The Test of Humility

- for Instructors and Students alike -
This article is dedicated to the long serving instructors at the Shaolin Martial Art Center. The thought of teaching, both for self-gratification and for earning a living, probably appeals to most, when first starting martial arts. However very few, maybe two or three percent, actually ever achieve this goal. This stems largely from a lack of patience, an ambition to be the "top dog "within a system where, because of years of solid dedication and hard work, there is and always will be those who are better than you, and most of all greed. Within the Martial Arts community, greed is the one thing that will always retard progress, whether it is greed for knowledge, greed for material wealth or a greedy, ambitious desire to be “king of the castle”.

Greed for knowledge

The greed for knowledge is the desire to learn more than what you are ready to handle, both physically and mentally. For instance, learning a form takes years to develop because of certain aspects, like holding stances, coordination, power, speed and balance. Once these have been developed, one has to start utilising what one has learned, by practising sparring or applying what one has learned in a real situation. This again will take years and years to accomplish. However some days, while you are training, you have flashes of "wow" I actually got it right.

Greed for material wealth

Well, this one we are all familiar with. This is when you start to question why some people should not be allowed to learn martial arts, why do you need to obey certain rules and why are you not allowed to teach faster. When instructors fall prey to these questions, they often break away, starting their own separate system where their own rules apply. This action is by its very nature an insult against all legitimate teachers and the ancient rules, traditions and code of conduct handed down for centuries by teachers of the martial arts. These “break-away” students begin to teach anybody, regardless of his or her intentions and attitude or even ability. They suffer from delusions of grandeur and make empty promises to match, filling their students with false hopes and a distorted view of the martial arts. All because they believe if you have the money you should be allowed to learn the art (a sad misconception).

Greedy ambition

This can be summed up quite easily "if I cant be king of the mountain Ill be king of the molehill". Leaving a system can be compared to fruit falling off a tree, some fall due to circumstance like weather, some is picked off during the harvest and well, some just rots and falls because nobody wants them.


To all my teachers: Si-Gung, Si-Fu Bruce, Si-Fu Frank, Si-Bah Cris, Si-Bah Tim, Si-Bah Brett

Thank you for your teaching and guidance through the years, and for persevering and staying true to one system, it does not go unseen and inspires us daily.

Si-Sook Brian smith