The Unwritten Code: Part of Being a Martial Arts Master -- Or a Master of Anything

My martial arts teacher, Ernie Reyes, Sr. follows an unwritten code of behavior. It's his unwritten code of what a Master is -and/or is not. I know it's unwritten, as I've been his student since 1980 and I have read everything there is to read about him and his work. I recognized (finally) this concept last weekend when I observed Mr. Reyes entertain and teach a group of high ranking martial artists. I saw it in the way he dressed, in the way he carried himself, in the way he spoke to the audience, and in the material he covered.

Having heard him do similar presentations for more than 25 years, I had the opportunity to sit back and look at what was happening from a big-picture perspective. I don't know why it has taken me this long to recognize it ("When the student is ready, the teacher appears"), but I finally "read between the lines" of his material -and saw quite clearly the invisible text of the Unwritten Code.

The Unwritten Code is, in part, about respect; it is about respect for tradition, for age, for status, and culture. The Unwritten Code is about courtesy. It's about setting an example of being a Master, even when nobody really knows what a "Master" is. I saw him do it -and I've witnessed him doing this same thing for all the years I've known him, it's just that I finally recognized what was happening. I saw the code of ethics and the set of standards that makes this particular Master so respected and so effective at what he does.

At the same time, it occurred to me that all Masters, whether in business, art, literature, or anything, probably live by a similar Unwritten Code. It's a code that says I will, on all levels, humble myself to a place where I make YOU feel important. I will honor your knowledge and experience, even if it's less than mine, because this is how it should be. It's the right thing to do.

The Unwritten Code tells us what we must do to be the most effective leaders. The Unwritten Code says that when everyone is yelling, you stay calm. When everyone else over-eats, you eat what you should, for health. When everyone else drinks, you don't because that's the standard you set for yourself. It says, when everyone else forgets proper decorum, you don't, as you know, deeply, the power it holds.

The Unwritten Code says that when everyone around you starts to fall apart, that's when you find your resources. And what's most remarkable about this code, is that you do all of these things without making anyone around you feel like "less than." Instead, because you hold your ground and do the right thing, it lifts everyone around you.

I once saw Mr. Reyes do it on the set of movie where the director was completely stressed out and treating everyone around him poorly. I saw him carry himself with a level of control and purpose that taught everyone on the film crew how one should behave in times of crises and stress. By the end of the production, both the director and the crew left with a lesson in what it is to be a Master. I witnessed him doing it, once again, this last weekend; the code isn't written in ink, but it's there, as plain as day.

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