DOJO/DOJANG ettiquette

[Dobbersky]

What do you call your Instructor(s)

Kyosanim, Sabeomnim, Kwanjangnim, Sempai, Sensei, Shihan, Shifu LaoShi, Guru etc. (appologies if I have missed off your title as it was not purposely)

Does the ettiquette within your school dictate that you call them by their title or is it more western and allows First names or Mr X or Sir or Ma'am to be used?

I expect all my students to address me by Sensei - within class, I also expect them to address visiting Instructors by their titles too

Looking forward to some excellent discussions

[evergrey]

OSU, my Shihan is always called Shihan. Sensei Wah is always called Sensei Wah in class, though some people call him "Ty" after class. My primary Sensei is called just Sensei, or Sensei Dunn by me. Everyone else calls him by his first name, as he is my instructor outside of class, but a sempai in class for others.

The other black belts are called just by their first names, though sometimes I'll be extra polite and call them Sempai-firstname. Nobody else does though, lol!

OSU!

[wagnerk]

Depends on the club/associate and art:

Kickboxing (American)* - first name

Kickboxing (English)* - first name

karate (GKR)* - Sensei, Sempai, etc

karate (Shotokan -JKA)** - Sensei

karate (Shotokan - non JKA) - Sensei (& Mr/Ms for the instructors below dependant on club/associate)

karate (Ni-Sen)* - Sensei

karate (Freestyle/sports)* - first name

Judo* ** - Sensei

Ninpo* ** - Sensei

TSD**- Not sure, will be trying that in a couple of weeks time.

Kung Fu (Lee Style)* ** - Sifu in the beginning, first name later on.

Kung Fu (Lau Gar)* ** - Sifu

JKD* ** - First name

Tai Chi (short form)* ** - first name

* - don't train in them anymore

** - haven't/didn't gain any grades with them (pre or post black belt)

[sensei8]

>I've always called our founder...SOKE at all times!!

>Over the many, many years, my Sensei went by Kaicho, then Dai-Soke!!

Both of them were addressed accordingly by their title at all times, no matter the content/context and/or the venue. Only a very small few of us students of Dai-Soke were ever allowed to call him by his first name, Yosh (short of Yoshinobu) outside of any content/context and/or venue, usually we were at an informal setting at his home to allow this closeness.

Again, depending on the content/context and/or the venue, I require all Shindokan students, in or out of the Hombu while on official business, teaching or testing or administrative, to address me as Kaicho. Informal settings, I'm plain old Bob. Even though, many still refuse to call me by my first name during informal settings, and I suppose this is either because of respect, for my title/rank and/or myself, or because they don't want to disrespect any instructor maxim or they don't like me.

Formality dictates the way in which one must always be addressed, and this includes any visiting black belts and the like. In that, our By-Laws dictate the "do's" and "don'ts" regarding this matter.

[Martial Walrus]

The rule at my dojang is that anyone who has a Dan ranking and is eighteen or older should be referred to as Mr. or Ms. using his or her last name. Instructors are always addressed with the title sir/ma'am or sabomnim. My master is always addressed as sir, master, or kwanjangnim. I have never called him be his first name, and I imagine that he would be offended if I did.

[Wastelander]

We call my instructor Sensei, Sensei Poage or Mr. Poage and the same goes for any of the other black belts with the exception of one who has the title of Shihan and so we call him Shihan, Shihan Allred or Mr. Allred. Those of us who are assistant instructors below the rank of black belt are usually just called Senpai before our first names.

[ninjanurse]

In my most recent, and former, association, Black Belts (regardless of rank) were addressed as Mr, Mrs, Miss, etc. I prefer to address them by their martial arts title (Cho Gyo Nim, Sam Bum Nim, Bu Kwan Jang Nim, etc) because I was taught that we address our elders as Mr, Mrs, etc, and it has no bearing on their position in society (i.e. dojo). We are slowly transitioning...old habits are hard to break!

[tallgeese]

Early in my career is was Sir. After so many years, it's a first name basis by and large. As for the mma and BJJ I"ve done since then it's always first name.

[sensei8]

Early in my career is was Sir. After so many years, it's a first name basis by and large. As for the mma and BJJ I"ve done since then it's always first name.

However, respect always remains and respect is always paramount.

[ps1]

In BJJ I call my most immediate instructors by their first names. My students also call me by my first name. I call Pedro Sauer "professor" or "Pedro," depending on the setting. If we're training, I call him professor. If we're drinking and watching the fights, I call him Pedro.

In Karate (Shotokan and Kwanmuzendokai) it was Sensei. That's what i called all my senior instructors (5th dan and above).

In Chuan Fa I called my instructor Master McGinnis.