Pouring Tea

[gamble759]

Hello friends!

I was told about a tradition where the student will pour tea for the sifu when they are out to eat at a restaurant, Im not sure if this is a sign of respect or what. Anyways, is it customary for the student to then pour tea for everyone else at the table.. students included or just the sifu? What if the Sigung is present, is he/she served first? What about situ's wife???

I am really into the tradition of it all. Are there other martial arts where tea ceremonies are involved?

Have a good weekend!

[bushido_man96]

Its not so much a Martial tradition as it would probably be more of a cultural tradition. I'm guessing Chinese, and am assuming Kung Fu or the like, since you use the word sifu. Check into Chinese customs to see what would be proper.

[sensei8]

I sure don't practice this. When both Saitou and Takahashi sensei were alive, I never did what you've described. They never assumed and they never insisted this from any of us. If they had, I would've told them a big..."NO, your grown, pour your own!" I'm loyal to them, but some things are never going to happen because I won't allow it to happen. They wouldn't have ever asked me to do that because they both knew what I'd say and/or do if they did. It wouldn't require a great deal of imagination to figure that out.

Still, good topic, thanks for starting it.

[Kusotare]

Happy to buy him/her a beer, but that's about it!

K.

[gamble759]

Thanks for your replies! I tried searching for more info about this and a poster above was absolutely correct in assuming it is a Chinese cultural tradition. I found this on wikipedia.. "As a sign of respect- In Chinese society, the younger generation always shows their respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea. Inviting their elders to go to restaurants and having some tea is a traditional activity on holidays. In the past, people of lower rank served tea to higher-ranking people. Today, as Chinese society becomes more liberal, sometimes parents may pour a cup of tea for their children, or a boss may even pour tea for subordinates at restaurants. However, the lower-ranking person should not expect the higher-ranking person to serve him or her tea in formal occasions." There are also other reasons listed for serving tea but thought this was interesting.

[tallgeese]

Happy to buy him/her a beer, but that's about it!

K.

Now that's a cultural tradition I can get behind!

[DWx]

Very much a cultural and Eastern thing. We don't really show respect for our elders through these types of traditions in the West. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. But then again culture can differ closer to home too. I still struggle when travelling with European colleagues who absolutely insist that because I'm female, they have to hold open doors and pull out my chair etc. Not the done thing even in Britain.

FWIW I have done a fair amount of travel in the TKD world and we stick to a lot of Korean customs which are again built upon Confucian values. We stand up when a senior approaches us. We don't start eating till our senior does. We pour drinks for our seniors and so on.

[Nidan Melbourne]

very much a cultural thing.

when i go out to dinner with fellow students and my instructors. there are a few of the lower ranked students who do it for everyone, even if we tell them not to worry about it.

[SteyrAUG]

I'm amazed anyone in this country still knows about this one.

Here is what it actually is.

When considering a new pupil a master will pour the student a cup of tea. If you drink it you will never train at that school ever. It is a test of breeding and to see if you understand requisite traditions to be accepted.

Basically if you accept and drink the tea you have reduced the sifu to a servant. The proper protocol is to take the tea the master has just poured and serve it to him. This shows proper etiquette, good breeding and that you are knowledgeable of the myriad traditions and customs of Chinese culture. It also means you will now be considered for admission to that particular Kwoon or cultural club.

Sometimes, but not always, a follow up gesture of the master inviting you to pour yourself a cup of tea indicates you being accepted or at least strongly considered for membership.

This practice was especially common in foreign locations like Ching Wu schools established outside of China in the early 20th century and in US Chinese cultural clubs of the mid 20th century where students who may be of Chinese decent may not have been raised with the traditions of the mainland.

It was apparently a common practice in Hong Kong once it became a mecca for foreigners seeking knowledge of Chinese boxing styles in the 1970s. It was sometimes used as an excuse (along with about a dozen other possible cultural "tests") to exclude westerners from being accepted for training.

Some credit Sifu Ark Wong, who first accepted non Chinese pupils as early as the 1960s (some claim it was the 1950s), as the first Kung Fu master to explain the various traditions associated with his art.

[SteyrAUG]

Very much a cultural and Eastern thing. We don't really show respect for our elders through these types of traditions in the West. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. But then again culture can differ closer to home too. I still struggle when travelling with European colleagues who absolutely insist that because I'm female, they have to hold open doors and pull out my chair etc. Not the done thing even in Britain.

FWIW I have done a fair amount of travel in the TKD world and we stick to a lot of Korean customs which are again built upon Confucian values. We stand up when a senior approaches us. We don't start eating till our senior does. We pour drinks for our seniors and so on.

Bingo. Same rules. But for prospective students seeking instruction it became known as "the tea test" and became a bit more elaborate. Once westerners found out about it (mostly English students living in Hong Kong) and later American students seeking instruction from Chinese masters who had "cultural clubs" in the US they passed the word around.