By Vanessa Brown Park (易群)
The Bai Si ceremony, which facilitates the transition from student to disciple of one’s Sifu, represents a momentous step in one’s kung fu journey. This dual commitment between Sifu and student is a binding union wherein a student accepts their Sifu as their primary teacher and dedicates themself not only to serious martial arts training but also to living the full kung fu lifestyle.
拜師仪式是一个从师生到师徒的转变，是一个人功夫旅程中的重要一步。师父和弟子之间的这种承诺是双重并具有约束力一种联系，弟子接受他的师父作为学功夫的主要老师，并且除了认真的武术训练以外也需遵循功夫的生活理念。
When a student begins training under a Sifu, their interest or commitment to the art may be casual. While first learning forms and developing techniques, they are focused largely on their individual progress. The more they train, however, the more they begin to place importance on practicing consistency and discipline, working hard alongside their peers, and treasuring the teachings they have received. This shift from the individual to the communal mindset prepares a student to receive even more from their Sifu.
当一个学生开始在師父武馆接受培训时，他对武术的兴趣和承诺可能是相对随意的。在最初的招式和拳理学习中，他们更关注的是个人技术层面的进步。随着训练量的积累，他们会越发重视练习质量的保持和纪律的遵守，与同門一起努力提升并珍惜他们所接受的教义。一旦这种从个人到集体心态的转变开始发生，学生就做好了从师父那里学到更深层的东西的准备。
It is when a student demonstrates the values most important to a deeper understanding of the art—loyalty, patience, morals, and a heart for helping others in the kung fu family—that they prove their candidacy for becoming a disciple.
当学生表现出对更深入了解武朮最重要的价值观——忠诚、耐心、道德和一心帮助功夫家庭中的其他成員这种特质时，他们就证明自己拥有了成为正式弟子的资格。
Through the Bai Si ceremony the Sifu takes on the student as their own family, promising to nurture their growth, while the student pledges to carry on the teachings of the Sifu. Once accepted as a disciple, the rest of their kung fu journey stretches far ahead of them. A Sifu gives their disciple everything, including the full breadth of their knowledge, insights, and experiences. This necessitates that the disciple no longer prioritizes their progress alone, but thinks about the fate and well-being of the kung family, as well as the legacy of their Sifu’s instruction. Upon becoming a disciple, a students receives both important responsibilities and also incredible privileges.
从拜師仪式过后，师父会将学生视为自己的家人来对待，承担培养他们成长的责任，而弟子则以继承师父的教义为誓言。一旦被收为弟子，他们面前长远的功夫之旅才正式开启。师父会无所保留的传授一切，包括全部的知识、见解和经验。这就要求弟子不能只考虑自己的进步，而要幫助師門發揚光大，并传播师父的教诲。总而言之，成为弟子后徒弟既承担了重要的责任，也获得了宝贵的特权。
Disciples are afforded a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of their art. They are trained in techniques and styles not available to general students. All of this is given in addition to a Sifu’s personalized gift and kung fu family name.
拜師後的弟子们会对自己的武朮有更深入及更全面的理解。他们将接受普通学生无法获得的技术和特別培训。所有这一切都是在接受师父的拜師礼和功夫名字之外的一种赠予。
The differences between a student and a disciple include loyalty and commitment to the kung fu family, the promise to care for their Sifu and their school to the greatest extent possible, the responsibility of looking after the students that come after them, and the full riches of their Sifu’s accumulated knowledge. As a student develops the qualities of a good disciple, they will find that besides their own kung fu, they also value living a kung fu lifestyle, in which these responsibilities are fulfilled and these privileges enjoyed for the entirety of their kung fu journey.
弟子和普通学生的区别包括对門派的忠诚心，对尽最大能力关心师父和武館的许诺，照顾師弟師妺的责任，以及对师父手中积累的豐富知识的传承。在学生培养自己成爲一位称职的弟子的过程中，会发现除了自己的功夫外，他们更看重的是一种功夫的生活方式，在这种生活方式中，如上责任会得到履行，而他们也会在整个功夫旅程中享受到弟子的特权。