When an
individual chooses and joins a martial arts school, there instantly starts
a Sifu-student relationship with the Master of the school. You are
considered one of the regular students and nothing is asked of you,
nothing is demanded of you, as you are just there to learn kung fu. This
individual typically sees the martial arts school as a hobby and as such
their attendance may be sporadic. As a result, the progression of the
individual may also be sporadic and unpredictable.
The
longer a student trains the more likely they will no longer identify their
kung fu training as just a hobby. That individual now wants to get a
deeper understanding of the system. To some this may mean entering an
instructors program where they can obtain a certification to teach the art
and potentially make a profession out of Kung Fu and being a professional
martial artist. There is another level of student who truly identifies
with the system and wishes to make a lifetime commitment to the system and
the family. Bai Si, also known as discipleship, is the next step the
individual would take to be accepted into the Kung Fu family.
The
term “Bai Si” should not be taken lightly. The traditional Bai Si
ceremony may last for many days filled with activities ranging from taking
oaths, tea (offering) ceremony, and much celebration. The tea offering,
in traditional sense, dictates whether the individual is being accepted in
the kung fu family or not. The tea, offered to the candidate, may be
spiced, very hot, very cold, or even has a bad odor. Consumption of the
tea (offered by the Master of the system) without hesitation symbolizes
ones loyalty and their promise to preserve the knowledge of the kung fu
family and the system. Consumption of the tea by the Master symbolizes
the acceptance of the candidate into the kung fu family.
After
being accepted into the kung fu family, one is thought to be closer to the
Master of the system then his/her own family/siblings. You are now in the
eye of the system. Anything thing you do and don’t do will have a very
important meaning, not only to the school, but to the Master and the
system. Bai Si, as in the eastern thinking, is always thought of as the
actual time when you start to learn kung fu. Beforehand, there may be
corrections here and there, but now, you get the in depth understanding of
the system. As the training continues, the proper etiquette is to not ask
for more material. The Sifu will know your progression and your period of
advancement.
Bai Si,
as explained, is a very important step and part in the kung fu family.
Oaths, pledges, and promises are repeated and upheld by the individual
throughout the course of the individual’s standing in the family. With
the proper guidance from the Master of the system, the disciples will
carry on the system to the following generations.
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