A Parable for Martial Artists; Mimic or Artist?

[Kyle-san]

I recently read this article in Black Belt magazine and thought it brought up an interesting point:

 

A Parable for Martial Artists by Chris Thomas

 

Once upon a time, several art enthusiasts asked a famous sculptor to become their teacher. During the first lesson, the teacher provided himself and the students with identical wire frames in the same and characteristic of his famous style. He explained that the frame determined the structure and parameters of the final sculpture. He also provided each student with a brick of clay and a set of sculpting tools. Over the succeeding classes, he demonstrated the process of sculpting: the manner of adding clay to the wire frame to create the outlines of the shape, the manner of removing clay with the tools to refine the shape, and the manner of molding and shaping the clay to achieve the final shape.

 

Each class began with the students gathered around the teacher as he worked on a portion of his sculpture, explaining and demonstrating as he went. The students would then return to their places and work on the corresponding parts of their own sculptures, trying to apply what they had just seen. As they worked, the teacher would walk around, observing their effort, clucking in approval, offering suggestions and occasionally working a small portion of the student's sculpture himself by guiding the student's hand with his own. Often during this portion of the class, the students would walk up to the teacher's work-in-progress and carefully examine it, making notes and trying to memorize features to include in their own work.

 

After many years, and just as the students were completing work on their sculptures, the teacher died. They decided to choose a successor from among themselves so the school might continue. They agreed to place all their sculptures beside his work to decide who should be the inheritor of the class. It was immediately evident how the teacher had influenced them all. Each sculpture, by virtue of its underlying wire frame, had a similar structure. Likewise, his sculpting technique and method were clearly evident in all their works. However, on closer examination, it became apparent that many of the students were not very talented. Some of their works were positively amateurish, while other, although competent, lacked the subtlety of texture that made the teacher's work so cherished. Two sculptures, however, stood out from the rest: the work by student Lee and the work by student Han.

 

As the class gathered around and examined Lee's work, they were astounded to see that he had so perfectly mastered the teacher's style that it was virtually impossible to tell the teacher's sculpture from the student's. Han's work however, was another matter. His sculpture was powerful, detailed and rich with the qualities characterizing the teacher's own sculpture, but it looked nothing like the teacher's work. Han had, in fact, produced a sculpture that was unique and personal in its execution.

 

There was no question that both students had mastered the teacher's methods. There was no question as to the beauty and power evident in each sculpture. But there was also no question as to who would succeed the teacher. Lee's sculpture was identical to their beloved teacher's own work, while Han had deviated from his example. The students decided to recognize Lee as the rightful successor to their teacher and chastise Han for his arrogant affront to their teacher's legacy.

 

Upon the announcement of this decision, Han shook his head and said: "You fools. The teacher was trying to teach you to be artists, but you only learned to be mimics."

 

And with that, he left.

 

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How do you view the moral of this story? Is it important to be able to develop your own sense of art and style from the basic frame given to you or is simply being a mimic enough?

 

Thoughts, reflections, anything?

[omnifinite]

I think if there's passion in what you're doing things will fall into place on their own. Artistry will find a way to show through.

[Bon]

haha, I like it =)

[LeaF]

Great story, I definitly think it is important to make your art your own, understand the art, and apply it in different circumstances and not just memorize movements, if that is all we do martial arts are no more then a mere dance.