Not a Sensei? | ART OF ONE DOJO

Sensei is a blanket term for teacher, however is many cases it is not the correct term. In this episode we're going explore the term sensei and the proper application of word in the martial arts as well as other honorific terms for instructor in other arts.

Jesse Enkamp "Don't Call Yourself Sensei"

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#sensei
#karatesensei
#whatdoessenseimean

[MountainAdventures]

In our Tang Soo Do / Taekwondo hybrid association (descended from Kyongwon Ahn), Sa Boehm Nim means "instructor", and is the honorific greeting for 1st through 4th degree Black Belt. Moving up, Kwan Ji Nim means "Master", referring to 5th, 6th, and 7th degree black belt. And Kwan Jang Nim means "Grandmaster", reserved for 8th and 9th degree black belts. Many Tang Soo Do schools use different terms in place of Sa Boehm Nim and Kwan Ji Nim, but all of them reserve Kwan Jang Nim for the highest ranks. We use these honorific greetings during the Bow-in and Bow-out, the rest of the time Sir or Maam will suffice.

[jwest]

In Korean Tang Soo Do, Sabom Nim is how we refer to our chief instructor, 4th Dan, 5th would be Sunim Sabom Nim...it goes on and on but there are differences between how we refer to our instructors vs some Tae Kwon Do. Tang Soo!

[jasonthomas]

Many schools are different when it comes to TKD.

Assistant Instructor (1st-3rd Dan) | Cho Kyo Nim
Instructor (1st-3rd Dan) | Kyo Sa Nim
Master Instructor (4th-6th Dan) | Sa Bum Nim
Grand Master Instructor (7th-9th Dan) | Kwang Jang Nim
President / Pioneer | Choong Jang Nim

The suffix "Nim" is supposed to mean Mr. or Madam. We didn't use Cho Kyo Nim at all in my school, as Kyo Sa Nim was our go to for 1st-2nd degree. Often times we used Sa Bum Nim for 2nd degree to 7th degree. 8th degree and 9th were Kwang Jang Nim

[artisticsolarwind]

Sensei can also call anyone else, like Doctor, Professor, Associate or an instructor.

[tonyduffy]

In Ireland same as the US
In Kenpo i am a black belt so was called Mr or Sir back in the day although some Kenpo schools use Sifu.
Moved on to Shotokan Where I am a Shodan so was called Sensei
Currently in Kyokushin I am a Shodan so am a Sempai,
At home I am just call You
EG" you do this" or " you do that" My wife is the Sosai in my family :-)

[TenchiBushi]

Medical doctors here in Japan are referred to as sensei also.

[jeffreyfigueiredo]

Great video Mr. Dan. Personally at my club we have a lot of high ranking instructors due to the fact that we have many branches and at times I find myself not remembering which teaching title they represent when we may get together at an all dojo evaluation or graduation. Having said that, as a result I will just refer to them as Sensei as I’m still showing respect as I know they have been in the art for many years before me.

[TKDLION]

We just called everybody sir or ma’am for the most part, which is great because Korean teaching titles are numerous and sometimes have a different meaning depending on who you ask. My title is Cho Kyo Nim.

[bobg]

In Tang Soo Do (generally) in America, Kyo Sa Nam is a 'certified instructor' and usually awarded no earlier than 2nd dan. Sa Bom Nim is a 'master instructor', and almost (if not always) awarded at 4th dan. Kwan Jang Nim is a 'grand master' and generally reserved for the sole head of a federation, i.e. KJN Robert Cheezic (buonanima) or KJN Marco DiScipio. However, I have read that some TSD federations use the title for any master who achieves 7th dan rank.

One personal thought I have always had is that Kwan Jang Nim actually means head or school master. The various TKD and TSD schools in Korea in the 40's and 50's were called kwans, and the idea of a federation of schools did not exist. So Hwang Kee was initially KJN of HIS own school only, not a 'grand' master of a collection of schools.

[EVENINGWOLF]

When I first began my training...back in 1972 at the ages of six...the head of the school introduced himself as a Shidoshi, a word which he said meant leader, although I have later learned that the word may also mean "Teacher of the way" or "Four Ways of the corpse" depending onw ho you talk to and whether or not they accept the word as a legitimate honorific, or accepts the claim that it was created by either Masaki Hatsumi in his system of Ninjutsu or by Frank Dux for his. The actual word for leader in Japanese is Meishu. I will acknowledge that outside of my original group of instructors I had not heard the word used by anyone until I watched the movie Bloodsport some 15 or so years later so I cannot speak to its legitimacy, or its origins. Fact of the matter is that I have plugged the word into a couple of different translation programs and they could not translate it into English.

When I was studying the Korean Art of Hwa Rang Do we referred to our instructor as Sabomnim and when I was studying Choy Lay Fut we referred to our instructor as wither Sifu, or Master interchangably. I have also seen the word Guru used to refer to an instructor in some of the Silat styles, particularly Pencak Silat and Maphilando Silat. Most of the Karateka I have known over the years have referred to their instructor as either Sensi, or simply as Master, depending on how strict the instructor was about using only Japanese terminology, or both or, in some cases only English terminology.

Don't know if any of that helps, or just muddies the waters more...but that has been some of my experiences with honorifics and titles over the years.

[OccamsRazor]

My first instructor in the early to mid 90s was a 6th degree black belt in Uechi-Ryu. We called him "sir" when he was teaching, and "Frank" when he wasn't, because that's what he wanted. Not using the formal title "Sensei" in no way diminished the respect we had for him or his authority as our teacher. Sometimes I think we in the martial arts can get too caught up in these details. Tradition is fine, but it's OK if schools adopt different customs.

[ObservantPiratePlus]

In the school of Kung-Fu I studied at, under Paul Eng of the Tai-Mantis Kung-Fu Association, the typical levels were, as you say, more familial in nature. We'd use "Sifu" for Sifu Eng, which we were told is like unto "Father". "Si-Hing" referred to the disciple level, or "Older Brother", and "Si-Dai" was a beginning student, or "Younger Brother". There were similar terms for female students and practitioners as well. "Si-Gung" was used for Grand Master, and "Si-GungGung" for Great Grand Master, rather like Great Grand Father.

[sliderx]

Great video Dan, this is a common topic of confusion.

[danilocatania]

In my experience with chinese martial arts, the word for teacher is actually laoshi, my teacher, who we call Shifu, told me that there isnt a degree or rank to become one, its, like you said, very familial, the day one of his students opens up a school and has students of his own, that student becomes a shifu and he will inturn become Shi Gung, grand master, almost like a granfather.
For that to happen thou the Shifu will give the student a letter to grant permission to teach his system.
Our version of senpai is Shi Shung, big brother and if you are the most elder student in a school you are Da Shi Shung, biggest brother.

[ruiseartalcorn]

Great video! :) I practice Kung Fu and we do use a belt system. I admit that it's not "traditional" to do so in Chinese based systems but there was a time when it wasn't in Okinawa or Japan either. My system evolved from Yau Hawk Tao Kung Fu (and blended with Pencak-Silat and other Kung Fu systems) and we use the term, "Sifu" for "instructor".

[jonesjuniorsolutions]

I enjoy your videos. In Korean: Sonsangnim = educator/ school teacher
Sabumnim = martial arts teacher
Kwanjangnim = grandmaster

[joekestel]

When I was in Korean Hapkido. we had a deputy black belt at warmups and the head of the school we callec Master who made it clear his title was instructor. in Kung fu sifu

[nullq]

I practise Okinawan Kempo. So, it's kind of there to address sensei to the instructor.

Recently, I started Taekwondo as a cross training. I address my tkd instructor also as sensei, while others calling him as 'Sir'. It's ok with our tkd dojang.

[ttcostadc]

My former taijiquan school uses "Laoshi".

[jonsturgill]

When I studied TKD under Keith Yates, we used "sensei", "dojo", and "gi".