The teaching of martial arts in Asia has historically followed the Confucian
cultural tradition of teacher-disciple apprenticeship. Students are trained
in a strictly hierarchical system by a master instructor.
In traditional systems, open speculation about training methods or the instructor's motives and personality is generally not tolerated in juniors, as they are not considered familiar enough with the basic requirements of their respective arts to make realistic distinctions. They are instead encouraged to repeatedly train applications of the forms and techniques that they've been shown in gradually more complex scenarios.
In this Confucian family-based hierarchy, those who enter instruction with the instructor before the student are considered older brothers and sisters; those after, younger brothers and sisters. The instructor's peers are considered aunts and uncles, etc. into other generations above and below. Such clearly delineated relationships, based on seniority, are designed to develop intangibles such as good character, patience and discipline in martial students. As a matter of safety for the instructors, the student body and the individual student, before they are shown anything beyond the most basic conditioning exercises, students learn their place in the school hierarchy. Students should learn how and why to clearly demonstrate respect for others and how to follow the directions of their instructors properly. The traditional schools are said by this reasoning to provide thereby a level playing field for all students, providing a relatively fixed framework for interaction with one's seniors, peers and juniors, so that everyone, not just the physically gifted, can have an opportunity to benefit from the training provided in a martial art school.
Some method of certification can be involved, where one's skills would be
tested for mastery before being allowed to study further; in some systems,
especially in China, and other nations (Japan) there are no such certifications,
only years of close personal practice and evaluation under a master, much like
an apprenticeship, until the master deems one's skills satisfactory. This pedagogy,
while still preserved and respected in many traditional styles, has weakened
to varying degrees in others and is even actively rejected by some schools,
especially in the West.
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