What it means to be a Master

[shogeri]

Well sadly, within the Martial Arts, like many mainstream businesses in the modern world, we find the trend that:

Business professionals are often promoted or placed into management without prior training.

That is, their promotion is either based upon technical proficiency, or prior knowledge of business, or the specific philosophy of the candidate lines up with that of the corporation or it is a strategic (or privately motivated) move by the company board or president, etc.

Then, if it is noted that they have not managerial or leadership skills, they are sent to school, and or workshops ~ after the fact.

In the business world, I see person after person get promoted, and they simply lack the interpersonal skills, the communication skills, and all of the leadership qualities we come to expect.

----------------------------------------

We find that many institutions follow such a trend, and the Martial Art Systems or Schools are no different.

The school of Martial Arts, or association that backs such system upon, must foster and find ways to bring out these leadership skills as a person works up the ranks after their initial black belt test.

First there are written tests to help determine possible choices that will be made by the candidate.

Secondly, a board or higher rank, should watch, or send "secret shoppers", to the classes, in order to see if a certain level is being maintained.

Thirdly, Masters should be placed upon a board themselves in order to be a part of a system or association's process of rank promotion or community involvement.

If a person is bad, or shows poor judgment, then they more than likely have always been that way.

It is up to the person who taught that Master, to distinguish, and piecemeal, which characteristics are positive, and will show the school in a positive light, and which ones will not.

Just as the student must carefully choose the instructor, so too, must the instructor choose the student.

Well, those are some of my further thoughts on this.

Later!

[Why_Worry]

I personally think that master is not a litteral title in most cases, and there is always more to learn and more ot build on. I think as you learn more, you see how much more you can build on and how much more there is you dont know and so you can never perfect something. Of course though, master can be used as a title to say that they are you teacher, or you respect them. THere is a different between calling someone you master out of respect and calling someone a master.

[ovine king]

let's put some context into this discussion.

i have for the most part, trained in cantonese classes. The person who lead/ran the class was called Si-Fu during the class and often outside of the class by the guys who were training.

In this class, none of the terms used to call anyone meant "master".

In the uk, for a brief period, I was asked to run a small class by some people who had trained and still trained in other styles who wished to see how the things that I knew was trained and practiced.

During these informal classes, I was simply called by my name as these people were for all intent purposes, peers despite them being under my instruction. If pushed further into making the class a formal thing and even though the class would've been conducted largely in english, the title I would've used would be Si-Fu which I'll point out again, does not mean "master". Going further, what I would actually prefer to do is to defer the hierachy to involve my teacher and say that he is the actual Si-Fu and I am just another Si-Hing.

I've gone off on a bit of a tangent now but the point is, the chinese titles are based on family structure and have no relevance to the skill of the individual. Technically a Si-Fu is anyone who teaches a class on a formal basis and accapets students in an apprentice fashion. You can be absolutly rubbish and still take students and hence be a Si-Fu. Whilst this is not an ideal situation, there is actually nothing technically wrong with it.

[unknownstyle]

i think to be a true master is about half karate and half helping out in the world. you need to have mastered your skill in your art, as well as being a good person, making wise decisions, and setting a good example for all your students and lower ranks

[Ripper]

Why is it that as soon as someone does a martial art he/she has to "help the world" and be a "good person"? Which part of your training teaches you this stuff?

Just because we kick each other butts we become good persons?

Martial arts are just sports like any other. People who play soccer don't go around and say that they help the world. People who do martial arts shouldn't do that either.

[DragonMike]

Why is it that as soon as someone does a martial art he/she has to "help the world" and be a "good person"? Which part of your training teaches you this stuff?

Just because we kick each other butts we become good persons?

Martial arts are just sports like any other. People who play soccer don't go around and say that they help the world. People who do martial arts shouldn't do that either.

The difference between martial arts and other sports is that traditionally, martial arts are connected to a a moral code and philosophy. This tradition dates back to samuri and Chinese monks amoung others. So, teaching that a martial artist should be more is in keeping with its traditional roots.

[Aodhan]

Why is it that as soon as someone does a martial art he/she has to "help the world" and be a "good person"? Which part of your training teaches you this stuff?

How about the code of conduct, and the oaths of the various arts? Our Kids program has the oath "Each day I will live by honoring my parents and instructors, practicing to the best of my ability, and having courtesy and respect for everyone I meet". The adult version is similarly toned.

Just because we kick each other butts we become good persons?

Martial arts are just sports like any other. People who play soccer don't go around and say that they help the world. People who do martial arts shouldn't do that either.

I think you are missing out on a vital portion of martial arts study. And, most Master designations are also as much about what you have returned to the art as what you have taken from it.

Aodhan

[shogeri]

"Martial arts are just sports like any other."

I wholeheartedly disagree.

A sport is an activity, whereas a martial art is so much more.

[Ripper]

The difference between martial arts and other sports is that traditionally, martial arts are connected to a a moral code and philosophy. This tradition dates back to samuri and Chinese monks amoung others. So, teaching that a martial artist should be more is in keeping with its traditional roots.

My question was and still is; which part of your training teaches you this?

[Ripper]

How about the code of conduct, and the oaths of the various arts? Our Kids program has the oath "Each day I will live by honoring my parents and instructors, practicing to the best of my ability, and having courtesy and respect for everyone I meet". The adult version is similarly toned.

We don't have these oaths. Do you say them out loud every training or so? Sounds to me more like a religious sect.

I think you are missing out on a vital portion of martial arts study. And, most Master designations are also as much about what you have returned to the art as what you have taken from it.

Aodhan

So, please enlighten me, what am I missing here? What does a master return to the art?