Interview with Sifu -Choosing Students to Teach Gung Fu
Interviewer: Thank you, sifu, for agreeing to this interview. You’re known for not teaching everyone and anyone - the general public - but being selective in who you teach. Can you explain this?
Sifu: Sure. That’s completely correct. Yes, I select students. I don’t advertise that I accept any applicant. I don’t simply teach anyone who decides they want to learn my gung fu. The notion that a prospective student over-rides the sifu and makes the decision to learn the art is typically Western - and back to front. It is disrespectful to the sifu to think that you are superior and will decide. Any well parented Asian knows from an early age that you ask your elders - you don’t tell them. I swore I’d only teach people whom sifu Sum Num described as “people of noble character”. So, that’s how it is. You’ve heard me say, and I’ll put it into more polite terms here, I don’t run a supermarket martial art class where anyone can wander in and decide what to buy. I run a class that’s more like a club where people apply to join and the club decides whether or not to accept them. It’s maybe like going to university. You decide you’d like to go to a particular university. But, the university decides whether or not to admit you. My way is actually not that alien a concept even in the West.
Interviewer: So, you only teach decent people?
Sifu: Yes. Of course! Why would I teach smart-arse, thug hoons? I don’t want to associate with or even be near that sort of person, let alone interact with them voluntarily or teach them! I only teach people who have a good character. They don’t have to be saints but basically have to have a good heart and respect the art by acting with appropriate attitudes. This is what my students want, too.
Interviewer: I agree! Some martial arts instructors might say they can accept a less than satisfactory student and change them through martial art. How do you see this?
Sifu: Some people can change. Some can’t. Some won’t. I’m a professional psychologist so logically my livelihood is based on a belief in change. I am also more acutely aware of the realism of the prospects for change in a context and in a person and the limits of change because of this very fact. If others want to accept problem students and rehabilitate them or do “martial arts therapy” that’s their decision. I’m not about to waste my time or energy beyond a certain level. Look, I’m no longer young. I have a very busy life - personally and professionally. I’ve had delinquent students before. I’m no longer prepared to tolerate fools. So, people with unacceptable attitudes can change those attitudes before applying for membership - or not apply. In my gwoon I’m not a therapist, and I don’t want to be. I’m the sifu.
Interviewer: How do you select your students, then, sifu?
Sifu: It works like this. A prospective student approaches me and needs to express politely and respectfully, exhibiting good manners, that they would like to learn my gung fu. I chat with them and, as a very experienced martial arts teacher and psychologist, and, I like to think, a good judge of character, assess their attitude. If I don’t have reservations based on the way they speak and behave, I offer them a free trial lesson. I can then talk to them face to face at the free trial lesson and assess their general demeanour. I can then decide to accept or reject their application. For example, if they address me as “mate” I’d be a very lot less than impressed with their understanding of basic manners. I’m not their “mate”. They’re applying to be my student!
Interviewer: Yes, I see. And you observe them during the free trial lesson, sifu?
Sifu: Yes. I watch their attitude to see if they accept teaching, if they think they know better, if they respect whomever I assign to teach them. I watch to see how hard they are prepared to work. I watch, or ask my seniors to watch, their approach to correction. This is especially significant if an applicant has done some martial art before. You see we’re not teaching his art, we’re teaching ours. So, if he wants to do his former art, clings to it, as if to imply it is superior to what he is being shown, he should do that art - and not mine! I ask my senior assistant instructors their impressions, too. I won’t teach arrogant smart alecs or people whom I assess likely to hold low class values. A person can be as poor as a beggar or have had a difficult life without good opportunities and be relatively poorly educated but still be accepted. None of that counts. It is presentation, attitude that I assess.
Interviewer: And, if you have doubts?
Sifu: I give the applicant the benefit of the doubt. I accept them on trial.
Interviewer: Does that happen often?
Sifu: No, not too often. It’s unusual. Mostly applicants self select. They either don’t like what they hear on the telephone when they phone to enquire. This is that together we will decide whether they will be joining or not. And so don’t turn up or, if they do turn up and don’t like our system, our class, they don’t return. It’s rare I will suggest an applicant try looking elsewhere. But, it does happen now and then. If they are undecided then I insist they look around before asking me can they join. I don’t want uncommitted or doubting students!
Interviewer: Do many drop out?
Sifu: Yes. In fact we’ve enrolled hundreds of students. I’d guess over five hundred or more over ten years. The time they stay varies. Some stay weeks, some months, some rare few stay years. Some few just stay! I don’t chase students who decide they don’t want to learn. What point is there in that? Ultimately they’d give up anyway. The commercial sifus chase the student. I respect the student’s decision. I’m not chasing dollars. I’m chasing quality, committed, well mannered students to teach and pass down the true art!
Interviewer: Have you lost many senior students, sifu?
Sifu: Oh yes! Of course! Every sifu has! It’s harder when you lose them because you’ve invested more time, energy and trust in them. You’ve spent a lot of time together – often more than some family members! I tend not to lose students who are more senior, though. You know the kuen kuit, though – “the art teaches the art, the art protects the art”. So those who leave don’t have the full art. Often they still have errors that I’ve been working on but which they haven’t yet corrected.
Interviewer: And they may not know they don’t know, eh?
Sifu: Yes. In some cases they know they haven’t learnt a section of the standard syllabus. But, often they may still be unaware of how much more refinement of skill and increase in knowledge was in store for them had they stayed.
Interviewer: So going back to what you said - no hoons?
Sifu: (Laughs) No hoons! No, no, no! (Laughs) No decent human being wants anything to do with a hoon! Look, to be frank I think this type of person is beginning to outnumber well-mannered people in our country, in our society, these days. Manners are disappearing fast. Sadly, we have to live with and amidst their low class values and culture - but we don’t have to accept, support or be part of it. They’re certainly not sifu Sum Num’s “people of noble character”! They’re people of very poor character.
Interviewer: You have high standards and also hold strong moral views that you won’t teach people who’ll misuse the art, am I correct in this, sifu? You say that you certainly have a group of well mannered students.
Sifu: Yes. Quite correct. My students are decent people. I won’t teach people of limited social and emotional intellect and more limited morality to enable them to misuse my art. I won’t teach the bad guys to beat up the good guys – simple! I only teach the good guys to defend themselves against attack by the bad guys.
Interviewer: Have you ever misjudged?
Sifu: Sadly, yes! I’ve actually been too accepting of some students whom I shouldn’t have accepted. I was too trusting of those who made the mistake of thinking they were fooling their sifu. Or worse, think that they knew better! I was too kind in progressing several students to a more senior status when they weren’t ready for it. I tolerated some students too long when they began to hold inappropriate attitudes. I guess I was being too kind, anyway. Some other sifus would have bashed them! Ultimately though, they didn’t learn the true art. Those who continued learning other versions of Wing Chun may think they are learning an equivalent art, they may even think they are learning faster. The reality is they’ve traded down. It’s disappointing to see.
Interviewer: This happens, I guess?
Sifu: Yes, in martial arts it’s not that uncommon. I thought some of the more senior students who left might’ve been beyond it – but apparently not. It’s a pity. Had they persevered and gone past their egos they’d have mastered the art.
Interviewer: Their loss! I’ve heard it said that to find a good sifu is the most difficult part of accessing and learning gung fu. What’s your comment on this?
Sifu: Yes. That was certainly my experience. I was lucky to find the very best teachers, though. I think that the other side of that coin is that it is very hard for a sifu to find a good student! Why I’m so focused on this is that I don’t teach for power, fame or fortune. I teach to fulfil my oath to pass down the true art to people of noble character. So I am not simply after more students. I am not after making money from teaching my art. I am not interested in power over others. I am not interested in fame. I am only interested in finding students with a noble character who will commit to learning and perhaps eventually, in turn, pass down the true art! Not all my students will choose to do this. I won’t endorse all of them. Who I will endorse will be those who earn the right. I won’t even necessarily endorse all my disciples to teach and pass down the true art. Learning it and teaching it are actually two different activities.
Interviewer: Yes, I see. Well, thank you sifu, for this interview.
Sifu: My pleasure.