Bad Ninjutsu Videos

I have no issue with the teaching rank (provided it was issued correctly and not through a rank mill) - just the using it as an honorific...

 

Kyoshi is a title used within the GBK, it's high level and you have to pass the relevant test to attain it.

I have no issue calling anyone in the GBK who has attained this rank Kyoshi, or anyone outside the organisation if they've had to earn it.

I'm aware of organisations that give titles like this out for time in.... don't agree with this use of the title.

 

Proper etiquette within Genbukan is to address people either by their title (if they have one) or their status at the time (sensei, sempai).
So a Genbukan member addressing Kyoshi Coppens would actually use that title. 'sensei' would be appropriate if the person addressing him is either his student, or if he is in a class, receiving instruction from him.

http://www.genbukan.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?aboveRenshi

The title kyoshi is awared if the student passes this test. Getting to the level where you are allowed to take the test (after 5th dan) is 20 to 25 years of study, and I was told it is Tanemura soke who says when you get to test.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNGLIOt3NVs#at=250

 

I know loads of people who are renshi/kyoshi/hanshi, and one or two soke. None of them expect to be called by these titles. Sensei is plenty.

I dunno, maybe it's just me...

 

In Genbukan, it is part of dojo etiquette. It is not the decision of each individual to choose what to be called.

 

I guess it's a case of personal preference, and organisational etiquette.

As Count Duckula mentioned in GBK it's considered good manners to use the title if relevant, so we do, if it's not the same in other orgs that's up to them.

In relation to the question though, yes genuine people do use the title - but not all people using the title are necessarily genuine, it will depend on the org they belong to, and where they got the title

 

Is sensei just not good enough these days?

Are shogo the new red/white belt?

 

'Sensei' is what a student calls his teacher, or whichever teacher is instructing him at that particular time. 'Sempai' is the second in command, regardless of his grade. Me calling Kyoshi Coppens 'sensei' would not make sense since he is neither my sensei, nor teaching me.

Any instructor can be called sensei, or sempai, or just 'Joe' depending on who is on the mat and who is doing the teaching. Anyone not the sensei or sempai is addressed by his title, if he has one, or his name.

 

Sensei is used most commonly, as students will all call their instructor Sensei regardless of their rank.

It's considered good manners to call other people within the organisation by their correct title if you address them.

It's not saying that Sensei isn't good enough, and definitely not like Red and White belts - It's just they way we do things in GBK. Can't comment for other orgs.

 

If I met a person who I knew was a senior teacher, I would call them sensei by default until they corrected me and gave me their choice of title.

So far, in 27 years of budo, it has always been 'sensei' or 'first name'.

 

There is no written rule that says I have to call them by the title that I know of, and I could have probably gotten by with saying Mr. Coppens. However, I wouldn't say, "Hey Marc," because I don't know him personally. We usually when talking among ourselves refer to instructors with titles like renshi, kyoshi, and shihan, as such. Using sensei could get a bit confusing in certain situations like taikai, so we call them by their title. Also unless they are our direct instructor, then we don't call them sensei.

Don't think thought that anyone who held any of these titles would introduce themselves to you with that title. They just say their name, and that's that.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIOUNSOqd_E"]Bujinkan en C4[/ame]
To be fair, tv segments are usually hit-and-miss; often they've edited detrimentally, and it's common for wushu-y sfx put on in post

But there's some things in this video which are slightly odd. For example, gripping the sword with both hands at the top of the tsuka...hardly moving when applying locks...looking at the ground whilst doing techniques.