![]() You can then use the term that is most meaningful for you. A student who truly feels that someone can be their teacher or mentor and pledges in their heart to become a dedicated disciple of that person finds more depth in the term sensei and in the term shihan and in the relationship they signify.Īsk yourself, then, is the person you are addressing a sensei or a shihan or are they your sensei or your shihan – and try to determine the depth of that relationship. Both titles can be used superficially in accordance with given definitions or social protocol (I was told to call you this) but they can also be spoken with meaning. So, if a shihan is ipso facto a sensei we return to the original question: how should a shihan be addressed? The answer lies in the nature of the relationship between the teacher and the student. A shihan is typically a very well-rounded person. Most shihan also have expertise in other areasīroadly speaking, a shihan’s mastery is seldom limited to one field – most shihan also have expertise in other areas such as music, arts & literature, sports, administration, academics, or other disciplines ending in -do, and are capable of developing strong, long-lasting relationships. A shihan, renshi is therefore a polished, technical expert who displays good character and therefore serves as a role model – both in practice and in disposition. The term renshi speaks to the character of the person ren (錬) means refined, trained, and polished and shi (士) refers to a man/woman, gentleman/lady, or samurai of high status. A shihan has command of the material and can apply that knowledge to innovate and lead. Shihan is an honorific title for expert, master, or senior martial arts instructors and is created using two Japanese characters: shi (師) meaning example or model and han (範) meaning master or exemplary practitioner. The Chinese have a saying: “If you meet a teacher on the road, forget what you are doing and follow him.” This speaks to the importance Eastern culture places on expert pedagogues. In Japan, the term “sensei” is sometimes used loosely 1 to address anyone who is skilled in the development transmission of knowledge but its significance should not be watered down. The term suggests that since someone already has travelled down the proverbial path, that person is well positioned to serve as a guide to those who follow. Sen (先) sei (生) literally translates as “one who has gone before” but figuratively (and practically), sensei means teacher. To answer that, let’s first look at what these terms mean:
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