Appledog
Green Belt
i. Introduction
Confucius and his followers saw virtue as more than a series of rules. They found it to be a vehicle to approach the Dao and reach enlightenment.Confucius writes,
Refine your person by means of the Dao.
Refine the Dao by means of Ren.
(Doctrine of the Mean, Chapter 20)
When discussing Wu De (which means, “the martial and the civil”) we must not only understand the martial, we must also understand the civil. This refers to, almost without exception, a study of classical Confucian morals and philosophy.
Wu De
In Chinese schools today, why do children have Chinese classes, if they speak Chinese fluently? Well, just like in English schools where you study literature, in Chinese schools you also study literature. However instead of reading “Lord of the Flies”, Chinese children will read literature from the ancient Chinese dynasties. All students are required to study Confucian morality, and it is taken extremely seriously. In fact, works similar to the Dìzǐ Guī have been taught in Chinese schools for thousands of years. Starting in the Song, many village schools (私塾 sishu) were established alongside many Government-funded “official schools” (州學、縣學 zhōu xué, xiàn xué). This raised literacy as high as 30% starting in the Song dynasty. By this time, even when children did not learn to read and write, they would still receive a basic education which would include moral instruction.
This is the cultural background which all Chinese students will have to a greater or lesser extent, particularly in more traditional societies. It is the foundation of Chinese culture even today, despite many Chinese communities moving towards a Western approach in thinking and academic study.
And so then, what is Wu De?
This is the cultural background which all Chinese students will have to a greater or lesser extent, particularly in more traditional societies. It is the foundation of Chinese culture even today, despite many Chinese communities moving towards a Western approach in thinking and academic study.
And so then, what is Wu De?
There is no single unified code of honor known as “Wu De” which is passed down in martial arts schools. This is why Westerners who study in Asia feel like Wu De is not important – You hear the term “Wu De” but there seems to be nothing there. It is also why Academia cannot see what Wu De is as a living, breathing tradition but rather tries to link it to a kind of republican-era construct, perhaps used to control the masses, or to engage in whitewashing (such as their claim that the Japanese used Bushido to whitewash the Samurai).
In fact, Wu De is an invisible reflection of Confucian morality, Buddhist precepts, and Taoist Wisdom. When applied to the social interactions that occur in teaching, learning and practicing martial arts, this becomes a set of unspoken rules known as “Wu De”. Therefore let us understand Wu De as would a young child. Our introduction to Wu De will be a study of the Dìzǐ Guī with minor commentary on how it would be interpreted in the context of Chinese martial arts.
Standards for being a good Student
When students are punished they must write out Confucian texts, such as the Dìzǐ Guī "Standards for being a good Student". If they continue to misbehave they can be beaten. Each school has a military officer which patrols the hallways to enforce attendance and behavior. The teachers at the school are expected to stand in for the parents in this context; if the students are not beaten in school they will surely be beaten at home. Although much has changed in the modern era; many parents still look for a strict school in the hopes that their children will receive a moral education. It is seen as a kind of ‘eating bitterness’ – how else can one learn? In terms of martial arts, when a Chinese refers to this chi ku it does not solely mean the suffering one must endure, it also refers to the mental discipline and morality training which one must go through in order to attain the mental fortitude to enact such chi ku upon yourself without someone forcing it upon you. Or else you are nothing but a child. In Kung-Fu terms this is known as ‘mothering’. If you need ‘mothering’ it means you are not yet disciplined enough to practice difficulty by yourself. The takeaway you should have from this is that the relationship between the teacher and the student is seen as parallel to the relationship between father and son. This is a central concept in Confucianism which will be explored in depth later.
The Dìzǐ Guī
Here is the Dìzǐ Guī. It was written in the Qing dynasty during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722) by Li Yuxiu.
The source for the main outline of it is from Analects of Confucius, Book 1, Chapter 6, where Confucius said:
The source for the main outline of it is from Analects of Confucius, Book 1, Chapter 6, where Confucius said:
Confucius thought that basic moral values should be taught to a child from an early age. He believed without those values all other learning would amount to nothing.
There are altogether seven chapters in the Di Zi Gui, with each chapter listing one duty that a good person should follow in life.
Chapter 1 - At Home, Be Dutiful to My Parents （入則孝）
父母呼，應勿緩。父母命，行勿懶。父母教，順敬聽。父母責，須順承。冬則温，夏則凊。晨則省，昏則定。出必告，反必面。居有常，業無變。事雖小，勿擅為。苟擅為，子道亏。物雖小，勿私藏。苟私藏，親心傷。親所好，力為具。親所惡，謹為去。身有傷，貽亲忧。德有傷，貽親羞。親愛我，孝何難。親憎我，孝方賢。親有過，諌使更。怡吾色，柔吾声。諌不入，悦复諌。號泣随，挞无怨。亲有疾，药先尝。昼夜侍，不离床。丧三年，常悲咽。居处变，酒肉絕。喪盡禮，祭盡誠。事死者，如事生。When my parents call me, I must answer right away. When they ask me to do something, I must not be lazy to do it. When my parents instruct me, I will listen respectfully. When my parents scold me, I must accept and obey them. I will try to ensure my parents are always warm and comfortable. In the morning I will greet my parents and at night I will wish them a good night. Before going out or after returning home, I will tell my parents to put them at ease. I will maintain a disciplined life and strive for good results in all my studies. I must not do as I please, even though it may be just a small matter. If I do so, then I will not have been a dutiful child. I must not keep anything from my parents, even though it is small. If I do so, I may hurt their feelings. I will try my best to please my parents. I will try not to do anything that offends them. If I behave badly, my parents will feel ashamed. With loving parents, it is not difficult to be dutiful to them. Even if my parents sometimes treat me badly, I must still be dutiful to them. If I feel my parents are wrong, I may advise them to change. I must do this politely. If my parents pass away, I will mourn them. I will not decorate my home and I will avoid any festivities. I will serve my parents' funerals with the deepest sorrow and as if they were still alive.
Commentary
The obvious connection any Chinese would make is that one’s Sifu should be treated with the same respect as one’s Father. This is because a Sifu is a teacher. The relationship has already been established between Parent and Child, and then extended to Teacher and Student. This is no different than a Sifu-Student (or Tudi) relationship.It is important to understand that not everyone would revere a teacher in this way, or even their parents! However the concept was well-understood. One must respect and honor one’s sifu.
From this initial chapter comes the majority of one’s Li (social ritual) when dealing with your Sifu. Just be kind and respectful, listen and follow their guidance!
It is also important to understand that in Western society, not everyone who claims to be a “Sifu” is worthy of the respect and honor that term implies. You must carefully judge the moral quality of your Sifu. If your Sifu is known to ‘engage in vices’, this does not always mean he is a bad Sifu. However, even a Sifu who smokes, drinks, and gambles will understand when you are paying social respect to him out of a matter of Wu De, and should appreciate it
One takeaway is that it is considered better to stay with one teacher for a long time rather than jumping from teacher to teacher. It is possible to change teachers, but it is not something which should be taken lightly. Having too many teachers is a red flag; How much ‘quality time’ have you spent with your Sifu, that he could guide you along the path?
Another interesting thing you may see here is that it is in fact possible to challenge or ‘advise’ your Sifu. This speaks to the idea, “Am I allowed to ask questions of my sifu?” Yes, you are. However, don’t be disrespectful. If your Sifu understands you well and if you have good morality your intentions will not be misunderstood. In sum, you do not have to obey your Sifu blindly, nor do you have to put up with overly-abusive or parasitic behavior (such as taking advantage of students financially, etc).
In all other situations, no matter how difficult it is to accept coaching, just do it. I have met many high level martial artists who share a similar complaint; The students argue with them about their corrections! Or the students are angry with the teacher for correcting them! All such ego must be removed, and the relationship between Sifu and Student will prove successful.
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