Respect in the Martial Arts

I received a comment last week that didn’t make it past initial review, meaning it was a bit rude.  The thrust of the comment was simply that practicing martial arts was a decent enough thing to do with one’s time but that bowing and referring to senior instructors by strange titles should be beneath me.  As a general rule, I have referred to my instructors in a teaching environment simply as Sir or Sensei; however, when writing about my instructors I refer to them by the ranks they were given my the organizations they teach in, sometimes this title has been master.  It is not up to me to determine if this is a proper title, it is a title that has been awarded.  Mostly, the instructors I meet are not comfortable with this title and have requested to be addressed simply as sensei, or sifu in the Chinese arts, or in other occasions Ted or Joe.  When writing I feel the need to give the respect that 30 years of training earns even if the individual might prefer to be called Jack in person.

I think what was clear from the comment is that the person did not really understand formalities in the Martial Arts.  The systems of unarmed combat that people study throughout the world were not designed to be conducted like a spinning class where you say hi to Sally, Joe and Marcus before stepping on the bike.  Martial Arts are generally speaking military in their origins.  The formalities, and by this I mean all the bowing, showing respect to higher ranking students and instructors and anything else a lay person might view as not furthering the study of unarmed combat, are in place for a reason.

I have heard that some people have felt that bowing interferes with some Christian beliefs.  I have never really felt this.  Martial Arts are generally speaking not religious.  Bowing in Asia is like shaking hands in the West, there is nothing religious about bowing.  It is simply a sign of respect.  Bowing before entering the mat to train is to show respect for the training hall.  It also shows respect for all those coming before you.  It is also training in checking your ego at the door.  Understanding that you do not already know all there is to know is very important in the martial arts.  If you feel that you know all there is to know, it would be impossible to learn anything new.  Or as the old adage goes, a cup that is already full can hold no more.

Where else do formalities come into play?  There is a general level of respect that should be transmitted between those that we train with.  We have to trust each other; this is absolutely vital.  I can’t say this strongly enough, it is VITAL that we TRUST.  We are striking, throwing , and doing other techniques of supreme unpleasantness to each other.  We have to trust that our partners will use control and precision in their techniques.  If they don’t we will be seriously injured at minimum.  If we do not have the proper respect for each other we might not take our endeavor with the seriousness required.  Mutual respect is so important in the martial arts and it cannot be understated.  You can’t play with death and serious injury in a haphazard method.  Formalities are used to foster this mutual respect. 

What about rank?  Most of the modern ranking system started with Judo.  I can’t be sure of the dates but I believe this would put it in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.  Colored belts are not nearly as traditional in Martial Arts as other parts of the arts.  In the modern martial arts colored belts are used not just a guide posts to separate material in systems.  As a cynic I would say that some systems use belt testing as income generating opportunities.  However, this is not generally true.  What is true is that as one moves through the belt system of a given martial arts expectations on that student increases.  The more advanced the student the more they are looked at to be not just examples of excellent form and technique but also to be models of humility and respect within the Dojo.  A black belt or high ranking brown belt is an example to the lower students.  John is a brown belt and does ‘x’ it must be ok to do that.  The high ranking students set the tone for the lower students.  This is in terms of how people are addressed and how formalities are conducted in the school.

The comment mostly stuck with why would I refer to someone as Master?  Now I will admit that this word conjures up some mental images from bad Kung Fu movies and from a certain David Carridine series from the 1970’s.  Master has been a traditional rank in the martial arts for quite some time.  As I said before, most people I know who have achieved this rank prefer not not be addressed in such a way.   However, lets look at it beyond tradition.  I had a client who was a Master Electrician.  Now I did not laugh at his claim of being a master or snicker in anyway, neither would most people.  But I do believe that he fulfilled a certain amount of training and proficiency to earn that rank.  He probably gained respect among his peers.  He also probably spent years in his profession learning under experts where he learned with those that helped him to reach a master’s proficiency in his chosen art.  He probably took tests to certify his expertise.  Now electricians are different from martial artists but in one aspect they are the same.  It is an expert apprentice learning environment.  Martial arts and traditional trades are taught in the same way.  An expert teaches a given number of students allowing them to work with material that is more complicated the longer they apprentice. 

In short, formalities is about respect.  The building of respect is necessary in military organizations and it should be no surprise that it exists in martial arts.  Respect for the training and each other is necessary due to the serious material that is covered in traditional martial arts.  Traditional titles may look out of place in today’s world but they exist in traditional professions such as carpenters and electricians.  A lot of what happens inside the training hall may look strange to the lay person but there is a reason and it has nothing to do with people trying to feel self important or superior to others.