When I was a boy my father was helping me do some sort of work for school – I don’t recall the details as I must have been about 9 years old. It must have required some research on sayings I suspect. He volunteered the saying “a word is enough for a wise man” (“verbum sapientia sat” – Latin). I can’t help thinking all these decades later that this saying is quite clever. Whether it be in terms of the wise person being the recipient of a message or the sender it applies to both.
Not a lot needs to be said to convey an idea to someone who is wise. Nor does a lot need to be said by a wise teacher. I need only mention a kuen kuit, principle, concept or key word to my seniors and they understand what to do immediately as they are wise in the way of Wing Chun.
What is this “wisdom” in martial arts? I think it’s the ability to flexibly apply knowledge. It’s the ability, developed through experience, insight and reflection, to see reality, discern truth and fact and make sound judgments. It comes from experience rather than necessarily being taught (though it can be taught). I think it derives from well informed reflection. You could reflect forever on incorrect or inappropriate material and still not develop wisdom. Wisdom seems to have to have at least some starting point. My concept of “reference” applies here – you have to be able to access the “gold standard” to be able to compare alternatives.
“A word is enough for a wise man” reminds me of the Chinese saying: “He who speaks does not know, he who knows, does not speak”. I reflect on that one a fair bit as I read or hear the nonsense some martial artists sprout.
I’m also aware there’s a saying by Plato that: “Wise men talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something." Sadly, how apt that is in the modern martial arts world!