Shifu

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Shifu is a Chinese cultural term. Although its pronunciation always sounds the same, there are two ways of writing it using Chinese characters, and they bear two different meanings. The first variation, Shīfù 師傅 ('Expert Instructor'), is used as an honorific, which is applied to various professionals in everyday life. The second variation, Shīfù 師父 ('Father-Teacher'), is an honorific usually reserved as a title to describe teachers of Chinese Martial Arts, and those who might teach other encompassing Chinese traditions, such as painting, sculpting, Feng Shui, singing, etc. While in China both variations are commonly used, in English-speaking countries people are mostly familiar with the second way of writing, in the context of martial art traditions. In its second iteration, Shifu has a deeper meaning than just a teacher, but one of giving the utmost care for his pupils, as would a father. The martial honorific is also commonly Romanized as Sifu (from Cantonese Chinese) or Saihu (from Hokkien Chinese).

"Shifu" is in fact the English spelling of two similar but distinct Chinese words (师傅; shīfù and 师父; shīfu). The only phonetic difference between the two words is the tone of the second syllable. Because English is not a tonal language, in English texts the two words are usually written the same way. Even among native speakers of Chinese, the words are pronounced so similarly and have such similar meanings, the precise difference between the two is sometimes unclear. The first word (师傅; shīfù) is made up of syllables meaning "teacher" and "mentor", and is used by an apprentice speaking to their mentor.^[1] It can also be used as a respectful form of address for skilled tradesperson, such as taxi drivers, Pharmacists (of Chinese medicine),^[2][3] or most trades in the low level or frontline non-managerial Construction field including various forms of Construction workers includeing masonry, carpentry, plumbing, welding, electrician, roofing, heavy equipment operators, mechanic, and metal fabrication, as well as various technician trades such as lineworkers and even Wireless Technicians. The second term (师父; shīfu) replaces the syllable meaning "mentor" with one meaning "father". It can also be used to address a teacher, but the substitution lends it a more intimate tone and indicates a heightened level of respect. It has an association with religion, because Buddhist monks, Confucian scholars and Taoist priests often establish master/apprentice-like relationships with initiates and are addressed with this term.^[1]

Shifu (师傅; shīfù) was historically associated with skilled manual labor. During the Cultural Revolution, it grew dramatically in popularity and was used as a term of address for any stranger, even replacing the Chinese word for "comrade" (同志; tóngzhì). However, in the decades since, manual labor no longer has the same place of high respect as it did. Shifu is therefore less widely accepted, especially among white-collar workers.^[4]

Although a martial arts Shifu may established a Master-Apprentice type of relationship with certain students, the Chinese characters used for the term do not imply 'Mastery'. Rather, the characters mean either 'expertise with teaching ability' (Shīfù 師傅) in the case of a professional, or 'teaching as a father would' (Shīfù 師父) in the case of a martial arts instructor.

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Traditionally in Chinese Martial Arts, and still today, Shifu has been used as a familial term and sign of respect for teachers.^[5] Shifu is not a rank (like a 'black belt'), but rather, a title, similar to that of 'Sensei' in Japanese Martial Arts'.

A shifu was deemed a "father", therefore his disciples would address each other as "brothers" or "sisters", particularly "big brothers" (師兄; shīxiōng), "little brothers" (師弟; shīdì), "big sisters" (師姐; shījiě) and "little sisters" (師妹; shīmèi). More specific familial prefixes could also be used, for example as in "biggest brother" (大師兄; dàshīxiōng), "second biggest (big) sister" (二師姐; èrshījiě), "third biggest (little) sister" (三師妹; sānshīmèi). Unlike actual familial prefixes however, dà-, èr-, sān-, etc. usually depended on the order in which a disciple was officially adopted by the master (i.e. seniority), not on their age. Likewise, whether or not fellow disciples are addressed as "big" or "little" brother/sister depended on whether they were adopted by the master before or after the subject, not on whether or not they are actually older or younger in age.

Despite the "father" meaning of the word 父, the term 師父/师父 is also used to address a female teacher, while the term shīmǔ (師母/师母) or "master-mother" is used to address a male teacher's wife. A female teacher's husband is addressed as shīzhàng (師丈/师丈) or "master-husband". Additionally, there are also terms for the master's fellow disciples, such as "big uncle" (師伯) or "little uncle" (師叔), which also apply regardless of sex. Whether or not they are addressed as "big uncle" or "little uncle" also depends on when that person was adopted by the master's master, not their age. ^[6]

The term takes on a less intimate context when a student becomes a formal student or disciple of the teacher. The acceptance as a student is a very formal event, usually requiring a discipleship ceremony called bai shi (拜師/拜师).^[7] After the ceremony, the relationship is defined in a more direct parent–child context and usage takes on this term rather than a generic sign of respect for skill and knowledge. The disciple may then, by his or her closer relationship with the shifu, gain more intimate and sometimes secretive knowledge, about the style being taught. ^[8]

• Duan wei (ranks in Chinese martial arts)
• Fashi: Masters of Rites in Chinese ritual mastery traditions
• Master Shifu, character in Kung Fu Panda
• Burmese: Sayadaw
• Japanese: sensei
• Sanskrit: guru
• Thai: Ajahn
• Tibetan: Lama

• The dictionary definition of shifu at Wiktionary