Good morning.
Today I would like to talk about one of the traditions in Chinese Kung Fu, namely the custom of being accepted as a private student. I was recently discussing this topic with some of the teachers and I feel students should be aware of its significance in the art.
This is particularly poignant as the circumstances surrounding being a private student has been completely misconstrued by almost everyone in the West. In this age where the ‘consumer is king’ almost all ‘masters’ no longer have private students but instead have clients. Make no mistake, this is radically different: it entirely changes the position and by doing so undermines all the traditional teachings. The relationship between provider and client is based almost solely around money, whereas the relationship between master and private student is based on, among other things, responsibility. In fact, I will state most strongly from the outset that being a private student has very little to do with money. Of course a person must pay for the lessons, but in no way does that mean that if a person wants to pay s/ he must be taught.
The relationship between master and student in Chinese Kung Fu is an alien concept to most people, not least because there is no analogous relationship in the West. Outsiders also, understandably, find it hard to see how moral responsibility and finances can go hand in hand (particularly at a time when the world has been hit so badly by banking crises and scandals). However, as I have alluded to a number of times, real martial artists live by a certain type of conduct and financial gain is not the ‘end game’ nor is it the determining factor in their relationships with students. Every professional must earn money, but that does not mean money is the goal. This is particularly relevant to private lessons where most ‘teachers’ see the teaching as earning extra revenue and little else.
Accepting a private student is a serious undertaking. It is far more than just teaching the syllabus, in Chinese Wing Tsun it is accepting responsibility for that person’s development. To do this you must be able to know the student and assess the student’s strong and weak points. You must then find out what is the best way to help that student. As every person learns in a slightly different way there is no one ‘formula’ for doing this; it requires a master with energy, skill, knowledge and aptitude. When you understand this, you know that money is not adequate compensation. As the old Kung Fu saying goes ‘it is hard to find a good master, but it is even harder to find a good student.’
A master must, therefore, be very careful about the students he teaches. In Chinese Wing Tsun you have a choice who you teach. However, if you teach a person you must either teach them with a full-heart or not at all. As my Sifu taught me many years ago, nothing less is acceptable. Indeed, this has always been the tradition in Wing Tsun. Until Grandmaster Yip Man opened his classes, students were only ever taught in private. Over the centuries Wing Tsun was only passed down from one generation to another in secret, often from one family member to another. One wrong decision as to the disciple and it would literally mean the end of the art. Today, the position is no different. Although there are thousands, if not millions, of Wing Tsun practitioners across the world only a very select few have the highest knowledge and ability.
As a master you must, therefore, question yourself many times to see if this person is the right person. That person must have the right temperament, characteristic and potential to be a true master. You must feel that person truly loves the art and that they are prepared to fight (spiritually as well as literally) to ensure the art stays pure. To do this, as my Sifu would say, takes ‘good eyes’ and time. So, if a student is accepted as a private student it is a great honour.
Sifu