The Title

[Jiffy]

Grand Master, Master, Hanshi, Kancho etc.

Most of us agree that the term Sensei or Sifu etc means something along the lines of instructor or teacher, but at what point does someone gain a higher respect?

While cruising the pages of this forum, I have seen talk of people called Grand Master from 3rd Dan and people with 6th Dan that are just Sensei.

So, I'm looking for your input.

What titles have you come across?

What do they mean?

What is expected of someone with these titles?

When should they be issued?

When ARE they issued?

[patusai]

What titles have you come across? Hanchi, Shihan, Renshi, Sensei and a few others

What do they mean? Teacher, teacher of teachers, and it goes up

What is expected of someone with these titles? Rank and license

When should they be issued? Based on requirements of the style or issuing body

When ARE they issued? same as above but the capital ARE to me indicates that you feel that they are issued before they should. In some cases I agree. In many cases I agree.

The above titles are teaching licenses of sorts. They were around before belt rank as I understand it.

I know a number of rather high ranking guys who use the title of Master or Grand Master in their "resume" of themeselves and pormotional material but who refuse to allow their students to call them anything other than Sensei. It's personal preference.

I think that here in the USA far too many people use the terms in reference to themselves. We have more grandmasters in this country then in all of the other countries of the world combined I read some where. That may be a bit much. That may be a bit too much of an ego thing. Just my opinion

Signed

Shidan Dai - Patusai

[NinTai]

The way I was taught was:

Sensei - one who has gone before - teacher

Renshi - Kyoshi - Hanshi:

Different levels of Teaching ability, they are titles you do not

address someone by this, and you never address yourself by

any title.

example:

Me: Hi, i'm Joe I'm the instructor.

signature on a formal letter:

Joe Blow - Renshi, Rokudan

You are never wrong if you address ome one simply as:

"insert last name" sensei.

If someone tells youto addres them as master such and such

then they are not.

just the way I was taught.

[bushido_man96]

In most cases, I have seen titles given based on time in rank. In my current association, 3rd dans are certified instructors, 4th dans are Jr. Masters, and 5th dans and above are Masters. The Master and Jr. Master at my school have said that once a Master has two 5th dans under him, he is elevated to Grand Master, but I am not so sure about this one.

In the article section was one written called "On Becoming A Master." I felt that the information contained in that article gave a very good idea of what becoming a Master should entail. Just my opinion, though.

I know that in the ATA, one must be a 6th dan before they are eligible to apply for mastership, and then they have quite a process to go through before obtaining the prize. Last I knew, only 3 were granted the rank of Master in a year, but this may have changed. Aodhan would know for sure.

[parkerlineage]

We actually have a specific curriculum for this:

1st Dan - Junior Insturctor

2nd Dan - Associate Instructor

3rd Dan - Senior Instructor

4th Dan - Head Instructor

5th Dan - Associate Professor of the Arts

6th Dan - Professor of the Arts

7th Dan - Senior Professor of the Arts

8th Dan - Associate Master of the Arts

9th Dan - Master of the Arts

10th Dan - Senior Master of the Arts

We call anybody 1-4 "Mr/Mrs/Ms" (ie Mr. Katz)

Anybody 5-7 "Professor." (ie Professor Halsey)

Anybody 8-10 "Master." (ie Master Planas)

Technically, at least formally, we're supposed to call one another that, even if you outrank or match the rank of the person to whom you are speaking.

A good, "Sir," is always a good one, and I've heard people call lesser-ranking high black belts (by lesser I mean Professor) "Sifu," and Masters "Sensei," but I'm pretty sure that's unofficial.

[Brandon Fisher]

There is so much inconsistentcy on title.

Just to echo what as already been said the titles of Renshi, Kyoshi, Hanshi are teaching titles. Sensei is teacher or one who came before. Grandmaster I have heard so much garbage over this one its discusting. Grandmasters are 9th and 10th dan black belts typically. Sometimes the status is considered at 8th dan. Nothing lower ever!! Many people misuse the titles or don't understand them or just think they are deserving of them so they use them.

Masters rank "shihan' is typically at 5th dan some start at 4th dan which is becoming more and more previlent. Watch someday a 2nd Dan will be a master. Some organizations consider master at higher dan grades like I said most is at 5th dan.

Sorry if I sound harsh I am stick and tired of all the misuse of title. I even saw someone get promoted from 5th - 7th Dan by his own black belts and then call himself O-Sensei even had in embroidered on the back of his gi in big letters.

[patusai]

Sorry if I sound harsh I am stick and tired of all the misuse of title. I even saw someone get promoted from 5th - 7th Dan by his own black belts and then call himself O-Sensei even had in embroidered on the back of his gi in big letters.

I too have seen instructors go from lower dan ranking to 7th dan by his own black belts. Of course they did that (he was a 4th dan at the time) so that they could increase in rank as well. This man is quite proficient at kata and is one heck of fighter. I dare say that he was able to defeat pretty much anyone in the area. He grew up a street fighter (and a darn good one at that) and as he because ore proficient at karate his skill increased.

At first I thought it to be outragous. As I thought about it rank, all rank, requires acceptance. I know guys who were awarded 5 dan and based on their body structure and such people cannot believe that they are at that level and I am not sure the acceptance is there. He is a 9th dan now (how he reached that level (by student acceptance or some other way -- I would think at this point he would have done it through other means). He is not into the title thing. He insists that his students call him Sensei

[Brandon Fisher]

I agree promotions can be done via a sensei's black belts Mas Oyama got his 9th dan that way. But the way this guy did it was shaky with the O Sensei thing.

[bushido_man96]

There seems to be a lot of "self promotion" that goes on out there. I don't like it either. Personally, I will never take a promotion without doing a test for it, and if I ever get so high rank as to test for master, I would like to do it before other masters on the testing panel.

[Brandon Fisher]

I have someone outside my system that is willing grade me to 6th Dan but I must meet the time in grade which is still another 2 to 3 years and the only reason he has agreed to this is because he has seen me come up through the ranks from San kyu to godan.

I won't self promote either just not the way to do it.