Title of Sensei

[Rateh]

I find it very uncomfortable in my new style that instructors thank me for assisting in class. With a bow and a hand shake. They also thank me for teaching the class. And sometimes the students thank me too. I always feel very akward and kind of wish they wouldn't do that.

In my last school you had to bow to instructors when they came in AND when they left. I always left in the middle of the kids advanced class, and I would just go out the door. Not like I was going to announce in the middle of class that I was leaving and please bow to me. Sometimes parents would call me on it though and yell to the instructor as I was getting out the door. Very embarrasing.

It's interesting all the traditions that different schools have. Of bowing and shaking hands and saying thank you. Some seem to have official times and reasons where you do those things, and others seem to be whatever you are comfortable with.

One thing that I hate though about leaving and entering bowing. Having all that stuff your carrying and trying to bow without dropping it. Used to have a bottle of water, my uniform, a clipboard where I kept all pertinent information on my students, and my purse.

Now I have a bo staff, my bag stuffed so full things are sticking out of it, and my purse. And it never fails, I come in the door, take off one of my shoes, and THEN someone calls everyone to attention for bowing. So I've got my bag and purse falling off of my shoulder and one shoe on and one shoe off, often times with a sock in my hand. And here comes my little sister behind me almost getting whacked with my huge bag. She hates going into the school after me, so when I remember I try and have her go in the door first.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Hahaha, yes, i forgot to mention that...that is classic me.

I always have excess amounts of paperwork and general crap on me. So i'll be walking through the door with a briefcase, my uniform, a computer if im going to be working on association materials that night, it's ridiculous the stuff i have. and of course, sometimes i'll be balancing a coffee depending upon how well or not well the day is going. And of course the days that you're carrying the most is the day that everyone remembers to bow you in. ugh, its so funny though, i wish i had a recording of me walking in, busting the door open, trying to rebalance all my crap, then realize oh shoot i have to bow, do the most awkward bow to ever live. and then stumbling in rolling my eyes at the fact that i still hate getting bowed in, and then i finish it off by cursing myself for carrying so much crap....love it.

[tori]

In our dojo, at black belt you are given the title of sensei. I too do not feel that all "sensei's" can teach, but those who can are the ones put in charge.

As for your feeling awkward when your brother calls you sensei, remember when you said that when that girl tested to brown you werent sure who was prouder, you or her father. Well, don't you think that your brother is very proud of you and very proud to call you sensei. It is just as much as an honor for him to call you this title as it is for you to have earned it. What a great thing for siblings to go through Martial Arts together. You are lucky.

You earned your title. Wear it the way a black belt should.

[pittbullJudoka]

I've beeningn thinking about the situation. I think that I feel uncomfortat or undeserving with the title when I don't preform up to my expectations. Last class I was super on evenon the new drills we tried out. And helped develope a semi new entry to and old move.

Tori I'm very happy and proud that my brother and I can train side by side and have almost always trained in the same place. He got me started into the martial arts years ago and then reeled me back in. He is such an outstanding martial artist and I try to based my performances off what I see him do. Then push it a little farther. He goes under my list of martial arts heroes.

I am begining to think this is just oneof the mental blocks I've faced in the past two years. I think I'll find my way through it always seem too.

[ShoriKid]

Tori, it is an honor, trust me and a thing of pride to see what he's learning and doing. One of the things I remember the most about being a newly minted shodan was the incredible feeling of responsibility that settled in a week or two after I reached the rank. I told someone who asked about it that it was like wearing a gun. Heavy. I felt obliged to work harder and push more because I felt that as sempai and a shodan, it was my responsibility to be an example. Not in an egotistical sort of way, but that it was my job to set the standard. Or to strive hard, every time we trained, even if I failed. It wasn't that I was in a 'see me, see me!' mode and thought I was better than everyone else. I felt that weight settle, and knew I had to push or that I was some how failing my sensei, myself and all of the other students I was training with by looking like the black belt gone soft. Like I'd earned rank and now it was the easy part.

[NightOwl]

In my dojo, there aren't too many titles. Only those who teach are called sensei, while I've seen plenty of higher belts (including 10th dans) who might not be called that unless they fulfilled the role. I actually kind of prefer it that way personally but I'm a bit of an oddball.

[bushido_man96]

I felt obliged to work harder and push more because I felt that as sempai and a shodan, it was my responsibility to be an example. Not in an egotistical sort of way, but that it was my job to set the standard. Or to strive hard, every time we trained, even if I failed. It wasn't that I was in a 'see me, see me!' mode and thought I was better than everyone else. I felt that weight settle, and knew I had to push or that I was some how failing my sensei, myself and all of the other students I was training with by looking like the black belt gone soft. Like I'd earned rank and now it was the easy part.

I agree with the sentiment here. When I am not teaching, I am on the front row in class, as an example for everyone else behind. It always makes me push myself, and try to get better every class. I know exactly what you mean here. I have my good days and my bad days, where I feel like class was just crap. But even on the bad days, if I just keep trying, and give it what I can, I can still feel good about it later.

[tori]

Shorikid, I too felt as though, after achieving shodan, that it was like a "weight". Trust me, I worked hard to get their, sometimes taking as many as 15 classes total a week just to get the repitition and the teaching time. It took a long time before I felt that I "fit" that black belt. I believe that once you have reached there, your mental state should be one of a white belt, exploring your own style and trying to perfect what you have learned. A black belt SHOULD set the example for others, being a mentor to other students and an asset to the head instructor. I have learned so much at my rank and know that I have still much too learn. This summer, I will rank to Sandan. I am not perfect by any means, but finally feel that I am ready for this ranking. Now if only my body will comply with my mind.... (It has been a long time since my last ranking, and my body has mysteriously gotten older.)

[armanox]

Just to add in another organizations traditions...

Any student more senior then yourself can be refered to as Sempai. The senior most student in the class, a 3rd Dan, is *technically* Dai Sempai, but we never call him that. No one under Yondan (4th dan) is refered to as Sensei, and then only if they are teaching a class (needs not be the current class, just that they have they're own class). The titles of Renshi, Kyoshi, and Hanshi also exists in our style, Renshi 5th-6th dan, Kyoshi 7-8, Hanshi (Literally translates to Master) 9-10. But, different people refer to the higher ups in different manners. My Sensei's Sensei, an 8th dan, is just refered to as Mr Jim. On Monday, he refered to his instructor, Mr. Takeshi Miyagi, a 10th dan, as Grandmaster Miyagi. But, another one one of our blackbelts, always refers to Miyagi's instructor (another 10th dan) as Master Mirahiya. Quite an odd incosistancy.

[doug_kissaki]

This topic has been dead for a while, but I find it very interesting, so I had to chime in...

I have been in schools over the years that have been very hung up on titles. Anyone wearing a black belt is always referred to as Mr. (or Miss/Mrs.) and their last name.

In one school, if someone reached 4th Dan, they were considered "Master" and you were actually corrected if you called them "Mister"

In another school, a Nidan that taught or a Sandan that didn't teach regularly was called Dai Sempai, a Sandan that taught or any higher rank was called Sensei. Once 4th dan or above, they may be given the title of Renshi and eventually Kyoshi. And the head of the entire school is called Shihan.

I may be in the minority here, but I am not a big fan of titles. I never expect anyone to call me by my last name or stop what they are doing and bow because I enter a room.

When I started in my current school as a white belt, there was (and still is) an 4th Dan there that is one of the most talented karateka I have ever met and an excellent instructor. Not only didn't he insist on being addressed with a title, it was several months before I ever even knew his last name.