Ever since the begining of martial arts instruction, a debate on the purpose and importance of lineage has been ongoing between two camps, those with lineage and those without. Those without lineage claim that the fame, notoriety and ability of your teacher or your teacher's teacher does not matter. The only thing that matters is your own ability to make martial arts techniques function. Those with lineage clam that lineage in a martial arts is of utmost importance without which one cannot claim to be a true martial artist. So lineage or no lineage, does it really matter?

     It is my understanding that lineage, while certainly valuable to the commercial martial arts instructor for marketing purposes, is really only important if the practitioner has chosen to embark on the study and practice of the martial arts as a spiritual path or way of life. For those practitioners who are just interested in physical self-defense techniques, an instructor competent in imparting physical skills is essential, a pedigree lineage is not. However, if the aspiring student is seeking to understand the often alluded to but rarely taught spiritual aspects of martial arts, a lineage is of absolute necessity.

     While many martial artists do not believe that "spiritual" concepts of the martial arts exist, others give lip service to the concept of spirit and/or spiritual aspects in the martial arts while never discussing it. The reason being is that either the instructor does not know and feigns a greater knowledge than he actually posesses or he believes that the student is not yet ready for the information. I have found that a sincere practitioner in a lineage who does not believe and/or understand about the "spiritual" concepts of martial arts will at some point be made aware of the concepts. If you keep training, eventually you will understand the true nature of reality.

     In China, Japan and Hawaii it is common for families to follow the custom of honoring one's ancestors and asking them for guidance during difficult periods in one's life. A martial artist who has been accepted into a lineage may also have the option of honoring his martial arts ancestors and asking them for guidance in the study and practice of his martial art and all areas related. Many students in the United States have a problem understanding and/or believing in this concept. The nice thing about the study of martial arts is that most instructors will tell you that you do not have to believe anything that you have not experienced on a first hand basis. I recommend to my students to rent and watch the Disney movie "Mulan". Although it is a childen's movie, it conveys the concept of honoring one's ancestors and interacting with them better than any words which I could use.

     Once they spend at least a decade training in the physical aspects of a style, many people would think that they have mastered all there is to know about that particular style of martial arts. If you do not have a lineage and your only concern is mastery of physical techniques then those people would be correct. However, those who are a part of a lineage know that even after a decade of practice their training is still in its infancy. It is my understanding that for those practitioners who are embarking on martial arts training as a way of life or a spiritual path, acceptence into a lineage is an absolute necessity to understanding the spiritual aspects of the martial arts. If you don't have a teacher, find one. If you do have a teacher, take very good care of him. Learn, observe and strictly follow all of the traditional etiquette of your teacher's style. If you work really hard and are very lucky, maybe one day you will be honored by being accepted into your teacher's lineage. And it will be on that day that you will begin to truly understand the spiritual aspects of lineage.