WING CHUN BOXING ACADEMY™

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IMPORTANT!

____________________________________________________________________________________________Please Read and follow Wu-De

WU-DE – Class Etiquette

1. Arrive on time for class. Conscientious students arrive a little early (if the space is open) and clean, clear, sweep, rake or tidy up. If class has not yet begun, students may engage in individual practice of forms or warm-ups from that class or teacher.
2. Honor the space of teaching.
3. Honor the art and all who have contributed to it in the person of your teacher.
4. Come to class with an open mind: “an empty teacup.” Suspend your skepticism, preconceptions, or prejudices and cultivate modesty. Check your mental “baggage” at the door: you can pick it up on your way out if you still want it.
5. Turn off your cell phone and all alarm/chime functions on your watch or other devices before class. If you absolutely must remain available, you may leave your phone or pager on “vibrate” as long as it is not audible. If you leave class to answer a call, step out discreetly. If you return, wait for the teacher to permit you back in.
6. If class starts with a circle or other set formation and you arrive late, do not barge in or cause other students to feel they must make room for you. Stand outside the circle or group and participate in the exercises; do not do your own warm-ups. The teacher will take a break between exercises and invite you in.
7. Set an example of focus and attentiveness. Even if the material seems familiar, class is a learning opportunity for you as well as for those with less experience.
8. Continue practicing a given exercise until the teacher is ready for the class to move on. This attitude of perseverance develops devotion, and earns respect and personal attention.
9. Keep an eye on the teacher during form practice for refinements and variations. This is what class is for, even if sometimes you have to look over your shoulder.
10. Be aware of “group qi (ch’i)”: the shared energy of individuals who voluntarily harmonize with one another. If you allow yourself to match the timing and spacing of others around you, “group qi” can reinforce and augment your personal qi and increase your sensitivity.
11. Avoid correcting, teaching, or conversing with other students during class.
12. Assume that whatever is happening at every moment is for your personal benefit. A comment or exercise introduced to the class as a whole may be especially directed toward a single student, and be exactly what that student needs at that time. That student might be you. A single word or gesture could be worth the cost of an entire course.
13. Assist others in acquiring certain skills when asked to do so by the teacher. This is for your own development as much as for those you are helping.
14. Help your classmates, your Wing Chun brothers and sisters, by getting together outside of class to practice, share, and encourage one another.
15. On your own, practice whatever you remember, as much as you remember, whenever you like, as often as you can. Even if you feel it might be “incorrect,” practicing something is better than just waiting till the next class.
16. Notify the teacher each time you cannot attend a class, any time events or injuries are affecting your Wing Chun practice, or if you plan to discontinue study.
17. Wing Chun study progresses in a spiral, along which the same material is encountered again and again at higher levels. Taking a form course once is not enough.
18. As devotion to this art deepens and desire for personal improvement increases, students are expected to request private lessons every so often– especially after completing a form.
19. As Laoshi Paul Gallagher says in Filling the Teacup, The Little Known Art of Chinese Etiquette:

“In older times…cash was not the usual medium of exchange. Still, no student would even think of accepting instruction without a return of some kind. At times, if a student did have cash, a master might be given a red envelope full of money. This would be considered more appropriate than simply handing cash directly. Some…teachers, even today, like to be given a financial token of respect in a red envelope.”

Money is a symbolic form of qi. It represents a medium of exchange of the vital force of one person for the energy of another. In our culture, it is easier for students to pay a set price than to enter into the complexities of guanxi (relationships of obligation and influence in Chinese society). Nevertheless, money balances the account between teacher and student only if the student is satisfied with remaining at the most basic level of the art.

Proper and discrete handling of money is a way of showing respect for the teaching. Money, whether check or cash, should be placed in a “hong bao” (red envelope). Regular envelopes are also acceptable. Checks should be written in advance—don’t make the teacher wait while you write your check. If paying in cash, be sure to mark the envelope, or insert a note, with your name and the class(es) or date of the lesson you are paying for. If you would like a receipt, you should provide one for the teacher to sign.

Payment up front, before instruction begins, is proper– whether for single classes, a series, or a private lesson. This is simple courtesy: fill the teacher’s cup instead of waiting until the teacher fills yours. It settles the question of compensation so that both teacher and student can concentrate on the instruction. We understand cash flow problems and allow students to pay in installments for a slightly higher total fee. Please accept responsibility for keeping track of the installments you owe and the dates due. If you can only attend class sporadically you should pay the higher price for single classes.

1. As a courtesy, consult with your teacher regarding things related to your study, such as: questions, difficulties, or experiences; if you are thinking of studying another art or with another teacher; if you do not want to use bad manners in your interactions with your elders; or if you have a “different idea” regarding a principle or form.
2. Completion of a course or the ability to perform a form are not sufficient qualifications to teach.

borrowed from -http://www.magictortoise.com/etiquette.htm
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Kung Fu is a Family…not a ranking.Kung Fu has been a big part of Chinese culture for thousands of years. Over the centuries, many different styles of kung fu has emerged , developed and passed down from master to student. Traditionally upon being accepted as a disciple by the sifu(teacher) of a particular style, one becomes an immediate member of that gung fu family and part of a rich tradition which is full of meaningful rituals. Kung Fu styles has been taught in the manner of a family structure for thousands of years.

The table below outlines the basic family structure and proper terms/titles used within a kung fu family.

Before briefly explaining the the structure of a kung fu family, it must be mentioned that the Chinese culture with its tradition and customs is very different from the western culture. Due to the cultural differences many traditional practices and concepts within kung fu are usually either misunderstood or misinterpreted by many westerners. For example one of the most commonly misunderstood factor is how to address the members of a kung fu family. Like many other Asian countries, Chinese have a strict discipline on how to address people. According to the Chinese culture, calling ones elders by their first name is regarded very disrespectful. This also applies to the traditional kung fu schools. For example, if a student starts calling his teacher/sifu by his first name he/she is not only being very rude and disrespectful to the teacher but also not showing any respect towards the style, its ancestors and tradition. So the proper way to address the elders/seniors within a kung fu family is to use the appropriate titles which are shown above. For example the proper title for ones kung fu teacher would be Sifu. When referring or calling a senior member of the family such as the teacher or the grandmaster, one can use the family name or the full name followed by the appropriate title.  However, in the west the title is usually put before the name due to the structural differences in languages.

The Chinese(Cantonese) term/title Sifu is used to address a master/teacher. This title like all the others listed above is not only explicit to kung fu but the whole Chinese community. The title sifu, for example can be used to address a skilled cook/chef or a poet. Sifu is more like a father figure, a mentor, a skilled person who is respected and admired within a community. A student must show upmost respect towards his/her sifu at all times. Your sifu will remain as your sifu doesn’t matter how advance you may become.The titles Si-Mo (wife) and Sing-San(husband) are used to address your sifu’s wife or husband respectively.

The title Sijo(s) is used to address the founder of a system. For example in Wing chun,  Yim Wing Chun is credited as the founder of the system. In general the founder of the style (sijo) would be classified as the first generation of the particular style.

The title Sigung is used to address ones Grandmaster.  In general or in a simpler term Sigung or the grandmaster is the person who taught your sifu. The grandmaster’s(sigung’s) master(sifu) would be known as Si-tai-gung  or the Great Grandmaster. In Wing Chun your Si-tai-gung would be/is Duncan S.H. Leung. Following in this order, each generation before would be known as Si-tai-tai-gung and Si-tai-tai-tai-gung and so on. For example your Great great grandmaster or Si-tai-tai-gung would be Yip Man.

Si-bak is the title used to address your older gung fu uncle who is also your sifu’s senior kung fu brother. In the same manner, Si-sook is the title used to address your younger gung fu uncle who is also your sifu’s younger kung fu brother.

The kung fu family members of the same generation would address each other as Si-hing (older brother), Si-di (younger brother). The female members Si-je (older sister) and Si-Mui (younger sister). It is important to bare in mind that the seniority between the younger and older class mates within a kung fu family is usually marked by the date one joins the school, not by age, superiority of skill or neither by ones physical appearances. Another important point to mention here is that as I stated above these tiles are not exclusive to the kung fu community. The distinction between the titels used or the formality within a kung fu family depends on your sifu. The list of titles/terms used above is by no means complete.

written by- Hungkuen.com

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