The B@stard Child of Wing Chun

[wingchun100]

You need to get clarification on the recent comment and I suggest that you consider working through it with him part of your training.

In answer to your question, though. I personally call myself "Sifu" and don't like it when people do refer to themselves that way. Students call their teachers sifu in TMA. I didn't even tell my students to, they just figured it out in time. Point being, that if you were teaching people, they could choose to call you sifu and no one would ha e anything to say about it.

There is not license required to teach martial arts in the US. Literally anyone who someone is willing to learn from is free to do it. What you can't/should do is claim either lineage if they have not expressly granted that privilage. Depending on the lineage, that could get you a visit.

If I may ask, why is it important to you to teach?

Wing Chun has had a tremendous impact on my life. Very early on, it dawned on me that I wanted to help spread the word about it. Also, I get incredible joy from teaching. There were several occasions at the first school where the teacher would introduce me to a new student and ask me to work with them while he tended to other students. He would tell me to help them out with whatever part of the form or whatever technique they were struggling with. I would give them tips on how to improve.

Sometimes, but not always, what I said would cause a revelation. I could see the lightbulb turn on, could see a spark in their eyes as something CLICKED. I can't explain why that is so thrilling to me, but it is.

 

[wingchun100]

I'm gonna connect some dots from several threads and suggest that there might be a loyalty/trust issue involved. Just call it an intuitive leap.

You are probably right. That has crossed my mind.

Then again, I am assuming that what you meant is Leung Sheung Sifu has a trust issue regarding ME.

I can understand it. Like I said, lineage hopping is heavily frowned upon. But I had to make a choice: wear the "scarlet letter," or drop Wing Chun from my life. And I could not do the latter.

 

[Steve]

I'm wondering about your relationship with the new sifu. I don't know, but you do some things that are bad juju sometimes.

 

[anerlich]

This is nineteenth century thinking. Avoiding lineage hopping in modern times when both students and instructors often change jobs and locations frequently.

I've been a "Sifu" on paper for 22 years and teaching WC and Jiu Jitsu regularly for about 25. A paper "master" for about six years, FWIW. I've never particularly wanted to open my own academy as I have been able to make better money with another career I enjoyed.

In my experience people wanted me to teach more, not less, often than I really wanted, even before I was a "qualified Sifu" or BJJ black belt.

I'm curious why this isn't the case with you, and can't help thinking, like others, that there is more to this than what you are telling. I am insufficiently interested to search through other threads to determine what that might be. I've met few decent instructors who would throttle a student's ambitions in the way you describe unless they had legitimate concerns about their character.

A title or a black belt doesn't give you magical powers or access to adulation, or financial or romantic success. I prefer to be addressed by my name, not some dumbass title.

You don't need a gatekeeper to give you the nod. If you can find one or more students, teach them. If it gets weird, ask for forgiveness, not permission.

 

[anerlich]

Double post

 

[KPM]

Like I said, lineage hopping is heavily frowned upon. But I had to make a choice: wear the "scarlet letter," or drop Wing Chun from my life. And I could not do the latter.

This is the part I don't understand. This isn't China. I've moved through 3 different lineages of Wing Chun and no one ever seemed to hold that against me. In fact, it was an advantage. Knowing that I already had a background in Wing Chun, the new teacher when I moved to a new lineage "stepped things up" based upon that and I didn't have to start from scratch. So this "lineage hopping is frowned upon" is an archaic attitude and I would really take a hard look at the teacher telling you this. People like that start to sound "cultish" and act very controlling at some point. You might not want to be part of something like that!

 

[KPM]

Double post. The forum seems to have an "echo" again.

 

[Xue Sheng]

He learned the leung sheung system linage off someone. I assume that is the linage he wants to teach.

Who is the Leung sheung guy he learned from and why does he not get an endorsement from that guy.

Not leung sheung himself

He likely has not trained much, if at all, with that guy. He is in the area only on rare occasion these days. The gentleman he trains with has been told that he can teach by that person. And I believe at least 2 or 3 others of that group have as well.

 

[Xue Sheng]

He learned the leung sheung system linage off someone. I assume that is the linage he wants to teach.

Who is the Leung sheung guy he learned from and why does he not get an endorsement from that guy.

Not leung sheung himself

He likely has not trained much, if at all, with that guy. He is in the area only on rare occasion these days. The gentleman he trains with has been told that he can teach by that person. And I believe at least 2 or 3 others of that group have as well.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Sometimes, but not always, what I said would cause a revelation. I could see the lightbulb turn on, could see a spark in their eyes as something CLICKED. I can't explain why that is so thrilling to me, but it is.

You don't have to explain. Those of us who teach, or have helped teach, have experienced that. It's one of my reasons for teaching anything.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

This is the part I don't understand. This isn't China. I've moved through 3 different lineages of Wing Chun and no one ever seemed to hold that against me. In fact, it was an advantage. Knowing that I already had a background in Wing Chun, the new teacher when I moved to a new lineage "stepped things up" based upon that and I didn't have to start from scratch. So this "lineage hopping is frowned upon" is an archaic attitude and I would really take a hard look at the teacher telling you this. People like that start to sound "cultish" and act very controlling at some point. You might not want to be part of something like that!

I wonder aloud whether this concept is a holdover from Steve's original instructor. Perhaps he is projecting it upon his new instructor. If that's the case, it might send some weird signals.

Just a thought, Steve. I know only what I've heard from you, and that will (of course) be colored by your perception of the situation. Perhaps when you have that talk with your current sifu, you might ask his attitude about you having changed lineage. I know some instructors who have an odd attitude about people who change arts, change styles within an art, etc. They are a distinct minority, but they do exist, even where I wouldn't expect them.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I wonder aloud whether this concept is a holdover from Steve's original instructor. Perhaps he is projecting it upon his new instructor. If that's the case, it might send some weird signals.

Just a thought, Steve. I know only what I've heard from you, and that will (of course) be colored by your perception of the situation. Perhaps when you have that talk with your current sifu, you might ask his attitude about you having changed lineage. I know some instructors who have an odd attitude about people who change arts, change styles within an art, etc. They are a distinct minority, but they do exist, even where I wouldn't expect them.

I'm not Steve, but I know his current Shifu and he changed lineages. Started with Fong moved and switched to Ling. Both are in the Ip Man Lineage, but from different teachers

 

[wingchun100]

I'm not Steve, but I know his current Shifu and he changed lineages. Started with Fong moved and switched to Ling. Both are in the Ip Man Lineage, but from different teachers

That's right, and I completely forgot about that. I don't believe his objection would come from a lineage hop. So there has to be something else.

He is back in town soon. I plan on asking.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

So there has to be something else

There is an ancient prophecy that a sifu named Steve will bring about a thousand year reign of death and destruction. Not saying that's you, necessarily, but he's just playing it safe.

 

[DanT]

I think if you have the experience you should just teach. It's not your fault your Sifu randomly says you can't after you worked your butt off. If you feel like you've earned the title sifu, then you're a Sifu and no one can say otherwise. Obviously it would be great if you had your Sifu's approval, but it's not absolutely essential. Let your skill be your certificate.

 

[wingchun100]

I think if you have the experience you should just teach. It's not your fault your Sifu randomly says you can't after you worked your butt off. If you feel like you've earned the title sifu, then you're a Sifu and no one can say otherwise. Obviously it would be great if you had your Sifu's approval, but it's not absolutely essential. Let your skill be your certificate.

Right. Actually, the Sifu denying me the endorsement said the same thing. But wouldn't you know my luck? I advertised for lessons once, and the FIRST GUY who contacts me says, "What's your lineage? Why don't you train with YOUR teacher anymore? When did you get certified?" Etc.

And I know the advice for situations like that: be honest. And I was. And it resulted in no further contact. LOL

Ah well. I will still forge ahead. I always do.

 

[wingchun100]

There is an ancient prophecy that a sifu named Steve will bring about a thousand year reign of death and destruction. Not saying that's you, necessarily, but he's just playing it safe.

I'm always the last to know these things.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I'm always the last to know these things.

If you know about the prophecy then sometimes you bring it about while trying to avoid it. Sometimes it's just simpler to keep things secret.

 

[Steve]

There is an ancient prophecy that a sifu named Steve will bring about a thousand year reign of death and destruction. Not saying that's you, necessarily, but he's just playing it safe.

Thays actually me. I'm going to start training wing chun just sonibcan do it.

 

[wingerjim]

I really don't believe in the "certified" sifu thing.
A sifu is a person who is the head of the school and that is all. One can be certified by some one or some organization to instruct but that doesn't make you a sifu. Being the head of the school makes you a sifu. Open a school, be the head of the school and you are the sifu.

I agree with Danny T. I do not run the school where I am both a teacher and student. My only teacher owns the school I attend and all but one other student learns from myself and this other student and neither of us are formally certified, but have been deemed teachers along with himself for the rest of our students. By the way, we too are in a Leung Sheung lineage.

 

[Xue Sheng]

If you know about the prophecy then sometimes you bring it about while trying to avoid it. Sometimes it's just simpler to keep things secret.

I see you're avoiding the whole "Sifu Tony is one of the signs of the apocalypse" bit of the prophecy"