Understanding the Maligned Kungfu Masters and gain Life Lessons
Have we misunderstood the Kungfu Master? What are the repercussions of this misunderstanding? How and what can we benefit if we see things from another perspective?
The Kungfu Master and Survival
My knowledge of Kungfu is from Chinese movies and dramas. I have watched scenes where a physically stronger disciple tries to kill his old Kungfu Master. They fight but at the last moment the Master manages to escape with a new maneuver. As a child I was told that a Kungfu Master always holds something back to ensure his survival.
Teachers vs Kungfu Masters
If teachers hold something back from their students, then knowledge will be lost. The loss in knowledge is intentional. This will snowball over time and generations. Actually the problem is the opposite. As a teacher I try to teach my students as best as and as much as I can. But I find it impossible for me to teach everything I know. Kungfu Masters are teachers too so I would like to say something in their defense. I feel that they have been unfairly maligned as being selfish.
Why it is so difficult to teach 100 % of our knowledge or skill to others
There are many reasons for this. Below are three of the main reasons and the life lessons that we can learn.
Learning is lifelong
There is no magic pill. There is no such thing as brain or muscle transplant of knowledge or skill. Our knowledge, understanding and skill comes from the accumulation of many experiences over the years. Teachers and mentors can help us but it is something that we need to acquire and make sense of for ourselves.
Life lessons: Learning requires patience, work and effort on our part. We need to be independent and lifelong learners. Try to seize as many opportunities to learn as we can.
Teaching is one of the best ways to learn
If you have taught before, you will know that one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to someone else. (If no one is willing to listen, try to teach it to your dog or pillow.) The reason is, you need to be clear before you can teach. If your understanding is not clear then you cannot continue teaching. So when the Kungfu Master teaches something to his disciple, he is very clear or has mastery of that skill. The more people he teaches the skill to, the more practice he gets, and the more skilled he becomes.
Life lessons: Seize opportunities to teach and share. Give your time to teach others. The more you give of yourself, the more you will gain and receive. Not just in knowledge or skills but also in friendships.
Everyone we meet can teach us something
When the Kungfu master is teaching his disciple, not only does he get to practise and hone his skill, he is learning from the student as well. He sees things from the student’s perspective. Most of us experience this when we teach or interact with others. Even newborn babies can teach us so much from our observations and interactions with them.
Life skills: We need to have an open mind. We need to respect and learn from others. When we are willing to see things from another perspective and are willing to learn, we can gain a wider and clearer world view.
The world is such a beautiful place if we give others the benefit of doubt
Perhaps the Kungfu Master holds back from teaching everything because of survival. This is understandable but I don’t believe this is the reason why the disciple is not able to learn everything that his Master knows. I believe it is because the Kungfu Master is learning as he is teaching. I sincerely believe that if we truly understand the heart of a Kungfu Master, he is no different from you and I. I believe that he wants the best for his disciples.
As for that ungrateful disciple who wanted to kill his Master, I hope that he will get to read my article and change his ways. I would like to say to him, “What goes around, comes around.”