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  • #46
    Dear Confermezza Siguje

    It will become clearer when you think of these terms as family relationship terms (Verwandschaftsgrade) - because that's what they really are. They are no titles .
    As your "Sifu" is your Kungfu Father/Mother, there can be only one. In our school the teacher who first introduces you to our school is your " Sifu". All other relationships are deducted from this one. This is why Sigung (Grandmaster Wong) is your Sifu. It does not matter if you take courses with another teacher later. Just like in a real family, it does not matter if your uncle shows you how to ride a bicycle, your father is still your father .

    This is different from other traditions, where the teacher carries a title ( "Sensei" in the Japanese tradition for example). What might make it even more confusing, is that there are Kungfu schools today (at least here in Switzerland) that use "Sifu" as a title for any instructor in their school. However in our school this is not the case.

    You can address other Shaolin Wahnam instructors, just like any other Shaolin Wahnam Family members by the family relationship term. Most instructors will be of the same generation as you (their Sifu is also Sigung/Grandmaster Wong) and will have started in our school earlier than you, thus they are your older brothers (Sihing) or Sisters (Sije). For those like me who are a generation "younger", I do not know the correct name and I can't recall anybody using one...they simply call me by name.

    I hope this makes it a bit less confusing

    Best regards
    Andrea
    Enjoy some Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan & Qi Gong!

    Evening Classes in Zürich
    Weekend Classes in other Swiss locations


    Website: www.taichichuan-wahnam.ch
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/Taichichuan.Wahnam.ch

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    • #47
      Excellent and clear post, Andrea!

      Originally posted by Andrea View Post
      For those like me who are a generation "younger", I do not know the correct name and I can't recall anybody using one...they simply call me by name.
      I think that's Sijat and Sijatlui.

      Regards,

      Bernardo

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      • #48
        Dear Sister!

        Thank you for the very clear "tree". It is very helpful.

        Please check the "nach mir" under Sije - I think it is the other way round...

        Best regards,

        Your brother,

        Piti

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        • #49
          Dear Andrea,

          this was a wonderful explanation - thank you very much for that!

          My best wishes to you, and may your Chi Kung teaching always go well

          confermezza/Dorit
          ... alles, alles, alles ist doch auf Liebe aufgebaut ..." (Ellen Auerbach, 1997)

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          • #50
            Dear Piti Sipak - yes of course it should be "Sije - Start vor mir". Thank you. Ich wusste nicht das Du Deutsch sprichst.

            Dear Bernard Sisook - yes it is Sijat and Sijatlui you are right, thank you. I was thinking the relationship is "cousins", but it is "nephew". I am not very good with relationship designations even in Western terms, when it gets beyond "brothers and sisters". Bellow are the updated diagrams in German and English.

            And a small add-on. Saying that "Sifu" is not a title is not entirely correct. It is only true within a Kungfu school. But when non-family members call Sigung: "Sifu Wong", the "Sifu" here simply means "Master", and works as a title.

            Andrea
            Last edited by Andrea; 18 August 2010, 07:00 AM.
            Enjoy some Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan & Qi Gong!

            Evening Classes in Zürich
            Weekend Classes in other Swiss locations


            Website: www.taichichuan-wahnam.ch
            Facebook: www.facebook.com/Taichichuan.Wahnam.ch

            Comment


            • #51
              Here the revised German version:
              Enjoy some Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan & Qi Gong!

              Evening Classes in Zürich
              Weekend Classes in other Swiss locations


              Website: www.taichichuan-wahnam.ch
              Facebook: www.facebook.com/Taichichuan.Wahnam.ch

              Comment


              • #52
                And an English version ... now we just need the missing terms
                Enjoy some Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan & Qi Gong!

                Evening Classes in Zürich
                Weekend Classes in other Swiss locations


                Website: www.taichichuan-wahnam.ch
                Facebook: www.facebook.com/Taichichuan.Wahnam.ch

                Comment


                • #53
                  Thank you once again, dear Sister!

                  Piti

                  Comment


                  • #54
                    A quick question

                    Is the Sigung's wife called Simung?

                    I believe I heard a term similar to this while watching the Jackie Chan movie Drunken Master, his mother was being address as Simung (Shimung).

                    Peace n Love.

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                    • #55
                      I believe Sigung's wife would be Simu.

                      Comment


                      • #56
                        I think...

                        Hi mping,
                        Thanks for the reply but I believe that Simu is for the Sifu's wife however, I found on Wikipedia that Shi lao or Shipo is what the Sigung's wife is referred to.

                        Can anyone confirm please.

                        Thanks.

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                        • #57
                          In our school your Sigung's wife is called "Sipo".
                          Simu (or Simou) is your Sifu's wife.

                          Shipo might be the Mandarin pronunciation, I am not sure. I also remember seeing other names on websites and that in some schools there is a different name whether or not your Sigung's wife practices Kungfu or not ... Sipo in those schools was only used, if she does. Thus there might be different ways of addressing your Sigung's wife in other schools. Best check with your Seniors.

                          Andrea
                          Enjoy some Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan & Qi Gong!

                          Evening Classes in Zürich
                          Weekend Classes in other Swiss locations


                          Website: www.taichichuan-wahnam.ch
                          Facebook: www.facebook.com/Taichichuan.Wahnam.ch

                          Comment


                          • #58
                            Andrea,
                            Thanks for the correction. It's the habit I guess

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                            • #59
                              Thanks Andrea. Well we are a young school and our master is the founder of this particular style, he goes by the English title Master, however we call his wife Simu (she use to practice as well).
                              We have senior instructors which carry the title 'Sensei' (which I know is Japanese for Sifu), but at our dojo it is understood that the Senseis are under the Master, not the same level.
                              We also have Sempai as a designation (like myself) which is also Japanese for senior student.

                              I guess when another master comes up from the ranks, our current master may adopt the title Sigung or Shizu...

                              Peace n Love.
                              Last edited by bearl.yuille; 10 November 2010, 04:00 AM.

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                              • #60
                                Thank you for the explanation. I understand your school has adopted a naming system closer to the Japanese system, which uses titles then.

                                In the traditional Chinese "system", used in our school, the names are Kungfu Family relationships, rather than titles and thus depend on where in the family you are. (For an explanation see some of the earlier posts in this thread.) This makes it quite dynamic and interesting .

                                Best regards
                                Andrea
                                Enjoy some Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan & Qi Gong!

                                Evening Classes in Zürich
                                Weekend Classes in other Swiss locations


                                Website: www.taichichuan-wahnam.ch
                                Facebook: www.facebook.com/Taichichuan.Wahnam.ch

                                Comment

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