Authority
When you come to the dojo, it is a
recognition the teacher there has something you want. He will give it to you in
his own way. You must accept that. If you do not, you are free to leave. The
dojo, however, is never run by consensus.
(Dave Lowry)
What is authority?
Authority is
power that you
give somebody over you.
It cannot be imposed upon you.
If you refuse to obey somebody, they may punish you but they do not have
authority unless you do what they say.
An intelligent person is not a slave, they do not need a
guru.
More subtle forms of authority come from
the media and entertainment industries; where attractive people are heralded
'stars' and expect adulation.
It is essential to be aware of these influences.
From birth we are educated to regard the world
through other people's eyes.
A
taoist must see the world as it is.
Sifu
A martial arts teacher is not like a school teacher or a university
lecturer.
Your tai chi
sifu is not a guru,
counsellor, therapist, keep fit instructor, coach, personal trainer or
medical practitioner.
They are not your on-line chatroom buddy.
To run a martial arts class safely, the teacher must have undisputed
authority over the class.
Authority in martial arts
(i) Business
Martial arts have always been taught
for money.
The teacher needs a certain income to sustain the school, pay hall rental
and their own fees.
Some people teach part-time whilst others teach professionally.
Typically a teacher founds a school or is appointed by a governing body or
a chief instructor.
The teacher has a lot of responsibilities.
It is important to respect that the teacher is running a small business (in
essence).
(ii) Hierarchy
In terms of the class and all things pertaining to the class, the teacher
must have absolute authority.
You cannot run a martial arts class by consensus.
Despite this, you (the student) must decide to what extent you are prepared
to accept this authority.
If you wish to remain in the class, then you must accept it unconditionally.
If you are unwilling to acknowledge the worth of the teacher, then you
should leave.
Responsibility in tai chi
In tai chi, the student is responsible for their own development, so the
responsibility largely remains with the student.
Remember that you attend tai chi classes in order
to learn the system, not to follow somebody else.
Your teacher is not your guru - they are just another person who
is (hopefully) skilled at tai chi.
Respect their knowledge and be grateful, but keep your relationship in
perspective.
Their role is to teach.
Yours is to be responsible for your own learning.
Being an authority
There is a danger in
claiming to be an authority.
Such a claim is based upon the certainty of knowledge, and all knowledge by
its very nature must reside in the past.
The 'known' is old.
Taoism
embraces the unknown, the yet to be, and does not value memories of what has
happened.
Development based on knowledge can only build upon what you already know.
Experience has value and limitations.
If a person is in
authority, they must continue to explore,
develop, deepen and expand their understanding and their insights.
Otherwise they might easily
stagnate, and rely upon the achievements of the past.
Also, being an authority in one field/area/topic does not usually
indicate expertise in all other areas.
Page created 18 January 1999