were to introduce him I would do so with the term Master infront of it.
James
Originally posted by sihing
Can’t help it Bill if you have a problem when I use myself as a example. First you give me flack for “namedropping” then you do the same when I use myself as the example. Go figure. But I’m glad to impress…
James,
Sure, use yourself as an example. That’s great. I just don’t undertand why you continously mention your 16years/instuctor position/gold sash. For goodness sake, man, there are several people who post here regularly who have much more experience than you do and never speak of their position. I suggest you should take a page from their book.
However, as you so correctly stated, it is ‘my problem’.
In any case, thanks for response.
Now back to our regularly schedule program…
sihing
You shouldn’t hate, it’s bad for your health. It’s only a term, a label.
I guess you took my words very literally. There is no ill intent when I used the word ‘hate’ in my post.
I consider my instructor a Master, but we do not call him that in the kwoon. He’s Sifu, always has and always will be, but outside of the organization if I were to introduce him I would do so with the term Master infront of it.
I hear ya on this…though on a personal note (and not to offend anyone here) I only find the term self-serving (again, this is my opinion and not meant to disrespect). I guess I don’t personally give merit to titles in general.
But as mentioned prior by you and I, if this is the title earned in someones group or this is the title one chooses to put in front of their name…then I will call them this when introducing them. Again, out of respect and nothing more.
This again, is by no means to be disrespectful to anyone, but as we all know, the term ‘Master’ can be seen very differently by each and every person viewing it. Personally, this lays within perception…or possibly by each organization’s levels, within their schools only. And may have no meaning within anothers. And this also is true with many terms used within martial arts, not just the term ‘Master’.
Back to the cave!
well a big problem with the term is that it’s been abused for decades in the west. I believe when you see a “Master” you will know it…
James
sihing
Just for fun…
master [n]
an artist of consummate skill; “a master of the violin”; “one of the old masters”
Synonyms: maestro
See Also: artist old_master
a person who has general authority over others
Synonyms: overlord lord
See Also: ruler dominate feudal_lord
a combatant who is able to defeat rivals
Synonyms: victor superior
See Also: combatant conqueror
directs the work of other
Synonyms:
See Also: employer postmaster spymaster stationmaster
presiding officer of a school
Synonyms: headmaster schoolmaster
See Also: principal housemaster
an authority qualified to teach apprentices
Synonyms: professional
See Also: authority past_master
I guess it is easier than I thought to be a Master!