Titles

[Nidan Melbourne]

At your dojo, do you use the titles; Shihan, Kyoshi, Renshi etc? If so what are the requirements to your knowledge are there for them?

Be it grade (more often than not), age or position in the club/organisation. For instance at my club we have the title of Sensei awarded at Sandan (not earlier).

Also who decides the promotion of title? Is it the student or the instructors instructor?

I ask because my sensei today was promoted to Godan (i made a separate post with details). And several of us Yudansha were considering making a formal promotion for him in regards to title.

But we are seeking on advice of Senior Martial Artists for their honest opinion.

Arigato Gozaimasu

[Spartacus Maximus]

As it is the case with many Okinawan dojo, titles are used but only for formal recognition such as on a person's grade certificate next to their name or on the presence board where everyone hangs their wooden name tag on the dojo wall.

5th and 6th dan get the title of shihan

7th and 8th get the title of kyoushi

9th and 10th have the title of hanshi

None of these are ever addressed by their titles. They are called sensei if teaching in a dojo of their own and sempai by everyone lower than they are when training with everyone under their own instructor.

One has to be teaching to be called sensei. It it not awarded with any specific grade and it is used with its original Japanese meaning. It means teacher, and only teachers are called sensei by their own students.

It is very simple for everyone because there are only three ways to address others. Peers and below are called by their names. Those who have been at it longer are called sempai, which means senior and whoever is teaching is called sensei.

A sensei can be anywhere between 3 and 10th dan. Sempai is anybody who has been training longer and /or is older than that person when they train together under the same instructor who they call sensei.

[RJCKarate]

I think what Spartacus has said is great, but I have a few points to note:

"Shihan" is not a commonly awarded or used title in Okinawa. It would be more common to use "Renshi". For example:

5th - 6th Dan (usually 6th): Renshi 錬士 - polished expert

7th - 8th Dan: Kyoshi 教士 - teaching expert

9th - 10th Dan: Hanshi 範士 - model expert

Shihan 師範 is also not just a reversed Hanshi either, and it means "to be a model", or in this context, "model instructor". Renshi, Kyoshi, Hanshi are only used in written form or if introducing someone like "Joe Smith, Hanshi 10th Dan".

Additionally, Sensei 先生 doesn't mean teacher, it means "one who has gone before". In Okinawa, in at least accordance with my sensei, you don't have to reserve it just for someone teaching a class, or even just "your" sensei - he refers to many others with this honourary, and has directed me to do so as well: it depends on your personal relationship or feeling toward the person in many cases. It certainly isn't a rank restricted.

Senpai 先輩 is means "someone who is senior". In my dojo, the kids call anyone who helps them senpai, and for our adults, it's mostly reserved for 1st kyu or black belts, but never really enforced. We use the term, San (さん, for those above (assistant instructors, black belts etc), and also often even if the person is lower, as a sense of mutual respect.

In our style, our titles are issued by our Okinawa So-Honbu (headquarters) and some are recognised by Okinawan karate governing bodies, or the government. There was recently a new organisation established by the Governor of Okinawa and many Okinawa karate association leaders, I am unsure if this will become part of what they do.

So, as for your question, I do not think awarding a title from a student body is something that should really happen, at least for Renshi, Kyoshi, Hanshi etc. However, if you're not a part of a governing body, titles like Shihan or Kancho 館長 (which means dojo owner, but usually the dojo name will have 'Kan' in it) might be more appropriate.

I don't know if this really helps you though!

[Wastelander]

We have those titles, but we don't generally use them in speaking with each other--we just use "Sensei" or "Senpai," as is appropriate, most of the time. As far as titles go, Shihan requires a license from the organization on Okinawa, and you have to test in the Honbu dojo for that. Renshi, Kyoshi, and Hanshi, however, come automatically with rank for us; Renshi for 5th/6th, Kyoshi for 7th/8th, and Hanshi for 9th/10th. When you pass you tests for those ranks, people just start referring to you by those titles, although typically only in writing.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Yes, the literal meaning of "sensei" is "one who has gone before". However, the word is used for teachers in all sorts of fields.

As for the title 'shihan' , it is usually given to somebody who has been given approval to teach. Often this is the chief instructor of a branch dojo. Renshi is more common though, and all titles appear on most dojo member name boards.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I think what Spartacus has said is great, but I have a few points to note:

"Shihan" is not a commonly awarded or used title in Okinawa. It would be more common to use "Renshi". For example:

5th - 6th Dan (usually 6th): Renshi 錬士 - polished expert

7th - 8th Dan: Kyoshi 教士 - teaching expert

9th - 10th Dan: Hanshi 範士 - model expert

Shihan 師範 is also not just a reversed Hanshi either, and it means "to be a model", or in this context, "model instructor". Renshi, Kyoshi, Hanshi are only used in written form or if introducing someone like "Joe Smith, Hanshi 10th Dan".

Additionally, Sensei 先生 doesn't mean teacher, it means "one who has gone before". In Okinawa, in at least accordance with my sensei, you don't have to reserve it just for someone teaching a class, or even just "your" sensei - he refers to many others with this honourary, and has directed me to do so as well: it depends on your personal relationship or feeling toward the person in many cases. It certainly isn't a rank restricted.

Senpai 先輩 is means "someone who is senior". In my dojo, the kids call anyone who helps them senpai, and for our adults, it's mostly reserved for 1st kyu or black belts, but never really enforced. We use the term, San (さん, for those above (assistant instructors, black belts etc), and also often even if the person is lower, as a sense of mutual respect.

In our style, our titles are issued by our Okinawa So-Honbu (headquarters) and some are recognised by Okinawan karate governing bodies, or the government. There was recently a new organisation established by the Governor of Okinawa and many Okinawa karate association leaders, I am unsure if this will become part of what they do.

So, as for your question, I do not think awarding a title from a student body is something that should really happen, at least for Renshi, Kyoshi, Hanshi etc. However, if you're not a part of a governing body, titles like Shihan or Kancho 館長 (which means dojo owner, but usually the dojo name will have 'Kan' in it) might be more appropriate.

I don't know if this really helps you though!

Thanks for that Reece. It does help along with everyone else who posted their awesome responses here.

We aren't linked to an Organisation over in Okinawa; I as of yet unsure of why. As such we would do it if we could if we were part of one. As such that is why I asked because I was unsure and knew that there were many dojo owners and instructors here who would know and are wise on this subject.

To me and the Yundansha I discussed this with, they agreed that there are some titles that we shouldn't touch because of what you said. We agreed that Shihan is an appropriate title (other than Sensei) that would be appropriate for us to award him.

Do you know if there is almost an age requirement in Okinawa for certain titles?

[Bulltahr]

We go along very similar lines, our club is run by a 5th dan, but since he is over 80 years old, he has been given the title of Seishi by our Kaicho.

[JR 137]

We go along very similar lines, our club is run by a 5th dan, but since he is over 80 years old, he has been given the title of Seishi by our Kaicho.

I think Kaicho has only given that title to two students. My CI was telling me that there was a gentleman here in the States that was a 5th dan, but was much older and had much more martial arts experience than the rest of the 5th dans at the time, and therefore gave him the title Seishi to differentiate him from the rest. My CI said he was the only one given that title, and he passed away several years ago. Obviously he wasn't the only one.

[Lupin1]

We're very informal as a club program. We don't use any titles-- not even sensei, though we do teach new students what it means.

Every so often my instructor's instructor will come visit and he joking calls my instructor hanshi knowing that he doesn't like it. My instructor is 8th dan with over 40 years training and is over 65 years old.

One of our 6th dans (soon to be promoted to 7th dan) who is the head children's instructor wears a renshi belt, but we don't call him renshi.

Perhaps if we had more formal events we would use formal titles, but we don't.

[Spartacus Maximus]

In Okinawa and in all other dojos elsewhere either run by Okinawans or their direct students, many had titles next to their names but were just called by their names and the word corresponding to "mr" or "ms". Only the instructor was called "sensei". It was relaxed, casual but still polite and everybody was well aware of where they stood. This is probably the reason why titles are not mentioned other than for formalities.