A. Although there are certain advantages to the belt system of grading, Chinese martial arts teachers usually use the traditional system for grading. The system is comprised of levels. Level 1 (lowest) through Level 72 (highest). The level you are at is between you and your teacher and not publicized. If you require documentation for whatever reason your teacher can provide written certification.
Q. Why are good manners and proper etiquette stressed in the martial arts, it seems unrelated?
A. There are many reasons for this. The most important reasons are that using good manners develops good character. Good manners that come from the heart indicate a high level of awareness. Keen awareness is a desirable quality that top-notch martial artists strive for. When a person is responsive of even the smallest favor or kindness that someone shows them, and is outwardly appreciative of it, this demonstrates good awareness and solid character. A good martial artist can develop and improve themselves by making an effort to be thoughtful, generous and polite. A good martial artist is reciprocal of even the smallest favor or gift someone bestows upon them. A good martial artist is a compassionate and giving person. Selfishness, stinginess and greediness are ugly traits. True martial artists desire to not only develop themselves physically , but they also want to develop themselves mentally by having good morals and excellent judgement. They want to eliminate ignorance and promote wisdom within themselves. Proper etiquette and manners are the basis for becoming a quality individual. A person who does not want to improve themselves in this way or does not strive to be a basically "good" person suffers immensely from guilt, fear and "paying the price" for their actions. Uusually this is harder for younger people to comprehend because the ill effects and consequences for making bad decisions that hurt themselves and others are not usually immediate but rather accumulate over time. In class, good manners are encouraged. Students should be appreciative when their teacher or fellow students help them in even the smallest way. Students should be generous and give something back. This builds strong social bonds and creates a fertile learning environment. Kindness, politeness, manners, cooperation, fairness, compassion, generosity, respect and decency are what separates men from barbarians. The true martial artist is not a barbarian. Even some of the most sophisticated intellectuals can have barbaric traits. It is the martial artist's goal to improve on their weaknesses and be helpful to society in general. This improves the health of a student's ego. A person with an unhealthy ego usually has great difficulty in mastering martial arts. So it is to the student's advantage to improve themselves in this area. One analogy is: it is easy to be a "bad" person, very difficult to be a "good" person... one cannot expect to be instantly rewarded just because they try to improve themselves... but, after a certain amount of self-improvement is attained, one can clearly see that the peace of mind one achieves and the consistent feeling of satisfaction and joy that comes through having little guilt and solid values is well worth all the effort. It is no good to be merely an idealist, one should strive to make their ideals, values and good judgement consistent with their actions and lifestyle.
Q. Is the ideal martial artist striving to become a "perfect" person?
A. Absolutely not. Every person has a variety of different faults. It is the martial artist's goal to improve themselves. On the long journey of self-improvement one becomes aware at some point that it is important to be easy on one's self. To forgive one's self, relax and "go with the flow". One learns that upon initially improving themsleves that a feeling of superiority starts to emerge. One must work through this stage and eliminate that kind of thinking. Almost everyone has good qualities and value... trying to see and appreciate this is important, rather than thinking that because you have achieved some level of self-improvement and/or mastery of martial arts that you are better than the "average" person. Humbleness and true understanding require much time to develop and are the cornerstones of wisdom.
Q. What is yin and yang?
A. Yin and yang are the two opposites that coexist mutually at all times. One cannot exist without the other. Yin is soft, yielding, cold... yang is hard, giving, hot. The sky and sun are yang... the earth and water are yin. As it applies to martial arts and particularly Tai Chi, when you are in a state of extension then that part of you is yang. When you are in a state of retraction then that part of you is yin. When you have weight on one leg, that leg is more yang, when you have little weight on the other leg, that leg is considered more yin. Usually yin and yang are not extreme opposites. In other words, where there is yang there is almost always yin contained within and visa-versa. Yang energy is warming... like when you eat ginger to warm your stomach which aids digestion... yin energy is cooling, like when you eat watermelon to cool down on a hot summer day. In Chinese medicine, yin and yang are used to descibe different herbal treatments. The same theories are applied to accupuncture and accupressure treatment. The overall goal is to achieve a good balance of yin and yang. Qi Gong works in the same fashion. Qi Gong practice is based on understanding where there is too much yang or yin in the body and balancing the energies to improve health. Men are considered more yang... women are considered more yin. Water is yin... giving, cool, absorbing. Fire is yang... taking, spreading, hot. A deep understanding of the yin and yang energies is required for true mastery of chinese martial arts. The principles and underlying theory of Tai Chi is based upon yin and yang. Yin and yang are the two energies that mix to create life. Yin and yang emerge from the great void of emptiness. In Tai Chi, we simulate the great void of emptiness in the opening posture. Then, in the second posture, we mix yin and yang energies, simulating the beginning of all life. Some people confuse the theories in a religious way. Yin and yang actually have nothing to do with religion at all. They are indisputable experiential constants. You can believe in God or not... has nothing to do with understanding and accepting the principles of yin and yang. Your teacher will work with you so that you can more deeply understand how yin and yang are the basis for the theories pertinent to a particular style that you are learning. Deeper understanding of the principles and theories will help you to attain mastery.
