An English Teacher in China: 师徒 (shī tú) "Master and Apprentice"

The Tai Chi Fight Club

For the past month I’ve been diligently attending a nightly Tai Chi 太极 (tàijí) class. The master has been very kind with teaching me the movements involved in the art. The old master cannot speak English but he has found a way to communicate that doesn’t involve any verbal ques. Rather, he shows by example. He starts by demonstrating how the move can be applied in martial combat. Often this involves him demonstrating the move on me so I’m fairly used to getting beat up by an old man. Then he lets me practice the move. If my position is wrong than he will correct my stance or show me how to do the move again. Sometimes I need him to show me the move a couple of times before I’ll get it. I’m glad he has a lot of patience when it comes to dealing with me. After this past month I've actually mastered the basic 24. I was so happy!

Two weeks ago the master approached me with an invitation to join the Tai Chi group not as a simple student but as an apprentice. I wasn’t sure what this meant so I turned to my good friend DC for help. DC explained it in the following way:

In Chinese culture the role of a master is very important. Masters are considered role models for the community and mentors for the younger generations. They are the elders, imbued with wisdom and virtue from both education and experience. Much has changed in China since the ancient days but the traditions of the Tai Chi 太极 (tàijí) masters remain the same. They still honor the relationship between a master and his apprentice. The principle difference between a student 学生 (xuéshēng) and an apprentice 徒弟 (túdì) is their relation with their teacher. In China a normal teacher is just called a teacher 老师 (lǎoshī) but there is a special type of teacher called a master 師父 (shīfu) who is recognized as being highly proficient in a particular art. A student is someone who is simply learning something from a teacher and there are no ties outside of the education that bind them together. An apprentice, on the other hand, is a member of a family where the master is the father and the other apprentices are the sibglings. Becoming an apprentice is very much like being adopted. There is an official certificate, then an initiation ceremony, and a big fellowship meal with the other members of your new family.

Upon learning this information I felt highly honored by the invitation. There were no obligations for the master to accept me into this his Tai Chi family but I could tell that he wanted me to belong. I’m pretty sure he likes me. He even said that I’m one of the most diligent students he’s ever had in his 20 years of teaching. I was much honored. I accepted the invitation and the master began preparations for the ceremony. I had the double benefit of actually being initiated alongside my good friend DC. DC has been taking the class with me and he’s actually the one who introduced me to the class in the first place. In a single moment in the ceremony Dc and I were transformed from friends into brothers. It was really something special.

The ceremony was held in an upscale restaurant that is fairly close to Langfang Teacher’s University. There were 22 people in attendance, which even including the master’s master. There were speeches in Chinese, toasts all around, good food, and plenty of merriment. Several of the people there spoke English and I was glad for their company. The rest of the time I simply tried my best to interpret the conversations that were going on in Chinese. I’m very thankful that the people attending are willing to use charades to get across their points… sometimes to an almost comical effect. The Chinese people do love to laugh and act silly. I even pulled out my survival Chinese book and we were having a good laugh at my attempting a conversation in Chinese.

The food was amazing. We had roast duck, roast pork, fish, fresh vegetables, cooked mushrooms, noodles, and plenty of soup. I ate my fill of the green beans and roast pork. I really liked that roast pork!

The time finally came for the initiation part of the ceremony. Tradition states that all apprentices should present a monetary gift to the master in a red envelope. The master was very worried that asking me to honor this Chinese tradition might be considered an insult due to my being from a western culture. I assured him that I would be happy to honor this tradition and he was very pleased. We signed a special red paper then I presented the master with both the paper and my envelope. I bowed and then he presented me with a legal certificate showing that I was now his apprentice. It was official. I could now call this man my master.

It should be stated that "master" really isn’t a very good term to describe this kind old man. The word 師父 (shīfu) is literally translated “teacher father.” In the eyes of the Chinese government and the Chinese people I’m practically this man’s son now. His biological daughter even calls me brother 哥哥 (Gēgē). It’s a huge privilege. It reminds me a lot of the people back home in Linwood. How I would playfully call some of my elders at home “uncle” or “aunt.” There is something universal about the desire for a close family, as if all of humankind longs for some great adoption when we can embrace each other as brothers and sisters. Regardless, I’m thankful for my new Chinese family. Perhaps one day I will be able to introduce my teacher father to my biologically father back home. I think they would like each other very much.