Master and Student
“Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher’s help.” ~ Bodhidharma
We received a thoughtful inquiry from one of our evolving martial artists in India. It motivated us to address this question: is the traditional meaning of master and student gone?
The Student
Yoda and Skywalker, Merlin and Arthur, Grasshopper and Master Po, examples of famous masters and disciples. The ancient ideal demanded a mutual commitment. In ancient China, reflecting Confucius’ reverence for learning, knowledge was treasured. The masses were uneducated, there were few masters. Students would have to travel far to a master, seeking the wisdom that was guarded and difficult to find. Learning from a master of any field: martial, academic, medical, spiritual, was a privilege. It had to be earned. Remember the old kung fu movies with their depictions of young hopefuls standing days outside the temple or school hoping to be chosen? The scene looks very different today.
The Master
In the West, often the sensei or sifu functions as more of a coach. We respect, but only to a point. The Asian custom of bowing to another is anathema to the “all men are created equal” ideal. The concept of “master” holds a different expression in the East than it does in the West. In fact, reverence for the teacher — and wisdom, which comes with age, may be losing its place in the East as well. Further, the commercialization of martial arts no longer necessitates a unique relationship with a person of superior knowledge and skills. If the required discipline feels like a burden, or you don’t like a teacher, just find another. You can google martial art teachers and schools, with 221,000 results in 0.36 seconds. But be warned: today many teachers hang out their shingle as “master” without earning the title. A master without mastery does a huge disservice to the student, and to the greater community. Choose wisely.
The Path
As for the popular understanding of martial arts, if you want to emulate Bruce Lee and kick ass aesthetically, all you need is a good instructor or coach, not a master. However, beyond the ring or street, tradition continues. If you are seeking to explore the wisdom that traces to Bodhidharma, it requires a different path. And a traditional master’s guidance. The Evolving Martial Artist on a lifelong quest for meaning in the martial way may be called to cultivate mature humility and karma to find those authentic masters to shine a light along the spirtual path. Perhaps then we can bow our heads.
Lawrence Tan & Toni Josephson
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Yes, it’s sad really, how some things are changing. And although the “coach” idea is great for sports, I really feel that a Master Teacher is needed for the holistic approach to martial arts: mind, body and spirit.
The same thing is happening with Yoga. You have teachers who help students attain the proper asana positons, but don’t do meditation. This is especially true
in places like exercise clubs.
I think there’s something to be said for the Masters, just like Master Po whose wisdom, even though he was a fictional TV character, inspired me to learn more about myself. That’s why I had started doing Yoga and meditation in my 20′s.
Great post.
Love
Rose
Yes, these days there seems to be more masters than students. And my definition of a master is not a person who has superior fighting skills and knowledge although that is important.
A master I believe should live the philosophy of the art in everyday life and not just in a training hall. It’s the behaviour not just the philosophising that determines if someone is a true master or a student of the arts.
Regards
Chris Bennett
In year 1620, a Galileo Galilei was put under house arrest because he told the public that Earth moves around the Sun but religious people believed otherwise. He was stripped off his instruments, his books, the writing he had written over a decade of hard work. Years later he died, while still in house arrest. Today as of 2009, people have accepted that Sun is stationary and its the Earth that moves around.
Now Earth was moving around the Sun in 1620, and 100 years before that and now after 1000s of years it still moves around. So no matter what people believe or want you to believe, the truth remains the truth. your beliefs don’t affect it. Same is true for the relationship of the Master and Disciple. A good Master (the one who has really mastered his art) is always what makes a good Martial-Artist (provided the student is dedicated enough). No matter what people say or believe, I don’t think a man can learn the fundamentals and basic skills required in Martial-Arts without a good Master.
I look at myself, what I believed before studied under Master Tan and what I believe now. Since my early childhood I have met some Martial-Arts practitioners along the way but Master Tan’s knowledge seems beyond all that. I am doing exercises which I never wanted to, I was s closed-minded about them.
People look at the relationship of a Master-Disciple in a traditional sense but beyond that tradition, beyond 1000 years, there is a technical competence, the well grounded foundation and the expertise of a Master which is what known as enlightenment when passed form a Master to his disciple. This is independent of any art or style or any school, its the individual Master and the individual disciple and the transfer of knowledge.