Roll of a sensei and is there a time when you don't need one

[sensei8]

Have we forgotten the teachings of Funakoshi and every other Master? The first thing they teach you is there is no beginning or end to karate. Karate is a life-long journey. If you have reached "the end" of your teachings and no longer "need" a teacher, then you never studied karate-do.

I've not forgotten their teachings! I've studied Karate-Do, therefore, I'll always need a Sensei, it's just that when my Dai-Soke/Sensei passes away, I won't have him!

[sensei8]

I've given it some thought as of lately for one reason or another. My possibility of retiring in 2014; my 50th year in the martial arts, particularly, Shindokan Karate-Do. This October 18, 2009 will mark my 45th year in Shindokan.

Does this make me a bad student?

Does this make me a selfish student?

Does this make me as a quitter?

Does this make me one who's never truly studied Karate?

My answer to each of these is...NO! At the time that I decide to retire, if I ever do, am I not allowed to fully enjoy the benefits of retirement by relaxing? I hope not, sheech! Just because many noted as well as unnoted practitioners of the martial arts have chosen to die with their gi's on, and I hope that I'm amoung them, and I bow to them, each and every one of them, but, this doesn't make me less or them greater if I do decide to retire one day and they didn't.

I may retire from a full-time schedule one day, but, I'll remain in the Shindokan Hombu as Kaiso; Senior Advisor to the Soke/Hombu.

[wouldbemaster]

Firstly may I say thank you all for taking the time to reply to my initial question.

It is inevitable that in time senior sensei are no longer with us, we are all human after all, but if like good parents they can nurture good principles and morals then in someways providing we do not hold on too tight to the memories and continue to question and learn perhaps through looking at other arts for comparison or trying new learning techniques to keep ourselves fresh and we remember to maintain the principles and techniques we were taught I think there is a point that you do not need a perm sensei.

The key is perhaps about getting the timing right, again looking at life it is perhaps easy as a teenager to think that you do not need your parents anymore and that they might be limiting you/holding you back, it is only when you are older that you realise just how much you needed them at this time.

When you think you know it, you know nothing, when you think that you don't need direction is just when you need it the most if you are not to turn to the dark side.

Many of our great karate masters are no longer with us, but with luck we will have listened and learnt enough during our time with them to be able to continue the principles in their absence.

There is a point might perhaps when having a sensei might limit your learning by not encouraging you to think for yourself within boundaries of principle. I will leave it to middle aged people still in the nest of home to argue against this comment.

Thanks again

Brian

[Patcherson]

If you only do the martial side of karate its like walking on one leg if you only do the spiritual side its like walking on the other a good sensai teaches you how to walk on both legs

and you learn karate till you die even grand master Kanazawa is still learning new things

I've given it some thought as of lately for one reason or another. My possibility of retiring in 2014; my 50th year in the martial arts, particularly, Shindokan Karate-Do. This October 18, 2009 will mark my 45th year in Shindokan.

Does this make me a bad student?

Does this make me a selfish student?

Does this make me as a quitter?

Does this make me one who's never truly studied Karate?

My answer to each of these is...NO! At the time that I decide to retire, if I ever do, am I not allowed to fully enjoy the benefits of retirement by relaxing? I hope not, sheech! Just because many noted as well as unnoted practitioners of the martial arts have chosen to die with their gi's on, and I hope that I'm amoung them, and I bow to them, each and every one of them, but, this doesn't make me less or them greater if I do decide to retire one day and they didn't.

I may retire from a full-time schedule one day, but, I'll remain in the Shindokan Hombu as Kaiso; Senior Advisor to the Soke/Hombu.

well the only thing i can say to that is if you do karate till you die you'll live longer...

my sensai will be leaving my club soon , when i found out about it I nearly fell down it's disheartening for such a great teacher a friend even to have to leave but alas I can't change fate. I hope to take over the club someday and I won't stop training and I wont stop teaching till I can't make a fist anymore.

[sensei8]

well the only thing i can say to that is if you do karate till you die you'll live longer...

This hasn't been medically proven yet!

Besides, if I do Karate until I die, how can I live longer? Sounds like an oxymoron to me. If I die doing Karate, then I can't live longer because I'll be dead!

Hhhmmmmm?!?!?!?!?

[Patcherson]

lol xD

being fit has been medically proven to help you live longer and karate keeps you fit point proven =0

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/443504/Activities-to-Stay-Healthy-and-Live-Longer there ya go xD

[still kicking]

Well I figured Patcherson meant it in the sense that karate training can help you live longer because of being fit, but I have to admit that when I first read it as written, I had the image of my corpse doing karate! Whoa, I imagine that would really freak out my dojo mates.

[Patcherson]

imagine kata in a competition and your jaw falls off when you kiah xD

[sensei8]

imagine kata in a competition and your jaw falls off when you kiah xD

OUCH and...LOL! BTW, I was only funning with you...I understood what you meant.

[Patcherson]

I was joking too <3

I roundhoused kicked a HEAVY punch bag and hurt my instep i hit it perfectly between the instep and the shin but it really hurt!

I used my shin then used the ball of foot and wow no pain what so ever!

goes to show you pain teaches volumes