Student Name Tiffany Rousculp English 2030 Final Project Analysis: language used in a Kung Fu class taught in America For this project I chose to observe and collect data from the United Studio of Self Defense, in a kung fu class that my brother attends. Classes take place in a Dojo, in a studio. Studios are usually just part of strip mall in a rented out space, it isn t in a building that looks secluded or authentic in the way a traditional dojo might look. The classes I attended started at 6 or 8 p.m. and lasted for an hour each. These classes are given a few times a week, as well as private lessons. The question I have chosen to analyze the language used in this community is how this community uses language to identify themselves as a community, and how it distinguishes them from others, or connects them to others? The discourse used in this community mostly focuses on training methods and form. I was expecting regular use of authentic language that might have been used for centuries, but they rarely used any language that wasn t English in class. There are very strict rules for being in and entering the dojo when crossing the threshold where the terrain changes from tile to carpet you must firs bow in respect for the dojo. No shoes are allowed in the dojo and there are limitations on use of electronic devices. I also noticed that there were rules for the dojo that were there to specifically benefit sales. Such as having a clean uniform purchased from the studio, if a tee shirt is worn in the dojo it must have the United Studios of Self Defense (USSD) logo on it, and girls are required to wear tee
shirts. These rules are found in writing in the student manual, so it is obvious in some of the discourse that they are not only teaching and art form but that they are a business too. There are also speaking restrictions when the instructor or sensei is speaking in the dojo, creating the dominant block that usually carries throughout the whole time that class is in session. However, when practicing maneuvers speaking rules are more lax, and students communicate with each other and the sensei freely. This dominant block that the sensei has during class time is definitely a norm, as he/she is doing most of the speaking and answering questions. If a student wants to ask a question they must raise their hand and address the instructor as sensei or sir. Students would occasionally speak to one another but not for very long unless it was about what was being learned. Speaking while the sensei is speaking is not usually allowed by dojo rules. This is similar to the dominant block that takes place in a school class room because of the rules used there. In grade school the teacher has the dominant block because it is the rules and there are consequences for not following rules. In college the teacher has the dominant block mostly because they have power over your grade, and that s what students are working so hard for. There are some of these same reasons for why the sensei has dominant block in the dojo. For the classes with younger students, the dominant block is created by the sensei mostly because it s the dojo rules, the same reason a grade school teacher has dominant block. But, instead of missing recess or a note to your parents for bad behavior, the sensei can take away your belt. Which even young children seemed to understand that they have worked for their belt and that it s a negative thing to have something you worked hard for taken away.
A belt is also a symbol of power within this community, if you have a higher ranking belt you have more power and deserve more respect. There are also junior senseis who have more privileges than the rest of the students, and in the junior class it was the student with the highest ranking belt. While I was attending one of the Junior classes, a student asked the sensei what he would do if the student tripped the sensei as he was walking through the row of students, and the sensei replied that the student would be kicked out of class and banned from coming back and that he would take his belt away. In response the student striated in his posture, and looked straight ahead for the rest of the class. For the adult classes I feel that the sensei s dominant block comes from the students genuine interest in what he is saying and teaching, which is similar to the dominant block in a college class room. These students want to achieve a higher rank and have value for belts as well, but they are also interested in the actual technique that the sensei is teaching, and take class time seriously. This dominant block connects this community to other teaching/learning oriented communities while distinguishing it as another because the dominant block is created for different reasons. Another reason for the sensei s dominant block, and probably one of the most important for this community is respect. In the student manual one of the first things a student will read about is student attitude, and respect is described as the first trait of a good attitude. I found that respect is a motivator for a lot of the actions and discourse used by this group. For example in the code of conduct it states these rules, always kneel while putting on or removing their belt, kneel while
a black belt is putting on or removing their belt, bow to other students before and after training with them, refer to your instructor as Sensei, Sir, or Ma am. The main reason for implementing these rules is to show respect, they don t have anything to do with safety or technique. Not only is respect a major teaching followed by this community, it is also a motivator for a student to achieve a higher ranking belt. And, to achieve a higher ranking belt is probably the main purpose for most of the discourse that takes place within the dojo/classroom. This community also uses words to demonstrate respect. The type of martial art used by this community is called Shaolin Kempo. In the student manual Kempo is defined as The base style practiced at USSD. From what I understand, after talking to my brother, is that there are many different kinds of kempo, even American kempo. The name Shaolin tells you where this certain style originated from. Think of name brand clothing, kempo is the general item and Shaolin is the name brand. So the name shows origin, but using the name also demonstrates respect to the style of fighting taught in Shaolin. There are also certain fighting styles that are specific to shaolin kempo. Teaching and using these styles are another way of showing respect. There are also certain words used by this community that define them as a community. Some of these words are Sensei, which is Japanese for teacher, and Dojo is Japanese for training hall, the use of these authentic words show respect for the heritage of the art. I think that the use of these authentic words is one of the ways this group is distinguished from others. There are English words that are used by the group that I feel help to distinguish this group from others as well. Some of them are sweep, block, strike and drill. In English these words can have many different meanings, and because they are English words you can
understand their meaning when used in the martial arts context. Sweep, for instance, when you first hear the word you think of a cleaning action usually with a broom. But in kung fu this word refers to the movement of your leg along the ground (similar to a broom) to knock the legs of your opponent out from underneath them. Block could be a city block or a building block, but within this community it is the actual motion of blocking a hit from your opponent. Strike is a hitting motion, not a strike like in baseball. Drill, actually connects this community to other sport oriented communities in the way that it is a test of ones abilities, not a drill that bores a hole. These words all have general meanings in English but when used in the community of kung fu their meaning changes, defining this community from others. The first class I attended the sensei and the students kept using the term DM followed by a number, I knew this was significant to the technique being discussed but had no idea what it meant. After speaking to my brother, other students, and a glance through the student manual I discovered that DM stood for Defense Maneuver. These maneuvers are numbered to teach adults as well as children these techniques. In the class the sensei would discuss different types of blocks, strikes, kicks and stances. When they are combined into certain sequences they become defense maneuvers. The manual describes how these maneuvers once memorized can be used to fight an opponent. The use of the abbreviation DM helps to distinguish this group as a community, you have to be part of the community to understand its meaning. While talking to some of the students about this, one of them told me how she, and a co- worker of hers who has also had kung fu training, had devised a plan that used a sort of code
in case there was an intruder or one of the patient they were responsible for got out of control. In this plan the idea was while talking to the person in question to distract or postpone an incident, she would randomly use numbers in her speech. Some of her examples were: If you just give us 15 minutes or the police will be here in 6 minutes, which meant that that was the DM number that would be the best to use in the given situation to subdue the intruder or patient. I think this is an obvious use of the language used by the group to distinguish their community, because the point was that only they would know what the numbers meant. In the student manual, when referring to the logo used by the USSD, a bonsai tree, it say s this the main qualities the Bonsai Tree symbolizes are wisdom, adaptability, strength, character, truth, and longevity, attributes we at United Studios of Self Defense feel are the key characteristics to help our students lead successful more happy, healthy, and successful lives. I think that this implies that the teachings used by this community are a way of life not just a fighting style. It also suggests that students should apply teachings of this community to their everyday life in order to live a successful life. I definitely see this ideology as a major part of the identity that members of this community have. Some members of this community carry around the logo on their key chain, wallets, and some have even gotten tattoos of this logo. Members of this community are obviously very proud to be a part of it.