Wu Shen Pai
Wu De
(Martial Code of Conduct)
武德What is Wu Shen Pai Wu De?
Wu De means “Martial Virtue.”
Within the “Martial Way”, or wu dào (武道), of old world traditional Chinese Martial Arts, there has been often found the learning of virtuous behavior known as xián xíng wéi. (賢行為), or the principles of living an honorable life known as gāo shàng de shēng huó (高尚的生活) among other things.
Over time this has been refined, bringing us a sort of code of ethics within the wǔ lín (武林), or martial forest, setting us apart from (or sometimes within) the Jiāng hú (江湖), meaning rivers & lakes, alluding to the wandering ones, or those who live outside of this, or any other, code of ethics.
We’re not merely talking about a code of ethics here. Obviously Wu De is also tradition and history – but it’s more than that as well.
Wu De is like a fine suit of clothes that tells the observer about the person before him. It’s like having a membership card to a niche organization. It’s like a skeleton key that unlocks previously inaccessible doors. Many people have a "feeling" of what Wu De is: a list of moral attributes, much akin to those found in the Boy Scouts, as well as those found in popular religions. This code may be memorized and recited as it is in Wu Shen Pai. However does memory mean that one would automatically live these virtues? The great thing about Wu De is that it is more than a memorized code, but rather a working tool one uses to "act out" virtue.
Todays modern Martial Artist, to be differentiated from the partial artist of today, might see Wu De as a respectful conduct of martial artists in meeting & communicating with one another. They might also see it as an underground cultish view on the martial arts or old traditions of titles and greetings in the martial arts world. They might see it as an on-going self-examination where one is constantly trying to "walk the talk," fraternal rites & rituals, etc.
Wu De is all of these things and none of these at the same time, and yet it can be even more (or less).
Wu De can be a way of life for the traditional martial artist; the way he carries himself, a code of ethics, interactions with other students, other teachers, in class, out of class, visiting other schools or events and how he or she accomplishes goals are just some of the contexts wherein Wu De may be found.
And let us not forget that in traditional martial arts, a student may select a teacher. However more importantly – the teacher also selects the student…And showing proper Wu De can get one a long way in being selected; whether you’re the student or the teacher.
Wu De is the Chinese martial arts code of appropriate social interaction. Ethics and etiquette is ingrained not only in the culture of China but also pervades throughout the philosophy that holds the society together. There are five essential points in Wu De: Respect, Humility, Trust, Virtue, and Honor.
Respect (Zun Jing; 尊敬)
The term respect means to acknowledge the feelings and interests of another in a relationship and treating the other at a standard that rules out selfish behavior. Respect is derived not by behavior but by one's attitude. Respect is appreciated as demonstrating a sense of worth or value of a person, a personal quality or ability. In martial arts, respect is the cornerstone of all the teachings of martial arts. In regards to Wu De, respect begins with the individual and manifests outward meaning that those who respect themselves as well as others will, in turn, be respected. Respect must be earned as well as displayed. This is why we salute and why we use titles when we address those who are senior to us in the art.
Humility (Qian Xu; 谦逊)
The term humility is the quality or characteristic of a person that is unpretentious and modest. Humility comes with controlling ones pride and ego. Pride and ego are the killers of good martial arts and good character. When we allow our own pride and ego to infiltrate our rational judgment we start to make decisions based on self-pride and not solid facts. When your ego and pride take over you will become satisfied with yourself and stop thinking deeply. Try daily to display humility in everything you do. Train for yourself and not the title or color around your waist. Keep your cup of tea empty allowing yourself to always learn.
"The taller the bamboo grows, the lower it bows." - Chinese Proverb
Trust (Xin Yong: 信用)
Who do you trust? Do people trust you? Trust is the belief that a person is of good character. It is the view that such a person can and will seek to fulfill promises, policies, ethical codes, and the law. In martial arts, we make a promise to ourselves, the kwoon or school, and our teacher or Sifu. When starting a school or job there are underlying trusts that both parties expect to have in place such as safety, compensation, and knowing what is in each others best interest. In martial arts it is a breach of trust to ask for more knowledge from the instructor. Excessive questioning suggests that the student knows the material well enough to advance. Advancing is at the discretion of the instructor, not the student.
Understand that sometimes routine instruction is for your own good as it allows you to become proficient at the art. Trust the path you take is the right one. At times instruction may seem to contradict itself. Know that this perceived contradiction is one-dimensional. The instruction you receive is designed to help you navigate the correct concepts of the art.
Honor (Rong Yu; 榮譽)
Martial art has many strong connections to honor. We honor our art, ourselves, and our ancestors by showing loyalty and having the will to train while simultaneously maintaining wisdom about our training. To give loyalty is to honor the art through belief in the practices and wisdom of the people that have lived and died in perfecting the art so that it could be passed on to future generations. We should honor the people who came before us not because they were all superior but rather as Sir Isaac Newton said: "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
Virtue (Dao De; 道德)
The idea of virtue in Chinese thought pertains to the notion of character. Framework for this concept is given through the four classical virtues of; temperance, prudence, courage, and justice.
Temperance is moderation. When we engage in any activity we should approach it with moderation in order to maintain rationality and balance in every facet of our world. Martial arts will enrich our life, not necessarily consume it. One of the goals in martial arts is to take the knowledge and self-discovery from the training hall and apply its principles to daily life.
Prudence is the act of having sound judgment over all ones affairs in life. In life it is prudent to look at situations that manifest and show wisdom and insight by drawing on facts, knowledge, and experience. It is ideal to be mindful and weigh the outcome of any action.
Courage is the ability to act when confronted by fear. Fear can be physical and mental. The former entails being frightened by the environment, a person, or a thing. The latter concerns mainly a fear of failure. With martial arts one can move through life with courage by accepting its challenges and not being tied down by fear.
The notion of Justice has been debated for over 2500 years. Wu Shen Pai Chu’an Fa Gung Fu asks that the individual applies justice by reviewing the facts, the research,and then taking the course of action that he or she knows within their heart to be the correct one.
Justice combines all virtues and components of Wu De into one application. To apply Wu De in our everyday life is being just. As martial artists we should hold ourselves to a very high standard of character and conduct our affairs with honor.
THE MEANING OF HONOR
We may seek to clothe our actions, no matter how despicable, in honorable, and even in noble terms. However, to a Wu Shen Pai Black Sash, acting with honor is clear. First, we must determine our obligations in any situation. Second, we must determine, based on our obligations, what the right course of action must be. In other words, Are there conflicts of interest? If so, then these must be eliminated. There are other questions in this phase of self examination. Is there something which is dishonorable about our proposed course of action? If not, then we may proceed. The final step, after knowing that we have met all of our obligations, knowing the right thing to do, is to actually do it. THIS is honor in action. All else is a perversion of honor.
TEN LAWS OF WU SHEN PAI
The Ten Laws of Wu Shen Pai descend from the Ten Laws of the Shaolin. These Laws are non-religious, and transcend all cultures and races, i.e. people of any culture and race would agree that they promote values that are worthy and desirable. Laws, in the Wu Shen Pai tradition, are not meant to be punitive or restrictive, but as practical means to help followers achieve set aims and objectives. In this case the objective is to help them attain the best possible results in practicing Wu Shen Pai Chu’an Fa Gung Fu for combat efficiency, joyful living, expanding of their minds and conditioning their bodies as well as spiritual fulfillment.
There is no legal obligation to follow these Ten Laws of Wu Shen Pai, but they are considered to be morally binding on a student of the art. These laws, or rules of etiquette if you will, are not forced upon the student of Wu Shen Pai. Rather, the student of Wu Shen Pai accepts them because he or she chooses to, because he or she believes they are helpful to him in his physical, emotional, mental and spiritual cultivation. If a student of Wu Shen Pai breaks these laws, despite sufficient warnings, he may be asked to leave the Kwoon, not as a punishment, but because the training is not suitable for them at this time.
The Ten Laws of Wu Shen Pai
Required to respect the master, honor the Moral Way and love fellow disciples as brothers and sisters.
Required to train in Wu Shen Pai diligently, and as a pre-requisite, to be physically and mentally healthy.
Required to be filial to parents, be respectful to the elderly, and protective of the young.
Required to uphold righteousness, and to be both wise and courageous.
Forbidden to be ungrateful and unscrupulous, ignoring the Laws of man and heaven.
Forbidden to rape, molest, do evil, steal, rob, abduct or cheat.
Forbidden to associate with wicked people; forbidden to do any sorts of wickedness.
Forbidden to abuse power, be it official or physical; forbidden to oppress the good and bully the kind.
Obliged to be humane, compassionate and spread love, and to realize everlasting peace and happiness for all people.
Obliged to be chivalrous and generous, to nurture talents and pass on the arts of Wu Shen Pai to deserving disciples.
The core of the Wu De in Wu Shen Pai Chu’an Fa Gung Fu, is expressed in the FIVE RULES and the NINE VIRTUES...
Wu Shen Pai Wu De
The Code of Ethics of Wu Shen Pai
Wu Shen Pai Wu Jie
The Five Rules of
Wu Shen Pai Chu’an Fa Gung Fu
Loyalty to Country
Loyalty to Parents and Teachers
Trust and Brotherhood Among Friends
Courage - Never Retreat in the Face of the Enemy
Justice - Never Take Life Without Cause
Wu Shen Pai Jiu Mei
Nine Virtues of
Wu Shen Pai Chu’an Fa Gung Fu
