To be a Master:

From the time a person decides that he or she wants to study kung fu, he or she must first become a beginner.  To become a beginner, one must first find a school of study.  When one has found a school of study and is accepted by the master, then one is allowed to become a student.  It will take several years of dedication and hard work to complete the courses.  Upon their completion, the student becomes a disciple to the master, and learns the most advanced parts of kung fu.  When he or she has been a disciple for long enough, he or she will eventually become a master.  The master, in turn, relives the cycle from beginner to expert.

The long hard passage from beginner to master involves learning about the self and the art form.  As a master, one must go back to the beginning and learn about the people interested in the art of kung fu.  The master understands the problems that dwell within the students’ minds and bodies.  He or she knows ways of surpassing and solving these problems.  If a student is physically challenged, the master ensures that this student is taught the art of kung fu with the same quality as it is taught to a student without physical challenges.  He will teach the students how to adapt to the different forms in kung fu, and find forms that complement the students’ strengths.  In working with students, the master will assess each student’s body type, and adjust the movements to suit the body type.  For example, a person with long arms and long legs does not usually make a good infighter and conversely, a person with short arms and short legs does not make a good distance fighter.  Furthermore, a student with a slight frame will be considerably faster than a student with a stout frame and with heavy muscles.

The master is responsible for teaching kung fu that will protect the students in times of need.  This is a great responsibility for the master, as he or she will be directly responsible for the well being of his or her students.  Another consideration for the master is the students’ morals or values.  The master can identify whether someone will be self defense capable or a vicious attacker.  It is the master who is directly responsible for the students’ behaviors.  Sometimes, it is necessary to remove a person from the school.  These are never easy decisions, but occasionally they do have to be made for the benefit of the school and the people involved.

The master is always available.  When students and staff are off sick or are not available to attend classes, the master must still be at the school.  The master cannot have shortcomings.  They are not allowed to be sick or to feel pain, and they must run faster and farther than their students.  Emotionally, the master is composed, and is able to motivate the students.  The master sets the tone for the school.  One is always fair to the students and encourages the students to help one another.  The master empowers the students to succeed through their own efforts yet is also prepared to assist the students in difficult times.

A master must also be a pillar of the community.  He or she must help the students learn about their bodies and how they exist in their surroundings.  The master exemplifies strength and honor.  He or she takes the weak person and makes him or her strong, he or she takes a scared person and makes him or her courageous.  The master takes a small person and makes him or her big, and the master takes a big person and makes him or her humble.

In addition to the many duties, the master is also the sales representative for the school, the janitor, the laundry person, the cook, and the person with whom other people want to talk.  The master must always give of him or herself unselfishly and place all others above him or herself.  All great masters wish their students to be better than they are.  They strive to make all of their students better, healthier and stronger than they are.