Don't call yourself sensei!

[DWx]

Great video from Jesse Encamp about the term "sensei". What are your thoughts on this?

I'm very lax in our school with titles and such. Possibly wrong but even my youngest students can use my first name and I go by "Miss Danielle" most of the time rather than use a title. I see a lot on Facebook and the like using their titles as part of their name which always seems strange to me... as don't your non-martial arts friends also interact with you on those platforms.

As a teacher, how do you prefer your students to address you?

[sensei8]

Bob. That's it. Bob. Just Bob. Plain Bob.

When it's formal, just Sensei. No Sensei Bob or Sensei Mitcham. When Soke and Dai-Soke were alive, it was Mitcham Sensei...which was quite funny to hear them say my last name...often because of that, it would be just Sensei, or quite a lot of pointing and gesturing.

Great thing about the name Bob is that no matter how you spell it...forwards...backwards...upside down...sideways...it's still Bob. I think my parents were trying to tell me something.

[ashworth]

I genuinely don't think I get called anything, I run small classes and its obvious when someone wants to talk to me... occasionally I may have been called Sensei and I'm pretty sure I have just been called Ash a couple of times.

[Bulltahr]

I see a lot on Facebook and the like using their titles as part of their name which always seems strange to me... as don't your non-martial arts friends also interact with you on those platforms.

Either they are trying to promote themselves or they are probably a bit delusional. But it's pretty cheesy anyway that you look at it....

[bushido_man96]

In class, I prefer just Mr. Walker. I don't necessarily want any title attached to my rank put in front of it. Our organization is pretty strict on not allowing first names to be used, but outside of class, I prefer my first name, or at the least, just my last name with no title.

[Spartacus Maximus]

It depends a lot on the culture of the dojo one belongs to. Outside of Okinawa where the dojo culture is quite casual, many dojo’s have a very quasi-military style. Japan’s militarism at the time karate was introduced there and the fact that most first generation non-native instructors were also military men explains why it is so common for titles and rank to be insisted upon.

Personally, using “sir” always seemed unnecessary and misplaced without being in the military. The only forms of address in and out of the dojo was whatever they were in plain English or whatever language was used. A school teacher and a martial arts instructor were called the same thing: “Mr” or “Ms”. Anyone close to one’s age, used first names. I have trained under mostly Okinawan instructors and they have always been very casual with titles except for the regular forms of address “last-name+san” in Japanese. In Japan and Okinawa it’s normal, but in other places it’s normal to use what is usually used there in the local language.

[Himokiri Karate]

There is a hapkido place in my town and the owner is referred as "The supreme grandmaster"

As for me, I thought about this long and hard. This decision of mine also was influenced from being in boxing. My feeling is, I think that what Cobra Kai does in terms of terminology culture is the best because it works as a filtering process.

My personal experience is, often times, a foul mouthed individual with a lack of respect might want to join an art that lets him be himself which is an unpleasant individual.

But I feel that if I am called "sir" and "sensei" then its fair because its not overly grandiose. In a way sensei is teacher and not master and that would describe my occupation accurately. Sir means you respect me enough to surrender certain amount of social dynamics so that I can serve you by being your teacher and you as my student.

Also being called teacher is fine. That being said, I recently experienced a bit of situation which maybe potentially violent if I run to this person again.

So there is a chance that I might just opt for a casual culture and that in the near future, my teaching revolves around reality fighting which is creating scenarios with students experiencing loud screaming of profanities so that if they encounter it outside, they wont be shook up. This means that my teaching also has to reflect the psychology of the streets and so this means that the training culture has to be significantly altered and this includes if I am called by my first name or sensei.

[sensei8]

There's far to many pedestals in the MA for ones ego to stand upon. A MA should feel complete enough by being oneself without the labels and adorations pinned to ones chest.

“Honestly expressing yourself...it is very difficult to do. I mean it is easy for me to put on a show and be cocky and be flooded with a cocky feeling and then feel like pretty cool...or I can make all kind of phony things, you see what I mean, blinded by it or I can show you some really fancy movement. But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself...now that, my friend, is very hard to do.” ― Bruce Lee

[Montana]

Under 18 it's Sensei or Mr. Weed (yeah, that's my last name). 18 and over it's Sensei, Mr. Weed, Paul, Hey You or whatever..as long as it's respectful. It's a small thing IMO.

[Nidan Melbourne]

So I am currently a 2nd Dan at the club I train + teach at; we don't award the title of Sensei to any person until they are a 3rd Dan and an active instructor. 

So by my club standards, I am a Sempai until I get my promotion. However, do I correct people when they address me as Sensei? Nope, why? because to me they are addressing me as such out of respect and politeness. 

Especially from those who have cross trained; they tend to do it more often as I am more often than not the most senior person there. Unless I am physically training myself and there are generally 2 or 3 people more senior than myself there teaching or training. 

Students who see me outside of class, tend to have difficulty separating me from the dojo and as an instructor. Unless I am friends with the person then they have no issue with addressing me as just Liam.