Student - Teacher
The relationship between a student and his/her martial arts teacher is very unique, but unfortunately, in the West it is difficult to classify this unique relationship.
In Eastern countries, martial arts instructors are highly respected and fall under such groups as clergy, philosophy masters, professors, and educators. They are seen as very wise individuals who play an important role in the development of people in their communities.
In the West, martial arts instructors are not respected or viewed in the same manner as the East. As a result, many school owners and martial arts professionals are embarrassed to even tell loved ones that they are making a living teaching martial arts. Many outsiders look upon a martial arts professional as if he is some sort of gym rat hanging out at the school with his friends, where they kick and punch each other all day. They have no clue what a huge impact real martial arts have on people and how important the role of the teacher can be in the community. Any teacher should be one of the most important and valued resources that any culture has. What greater position can someone hold than that of an educator, teaching both children and adults to be better people in society?
But, when it comes to martial arts, most feel they're only about teaching people how to fight: if you are not the type of person that enjoys trouble, why would you even consider learning how to fight? What this perspective fails to address is that Kung Fu is not all about fighting: Kung Fu is about discovering your true potential through the study of the science of fighting. It is a discipline which allows people to actually gain a better understanding of their true nature, and to nurture their real potential.
What we find in the East is a very different mindset, even with the student-teacher relationship. The Eastern understanding of a student-teacher relationship is that it is the student's responsibility to learn, and the teacher's job, traditionally, is only to demonstrate the techniques...with very few words, if any! The student, through her keen and focused observation, must grasp what the teacher is demonstrating. An old Chinese saying states, "the student has to steal the secrets from the teacher." This means that the student has to learn to watch carefully, so that she is able to take from the teacher what he is demonstrating. If the student does not grasp the concept or techniques being demonstrated, it is because the student let her mind wander; she was not focused enough on what was going on, she was not in the moment, paying close enough attention, or she simply was just not ready to realize what she was supposed to be looking for. Over an extended period of time, the student comes to certain realizations and therefore grows and comes to understand what the teacher was demonstrating. The Eastern belief is that if a student discovers something for herself, she is much more likely to understand it at a deeper level than if the teacher had simply told her.
Here in the West, the mindset is that it's the teacher's job to communicate with, motivate, and teach the student. The only thing the student has to do is show up. If the student does not understand, then it is the teacher's fault, because he did not communicate it effectively. It is the teacher's job to try as many different ways as possible until the student eventually gets it.
In the Western mindset, the responsibility falls completely on the teacher's shoulders, as opposed to the Eastern mindset, where the responsibility falls on the student to "get it" when they are ready.
We believe that the student-teacher relationship should be a fifty-fifty relationship. As teachers, it is our job to do the best we can to simplify the process to help the students learn. If the student is unclear, it is our job to answer any questions and to help guide the student towards understanding his practice, so that he may continue to grow and develop. Nonetheless, is is the student's responsibility to apply himself in order to learn. The student needs to be studious and focus his practice on the teachings both in and out of the school. It is the student's responsibility to try as hard as he possibly can to learn, and to have good attendance, perseverance, and patience, even when it gets hard...and it's going to get hard, because the student is going to hit problem areas. These areas could be flexibility, strength, endurance, ability to retain new material, and even extenuating circumstances outside of the school that interfere with his attendance, making it difficult to keep up with his training. All of these obstacles require persistence and perseverance to get through and stay on course. A great teacher will not hold the student's hand, she will simply point him down the right path. She will encourage him to grow stronger through the experience of overcoming obstacles in his practice. Sometimes even the teacher herself may be the one that sets up the obstacle or "test" to challenge the student through his journey. It is only through succeeding in this journey that a student can gain the strength and understanding to grow and develop to his true potential.
A student-teacher relationship is based upon honesty, communication, and loyalty. You have to understand that a true Sifu has your best interest in mind. He is always looking for ways for you to grow and evolve.
Think about it. Your Sifu has dedicated his entire life to the practice, and by doing this, he has committed to sharing the art with his students, so that they may grow and evolve through the practice. Consequently, there must be a certain level of trust and loyalty from the student.
Why loyalty? Because your Sifu will not always give you the answer you are seeking. Sometimes in teaching you, she will hurt your feelings. Sometimes in teaching you, she will help you break through your own limitations by destroying the walls you've built around yourself. The lessons can be painful, but the Sifu is trying to help you grow and learn. If the goal of Kung Fu training is truly to evolve mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically, then the Sifu must help you grow as a student and as a person. Unfortunately, sometimes people pull away when their buttons are pushed or they are confronted with something challenging. They pull away from the teacher, they pull away from the lessons and what they've been learning, and they pull away from the practice. This is the wrong attitude. By working through it and sticking to your practice, you will grow and evolve, not only as a martial artist, but as a person. This growth will help you in all aspects of your life and allow you to be open-minded, patient, and persistent. Never giving up on what you believe in is passion. Passion is the life force and fire that drives our engines to accomplish all that is possible for us.