As a long time martial artist with a career that has surpassed 30 years of personal training, I thought I had learned most of what I needed to know for most things related to martial arts in general. I have had my own students and taught martial arts since 1976.
After beginning my training with Master Yu, I noticed that whenever we'd go out to eat after class, or we were just milling about after class, Shifu would always tell us to NOT be too loud, or NOT to block off the street, and similar things he would stress all related to politeness and behavior. At those times, I had just kind of smiled inside and thought to myself, that even though older, all of us were just bigger kids than actual kids.
Today, after class, I experienced an unpleasant scenario, and it reinforced and drove home Shifu's message to us.
Typically on Sunday, after class, I'll either go to my girl's apartment, or go out to eat and head home or to her place. It's usually a nice, pleasant time after class, just relaxing and bringing back in some sustenance and refueling. A good time.
Today, I went to one of my favorite places, but unfortunately I sat behind this group of very loud individuals that were to ruin the taste of my cheese grits, sausage, bacon and eggs. In a VERY loud voice these morons started making comments about Chinese people and their negative experiences in dealing with Chinese people when they were visiting and staying in China. There were 3 primary culprits in this group of 8 individuals, and I gathered they were all in the same school as academic teachers, and also gathered that some of them were actually tai chi students!
They were speaking VERY loudly and proclaiming themselves to be good and expert, and how some of the internet folks they had seen were not as good as they, or didn't have the same amount of insight that they apparently thought they had. Two of the culprits decided to move their chairs into the middle of the restaurant, and demonstrate their skill. I swear, they were not good at all.
Then several of these individuals began making comments like, "well you know so and so IS jewish." and they repeated several times some negative comments about being jewish.
I was appalled. Here in the middle of NYC, which is probably one of the safest bastions for any mixed group of individuals I was hearing some of the worst stereotypes I had heard since the 1960s, and believe me I remember those times very well.
The point is that Shifu always wants us to have fun, express ourselves, however, we are always expected to be polite and NOT impose ourselves negatively on others. Whether it be by word, or by action, we were always expected to present ourselves in a quiet and reserved fashion. By so doing, we are less likely to arouse others and perhaps cause bad, ill-willed feelings. I never really noticed how horrible a level people will stoop to, when they are in public places.
Thank goodness, I know I never have to deal with that type of thing from my own students.
I believe that prospective students should examine a prospective teacher and see how they carry themselves, and watch and see how the students behave and act amongst themselves. Crowd dynamics are important, and we all need to decide if we would like to be associated, or learn amongst such jerks as the ones i encountered today. Personally, I think I am so happy to have found Master Yu. I am proud to be one of his students and proud to be a kung fu brother with my fellow students in class. Thank you all for being you.
J
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