For Better or Worse
Attitudes to Martial Arts Training

by Master Adam Goward (6th Duan)

I was asked by my 10-year-old son about Tang Sou Dao. 'Was it better or worse years ago?' After a pause to reflect on this, I said, 'Both.' What do you mean, was the look on Oliver's face. So I tried to explain that when I started my martial art in 1982 the spirit and discipline was better, yet technically the art was worse, which gave me lots to reflect on to explain my answer.

Worse technically, because then we were under the Koreans and, as Grandmaster Loke has explained, there was much less depth technically to the Korean style. Due to Grandmaster Loke`s Chinese influence the use of hip, the basics and especially the kicking was even then glaringly superior to the rest of the then Korean federation members. When we decided for the betterment of our members to disassociate ourselves from the Koreans, it was an easy transition. Grandmaster Loke was then able to develop his style freely.

Spirit and discipline are, I believe, contagious and when joining a group that exude these worthy attributes it's difficult if not impossible not to be influenced by them. Add to this the passion and ability of the instructor and you can understand how from the first lesson I became hooked on TSD. 'What is spirit and discipline?' asked Oliver. 'Spirit,' I explained, 'is the depth of interest or passion you have for the subject or activity that you are doing,' and as I said this I thought, that sounded good. 'Does that make sense, Oliver?' 'No,' he answered. 'What do you think spirit means, Oliver?' 'Well, a spirit is what you become when you're dead.' 'No,' I explained, 'there is more than one meaning for the word spirit, it could also mean certain drinks,' which immediately reminded me of one of my early instructors, the late great Bill Edwards - Scottish Bill - who had a passion for his native spirit. So, with some amusement I envisaged a spirit with a spirit for spirit! 'What about discipline then, lad?' 'Discipline,' Oliver said, 'is doing something for a long time which gives you courage, like a soldier.' He went on, 'discipline means to punish.'

That is a clever answer, I thought, he has summed it up for me. When we practice Tang Sou Dao with discipline we gain courage through the punishment of training so the more punishment one endures the more courage is achieved. That is what was happening to me all those years ago. Although I didn't know it at the time, it felt like a perverse kind of pleasure, almost masochistic, but I knew it was good for me. As time passed my ability improved, as did my self-respect, which is another important aspect of Tang Sou Dao.

Now all this talk of spirit and discipline so far sounds like I am boasting and saying, it was much better in my day or when I were a lad and so on but no, the spirit was, is and always will be in Tang Sou Dao practice, and the discipline is evident in every class today. What I believe is different is the culture in which children, teenagers and even adults partake in so many activities nowadays that there is not enough spirit and discipline to go round. We all know the more you put in, the more you get out, so it stands to reason that, on the whole, if some of the class are not attending regularly, the spirit is not so evident in the class and therefore there is less to feed or infect others.

Today we have a martial art organization that is bigger, better and with more highly trained and experienced instructors teaching a superior style. It is up to each individual to adopt the correct attitude and develop their spirit to not only help themselves, but also the class; this can only be done with discipline and respect for oneself and then in turn for others.

Master Adam Goward (6th Duan)
with son Oliver

Tang Sou!

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Technical Article: March 2006

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