Maintaining Standards
Contents: Introduction | Maintaining Standards | The Principal Instructor | The Plan
Introduction
Throughout a students training, they will attempt and achieve the arts various Levels (L1 — L6) that are assessed and subsequently allow the student to progress onto the next level or standard. As each level is achieved and the student progresses, so does their training character and training regime. Initially a student will be predominately exercising physically. The physical stage or the basics of the style (Kung Fu) teach the student to work within the confines of ones perimeters as well as learning the training regime and schools protocols. The outcomes of this physical stage are two fold (a) the student becomes physically fitter and stronger and (b) the student has more efficient lines in strikes and blocks which are stronger and faster through the efficiency of the disciplined lines. As the student progresses onto the next level, the student will start to utilise ones mind to push themselves even harder and this stage is the start of mind intent training.
'Mind intent' training helps one develop further power through using efficiency of lines (thinking about their standard) and start stretching themselves mentally Red Zone and applying more effort to L1 (physical). At the mind intent/physical level, one notices an almost symbiotic relationship between the style (discipline, spirit and technique) and the students traits (honesty, commitment and intent) producing more capable students with a greater spirit (Chi). 'Be deadly serious your training', (Funakoshi, 1956). The Chi/spirit aspect though advanced can best be explained that Chi must flow naturally, any real inroads into this style require good honest motives, both technically and mentally. Negativity, incorrect or ulterior training motives block the energy. It is imperative that a student listens to the instruction and not practice what they think.
Later in a students training, (15 – 20 years), a more 'scientific' approach is implemented. At this stage of a students training, the student is considered technically advanced, mentally sound (capable of pushing themselves) and have a thorough knowledge of the style. Once this level has been obtained, the student always with consultations from the school principal will develop training theories (arguments) and if correct and beneficial to ones training, these developments will be implemented into ones training. This style of Kung Fu must be personalised as each student is unique, however, the standard must never be compromised, the art is our guidelines or standard and all queries/arguments must be tested against this standard that should be indelibly ingrained into ones physcial and pshcye.
Ultimately, the student will become a very spiritual person that will make them healthy and peaceful for life. Very early in a students training, (L1 – L2), a student will experience certain levels of the spiritual side of Kung Fu and most students thoroughly enjoy this aspect and generally a re–think of their original goals and objectives are made as they practice further towards this spiritual side, (as it is meant to). The spiritual aspect and to a lesser extent, the analytical and mind intent stage of the art exposes an almost unfathomable system with every question asked seemingly opening a Pandora's Box of even more possibilities, a very humbling and fulfilling practice. It is not believed that this 'Pandora's Box' is unique to this particular art form (YJQ), moreover, one would imagine that most art forms/sciences have this aspect to some extent and in any case, too much for one mind and a good honest leadership team of senior members working together and always overseen by the principal instructor to develop the style further only benefits the styles development. The principle instructor or holder of an art is only ever a conduit of the system and if they start to believe that they are bigger than the system, things start diminishing rapidly, the art becomes a finite entity.
Maintaining Standards
How does one (principal instructor) ensure that the school maintains its standards and remains a student to the art and not take the easy way or blindly dictate? If the styles forms and patterns are treated as a data bank of information and the technique, discipline and spiritual aspects are the arts terms of reference or test bed, one has a constant standard and, one can check arguments through this standard, validate theories and develop the art through cross referencing the forms against other forms. Very quickly one will validate one way or the other if a query is correct or incorrect using this method. This way one can ask a simple question of the art, if it is wrong no problems roll back to the default level. Also good managerial skills are required with a flexible mind, capable of listening, using ones resources (students) and being single minded in maintaining a standard. The other major developmental area is the importance of good students who know the system well and can ask demanding questions of the style and keep the principal thinking. However, correctly trained students are the greatest validation that the principal instructors instruction is indeed correct. A good standard class means the message is getting across. Though the style doesn't need to be reinvented, to some extent each instructor will have their own teaching style that achieves the same outcome and maintains the standard. Maintaining and ensuring the art and technique doesn't diminish is possible if one knows the base/default level style and always ensures that the standard isn't altered and is performed pedantically with spirit and honesty.
What tends to happen with the students is they fairly race through the system from the Basics to Level 3, which takes approximately 3 – 5 years to obtain and is equivalent to approximately Black Belt to First Dan standard and where the steep learning curve levels out for the first time since their training was initiated. It is at this juncture where one will have two options, (a) be selected for private training and press on to a much more demanding schedule, or the more likely (b) level out at Level 3 and develop that level to roughly Third Dan which is enhanced with Yang style Tai Chi. Many students are more than happy with Black belt standard and continue to practice and develop the standard for years or better still for the rest of their lives keeping fit, giving the school a history and tradition and becoming the senior instructors (principal's assistants), valued students in their own right, many students believe that they have enough technique and knowledge at L3 to keep two life times busy (quite a valid theory) and the thought of pushing even harder is somewhat daunting.
The art at its ultimate though is about always pushing through to the next level, never sitting in one place, a constant journey and the principal instructor has to give every student the opportunity to see if they are capable of pushing through or not. The style and principal instructor are well aware that only 2 or 3 students per century will probably be capable of pushing into this more advanced level. Initially, most students believe they are capable but seldom the case and it may surprise classes to which student ultimately does push through, it is NOT a fait de complé. Vary rarely a student does possess the skills to push further and if all the conditions are right, they will train with the public class and as well be invited to train privately where the total system is taught, (not secrets, just a more concentrated and detailed level). The base requirements for this type of student is one who has advanced technical and physical abilities, a good logical mind, enjoys always seeing what is over the next hill and the big one, hell bent on pushing through a whole lot of hurdles and will go to extreme levels to get to it. If this type of student persists, generally the art will continue through them and this student will become capable of developing the Kung Fu further as it takes this type of student to maintain and develop the art. It must be noted as documented that this type of student with these capabilities is very rare perhaps 2 – 3 over a century or one a generation. Though this may seem like staggering statistics, if one looks at any sport, there is generally one in a generation who becomes a great in their chosen endevour with a far superior average or performance to that of their peers. When a student is identified with the required training criteria, they will receive the chance to be isolated and pushed very hard indeed. However, not many have the time, discipline or inclination to go to this level, it is a very big commitment and having L3 must be said can be developed to a very high level over the following years. Perhaps an analogy to L3 Stage 1 is like getting a University degree, this is generally more than enough and a student can achieve their goals with this level. Some with the capabilities wish to push further and further with study and go through Honours, PhDs et cetera. Every body is different.
Though students may see the principal instructor as never satisfied with the students' capabilities, the reason is generally that they have trained at this very high level and have a vastly different concept on the term training. However, they realise more than anybody that it takes more than this one type of student to make up a school. The more character types at differing levels in a school the better, the only requirement is intent and honesty. Everybody with these characteristics has something to offer. A non compromising instructor with these strict characteristics that never accepts mediocrity can only benefit a class of students at all levels and much like the 'mad professor' type, is totally dedicated to the art. If a student is inspired enough, they will always be able to push to whatever level they wish to commit. Simplistically, the principal instructor has decades of backup, knowledge and information and in a betting nomenclature, can see the student and raise them to what ever level required. How much is the student prepared to put in? That is the question one should ask oneself because one thing is for certain, the instructor will happily push.
Whatever the case with students levels, there are no double standards and the training received, the only requirement as written for a student is to always push to ones highest abilities, with this, they can enjoy a pursuit for the rest of their lives. We push beginners and the L3s with total conviction and get the most out of each student. Naturally though the school is looking for a person with all the characteristics to eventually take over the style, the proverbial needle in a hay stack, we realise that 99% of the students will be students of the system. Our current systems within business and educations seem to promote and reward mediocrity with the slightest achievement rewarded with certificates et cetera. Not so with this style, it is about training harder and pushing yourself hard continuously at whatever level, there is no rewards per se, just personal pride, health, self–improvement and accomplishment and more training! YFKF is a very comprehensive art, it is all in there, every conceivable attack/defense one could possibly want and more. The style can take one from an absolute novice to a very spiritual person.
The Principal Instructor
The principle instructor of the art has a large responsibility. If their technique or knowledge is incorrect or limited, the class will dissolve within years simply because their technique and knowledge is limited and eventually will run out of ideas due to lack of knowledge. The students catch up to this level and begin to see flaws, one cannot ad lib technique, worse, an idiot instructor can injure students with incorrect training. Any students who have trained in this style realises that the training curve is just as great at the 5, 10 and 15 year mark and actually tends to get higher. The principal instructor has to have the unique ability of maintaining and respecting the standard, spirit to want to continuously move forward and capable of developing the art within the standards parameters given. These techniques required are passed on and indelibly imbedded by the previous Sifu (Master). Ultimately at some time or other, the new principal instructor must for whatever reason, take complete control of the system and personalise it to their standard. One would always like to have their Sifu around for a little longer and inevitably one initially goes backwards once instructing at the primary level. Hopefully one has understanding students that have a decade or so training behind them all with the same goal of maintaining the style and keeping the spirit of the school so the principal only has to concentrate on the standard. This early instruction stage is as if one is in another country, though one can speak English 'well', in a non English speaking country, one would flounder unable to articulate the requirements. Eventually one learns to communicate and understand the rules and get back on track gaining the necessary confidence required. The advantage of this sink or swim method is that one eventually thoroughly understands their training modus operandi, trial and error. Perhaps this is the reason for the responsibilities that are put on a new principal when sent out to develop the art? (Sink or swim). I soon found that through putting questions up and testing the conditions, I would validate my theories and if correct, put them into practice and in reality, not a great deal needs changing. Naturally the easy part is developing performance gains and theories, the hard one is realising when one is flogging a dead horse and getting back to the default level again if incorrect. Also, not throwing the baby out with the bath water when discovering a problem, rather, fix it, don't start again or go off on a tangent.
Another analytical tool implemented was to document the tactical and strategic objectives which funnily enough produced a plan, a man without a plan has a fragile/vulnerable school! It must be noted that everybody is still a student at one level or another and the uncertainness and peaks and troths that students experience do not automatically disappear when one takes control of a school, but rather augment in duration and allow even more chance of uncertainty seeping in (other responsibilities). This art is a constant mental test and an art form is truly a battle with ones own will (if it doesn't kill you…). Along with the objectives plan, all the thoughts and ideas were documented, initially a puzzle, slowly over a period of time, drafted and redrafted, debugged and edited in both Yin & Yang (attack and defense) mode to get a balanced, tested perspective. Ultimately, one ends up with a strategy or validation that is at least to the author clear and implemented within training, remembering that the wheel doesn't need to be reinvented with this style. One burns ones beliefs into ones head, and through this process, one removes the ambiguities, and have a depth of knowledge with alternatives and backups, this enables one to be certain and clear in ones beliefs, (and this is all this is) and then capable of looking a student in the eye and not err for a second by leaving nothing to chance when presenting it, it has been tested. (Know your stuff!) The one certainty is that a student can smell uncertainty big.
Plan
When this present school was started (1991), senior students were relied upon too much. If a student left the school, the school and classes would suffer. The reasons for this were many but the main areas of trouble were identified as being too emotionally involved with students (most were peers or friends). As well the cardinal sin of adapting training to the student not visa–versa. Over the ensuring years, a degree of objectivity had to be introduced. As part of this new 'objective' era, a strategy and plan for the school was developed. Ultimately, a model was introduced to the school based on the hub and node network model (See Fig #1).
With this model, the style or art is the hub and all students/instructors (bar principal) are nodes. If any one node is removed, the system doesn't fail, the rest of the hub maintains its operation. To implement this model, it requires dedicated students with knowledge of at least the L3 of YFKF that can fill any void of running day to day classes, all students learn how to maintain and develop the style and not to rely on just any one person. Along with the normal training regime, the students from the start are taught to teach students all aspects at the differing levels progressively. Starting out calling (Instructing) their respective groups for small periods of time and monitored by a senior. Once a thorough knowledge is gained of a particular level, the assistant instructor moves onto a more advanced level of instruction. Typically, the progression is calling the forms (By calling the forms, a student learns the moves. An example of the benefits is some students can go through a class on auto pilot and not miss a move. When they call, they fall to pieces and stumble over every move. There are various reasons for this, however, for the scope of this article, it is generally that the student has learnt a group of moves by rote. Calling is also a direct window to the soul. Small energy (voice) = small energy (training). Secondly, setting the training regime (Learning to motivate themselves and others and eliminate time wasting) and thirdly, corrections (starting to be able to correct movements by really seeing the fundamental structures of the moves and analysing them objectively with their peers). All students are taught 100% by the assistant instructors and this aspect is overseen by the principal instructor, this way, instructing knowledge is gained simultaneously too the art and where the assistants can develop their instructing style thoroughly under supervision. Another advantage of this model is a greater responsibility is given to the assistant instructor and generally when people are given responsibilities, people will rise to an occasion and give back even more and moreover, give the student instructor a thorough knowledge of the art through analysis i.e. by dissecting the art, one knows how it functions - an analogy, driving a car doesn't teach one how the engine works. disassemble and reassemble an engine teaches one how an engine works. This is also the beginning of their mind intent and spirit training. This is achieved through listening and trusting the principal (not being gullible), any person in any endeavour has to trust the system they are partaking in and fully commit. At certain stages, instruction may seem strange, nevertheless, it is always ethical and legal and generally touching up a deficient area however, these instructions are done for a reason. When training at something at the nth degree, the nth degree in instruction is required. That is the strategy for YFKF and this model will continue until it or if it requires updating or somebody else is in charge, (Be flexible and open to suggestion). Documenting a path is a proven manner for strategy. Worse would be for the principal instructor to blindly dictate.
Next (Link back to Articles Main Page)
