Signposts: A Question Of Trust
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You are a traveller in a strange land. Your journeys end is a far distant place, and as yet you have no knowledge of this foreign world. The people seem strange & mysterious, their appearance odd, their manner alien, their speech unfamiliar, and their customs veiled in ritual & secrecy. You have no idea how best to reach your intended destination, and are unsure of the troubles that you may encounter along the way. A wrong turn may mean much wasted effort. An ill-advised encounter may mean financial or physical adversity. With these problems, how should one find the way?
Problems Finding The WayThe above scenario describes some problems facing a traveller. It may also easily describe a novice martial artist taking the first steps towards mastership. Which way is the best? Our imaginary traveller has two simple answers to these problems;
- Consult a map and follow signposts along the way.
- Employ a guide who has trodden the path before.
Both solutions are acceptable, however each contains a different set of problems which many take for granted; How do you know your map is accurate & the signposts all point in the right directions? How do you know your guide is honest in his intentions? You can never know for sure until you have actually reached your goal, so until then you must have TRUST. You must trust the cartographers who drew the map, the officials who placed the signs, and perhaps only choose your guide on the basis of a personal recommendation.
Which Is The Right Direction?
The martial artist encounters similar problems. The style, club or organisation you are considering may offer various forms of hierarchy, grading syllabus or belt structure clearly showing the path ahead. Some may also have published literature available to better point the way. The club will also have guides in the form of fellow students, instructors and perhaps even high-level masters of the art. However the same problems arise; How do you know the club is honest in its publicised intention to give you the best instruction possible? How do you know the style is right for you, the syllabus complete, or the material relevant to your own aspirations?
The problem is simple: SIGNPOSTS OFFER NO PROOF! The sign which saysDestination 100km looks OK, but how can you be sure? It is too far to actually see where it points to, but your map says it's there, and a friend who has been there says the sign is correct. But still you will only know when you take the journey yourself and see where it leads. The novice who enrols in a class promising Black Belt in four years will only be able to judge the validity of that promise after four years have passed, by which point a lot of time, effort & money will have been spent.
Everyone Is Different
Continuing our travel analogy we must also consider that just as travellers differ in method & speed (car, bike, train, walking etc), people differ in intelligence & ability. For a motivated person that trains correctly three nights a week, the Black Belt or 1st Technician Level may easily be possible in four years. For a lazy couch potato who trains poorly once a fortnight, a lifetime may not be sufficient. Time alone is no criteria, and this is the reason signposts specify distance - regardless of speed the same distance must always be covered. A grading syllabus specifies the number of steps from novice to master, but the time taken to complete each stage correctly will depend on the individual.
Have You Been Led Astray?
Many would-be Kung-Fu Masters take the wrong path, suckered in by false promises from unscrupulous people who care more about making money than passing on an authentic art. Sooner or later these students discover that their chosen style is incomplete, incorrect, wrongly advertised, far too expensive or just not what was promised. Then they often quit with a bad taste in their mouth. Students who have travelled the wrong path for many years often convince themselves that where they are is where they always wanted to be, sometimes setting up schools of their own to lure others down the same path, finding comfort in the fact that as long they are not the only one, then they must be doing something right. Still others are just unaware, plodding on until they witness something that forces them to stop & reconsider their position.
Take A Step In Our Direction
Ultimately you must still trust that the UK Kung-Fu Federation has your progression at heart. However we do not ask for an upfront fee, you may evaluate our classes before joining, we do not use contracts, and we do not insist you buy lots of expensive merchandise. You are the one who must make the journey and tread the path, but we will be with you at every step, and we make sure you have a good time along the way. Trust is everything, and we keep our promises.
- Author: Lee Heron
- Sources: None
