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Right hand instructor

Featured Replies

Every instructor has a top dog so to speak. That being said, every top dog has a right hand man/woman. That being said, does your school/organization give them any special titles, such as Kaicho, Kancho, Dai-Soke, Shihan, Hanshi, etc

Teachers are always learning

Yes. the SKKA, the Governing Body that I was a member of for over 5 decades, used titles like what the OP states. As it was their right to do so without judgement and/or reservation. I earned, and held, several titles during my time with the SKKA; none of which I'm ashamed of nor proud of because at the end of the day, those titles and the like are just a thing. Nothing more and nothing less.

Yet, in my dojo, those titles are not used because the most important title of any MAist is that of "Student" of which I'm lucky to wear that badge most proudly. Outside of that, we use Sensei and Sempai, if so desired, yet, my most favorite way to be addressed by anyone on and off the floor is...Bob, after all, my parents thought that that was a good one.

Imho.

:)

**Proof is on the floor!!!

  • Author
Yes. the SKKA, the Governing Body that I was a member of for over 5 decades, used titles like what the OP states. As it was their right to do so without judgement and/or reservation. I earned, and held, several titles during my time with the SKKA; none of which I'm ashamed of nor proud of because at the end of the day, those titles and the like are just a thing. Nothing more and nothing less.

Yet, in my dojo, those titles are not used because the most important title of any MAist is that of "Student" of which I'm lucky to wear that badge most proudly. Outside of that, we use Sensei and Sempai, if so desired, yet, my most favorite way to be addressed by anyone on and off the floor is...Bob, after all, my parents thought that that was a good one.

Imho.

:)

Student is the most important title, so on the floor your students don't call you Sensei?

Teachers are always learning

Everything seems more casual at my dojo than in other places. Maybe it is the same way in smaller schools where everyone knows everyone. We use a wooden rack with name plates with grade dividers and that is the only way to know if someone has a title. On the floor and among ourselves we just use our names. We know where we all stand and the head instructor is the chief instructor of the association with the title of Hanshi next to his name on the board. As there are no other instructors, only he is called sensei.

  • Author
Everything seems more casual at my dojo than in other places. Maybe it is the same way in smaller schools where everyone knows everyone. We use a wooden rack with name plates with grade dividers and that is the only way to know if someone has a title. On the floor and among ourselves we just use our names. We know where we all stand and the head instructor is the chief instructor of the association with the title of Hanshi next to his name on the board. As there are no other instructors, only he is called sensei.

So we decided new black belts with Kanji will be stripe free (may do something with titles such as Hanshi, Kyoshi, Renshi) But I I think the name plate is great especially for instructors.

Teachers are always learning

We don't have titles on the school level specifically but have titles tied to teaching levels beyond Assistant, Sabum/Instructor (4th dan plus) and Sahyun/Master (7th & 8th dan) and Sasung/Grandmaster (9th dan). Within our organisation we also have a President, Vice President and Executive Board but no special titles.

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." ~ Confucius

Yes. the SKKA, the Governing Body that I was a member of for over 5 decades, used titles like what the OP states. As it was their right to do so without judgement and/or reservation. I earned, and held, several titles during my time with the SKKA; none of which I'm ashamed of nor proud of because at the end of the day, those titles and the like are just a thing. Nothing more and nothing less.

Yet, in my dojo, those titles are not used because the most important title of any MAist is that of "Student" of which I'm lucky to wear that badge most proudly. Outside of that, we use Sensei and Sempai, if so desired, yet, my most favorite way to be addressed by anyone on and off the floor is...Bob, after all, my parents thought that that was a good one.

Imho.

:)

Student is the most important title, so on the floor your students don't call you Sensei?

Yes, but I prefer to be called Bob. I don't ever allow my students to address me by Hanshi or Kaicho because my dojo isn't the place for that sort of stuff.

:)

**Proof is on the floor!!!

  • Author
Yes. the SKKA, the Governing Body that I was a member of for over 5 decades, used titles like what the OP states. As it was their right to do so without judgement and/or reservation. I earned, and held, several titles during my time with the SKKA; none of which I'm ashamed of nor proud of because at the end of the day, those titles and the like are just a thing. Nothing more and nothing less.

Yet, in my dojo, those titles are not used because the most important title of any MAist is that of "Student" of which I'm lucky to wear that badge most proudly. Outside of that, we use Sensei and Sempai, if so desired, yet, my most favorite way to be addressed by anyone on and off the floor is...Bob, after all, my parents thought that that was a good one.

Imho.

:)

Student is the most important title, so on the floor your students don't call you Sensei?

Yes, but I prefer to be called Bob. I don't ever allow my students to address me by Hanshi or Kaicho because my dojo isn't the place for that sort of stuff.

:)

Yes, we usually just use sensei for all the instructors, though we call our some shihan. Though I will say sometimes ask Master so and so, but we don't expect to have the students say it. Master is pretty much if we're signning rank certificates.

Teachers are always learning

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