The Martial Arts Apprenticeships in Asia

Martial arts instruction in Asia has followed the Confucian cultural tradition of teacher-disciple apprenticeship within a family-based hierarchy.

Martial arts instruction in Asia has followed the Confucian cultural tradition of teacher-disciple apprenticeship within a family-based hierarchy. Those who enter before the student entered are called older brothers and sisters; those who enter after the student entered are called younger brothers and sisters. The instructor’s peers are called the student’s aunts and uncles. These clearly delineated relationships are intended to foster the development of character, good manners, patience, and self-discipline.

Students are trained by a master instructor called sensei in Japanese, lao shih in Chinese (Wade-Giles), lao shi or shi fù (“old master” or “master father”) in Pinyin, sifu in Cantonese, shih fu in Mandarin (Wade-Giles), and sabeomnim in Korean. The instructor directly supervises the students' training, and the students must memorize and learn to recite the rules and basic training routines of the school.

Questioning the instructor’s training methods or goals is not tolerated in students. Students are not considered advanced or familiar enough with the basic requirements of their school or system to make knowledgeable distinctions. They are expected to follow instructions and practice what they are taught without comment. Training consists of repetition of the forms and techniques in gradually more complex series of movements and situations. For the safety of the instructors and the other students, new students are only taught basic conditioning exercises until they learn their place in the hierarchy of the school.

Students are expected to demonstrate respect for others and to follow the directions of their instructors. The traditional schools offer a clear and unambiguous structure to enable all students to interact with their peers, seniors, juniors, and instructors without confusion or bias. Every student, not just the exceptional student, can benefit from the training and has the opportunity to develop his or her potential to the fullest.

Some schools require testing for mastery at certain levels and obtaining certification before permission is given to study further. Other systems, especially in China, require years of close personal instruction, practice, and evaluation with a master. This is similar to an apprenticeship in which the student stays until the master determines that his skills have reached a satisfactory level of development. While this approach is still respected in many traditional styles, its use has decreased and has even been rejected by some schools, especially in the West where it is not practical for students to spend years living with their teacher.