Use of Japanese vs English terminology

I'd suggest you go buy an English /Japanese translation book before you make yourself look any more foolish.

I don't have "blue belts" in my dojo Mac because we operate under the auspices of Hombu dojo who issue kyu grades not colours, No one under Yudansha teaches in my dojo. However if I ask one of my students (who is a chartered phsyio-therapist) to give a lesson in that subject, then despite him being an kyu grade in aikido, he is in fact an expert in physical rehabilitation thus, it would be perfectly correct for me to call him Sensei.. Because it’s contextual..

As I say get yourself a Japanese / English translation book and do a bit of research.

 

Would I give a toss ? Nope. And yes I did answer the question with the information required relating to what Sensei actually means, I suspect you just want to be argumentative.

Regards

 

There are some of the same problems in English. Well not really a problem, just strange at times. When I started training in BJJ, it was under a blue belt. He is now a 2nd degree Blackbelt, so it has been a few years... anyway, the term "Professor" is used as a way of addressing him formally when we are being formal about things. So one would think Professor = 2nd degree black belt. However, in Kajukenbo, Professor is 8th degree and sometimes 9th degree black belt. So one would think that Professor = 8th-9th degree black belt.

Well one of our black belts got her PH.D. a few years back and she is a college Professor. So she is a professor too. We have a brown belt working on his PH.D. and some day he will be Professor also.

 

Doesn't matter to me what you call each other in class Dave, but AikiMac really seems to want a direct answer. He is asking what you call kyu ranked students in training. Do you address them as Sensei or do you address them in other ways like Sempai or their first name or something else?

Now to the point, did you call this person "Sensei" because of their experience in Aikido, or do you call him Sensei because of their expertise in something other than Aikido?

 

Nope were discussing the use of the term Sensei

BTW in orthodox aikido 5th kyu is the equiv' to a yellow belt but to answer your question again, no they are not but, despite my attempts at trying to explain more than just the superficial misconception of the term Sensei you want to reject that important data and ask a question which IMO are painting you as argumentative and obtuse.

Sensei does not mean teacher, instructor or anything related to the teaching of anything thusly it is not directly connected to anything to do with rank. It is however contextually based upon experiences of people and the status they hold in relation to others. How many more times would you like me to explain that ?

Take some time to reseach the term Shihan

 

Let's watch the personal attacks ok?


This is really getting silly.

Funny ..... I've always known Sensei to be "teacher" .... but what do I know?

 

Kyu graded students aren't called anything.

Sempai/Kohai/Shihan are terms which relate to a virtical relationship between students and their teacher, again its all contextual because there's always going to be someone who's junior or senior to others thus, you cannot label people with the terms Sempai or Kohai, this is a really complex subject which is difficult at best to understand never mind explain on a forum such as this. Suffice to say I do not use such terms because, frankly, there's no need too.

There's only one Sensei in my dojo and that's Keith Hayward, he's older than me, studied aikido longer than me and, he's walked life's path before I was born thusly it is correct to refer to him (in the dojo) as Sensei, and not just because he teaches aikido.

 

Really, I was stating an opinion not attacking a person. Perhaps I suggest you look a little more carefully at your own staff's conduct because, once again Mac is focusing this matter in to a personal slate on me and my dojo, making the reference to it being a "McDojo" for no good reason.

 

I see the difficulty in translations.

Definitely, in the West, more common than not, the terms Sempai, Sensei, and Shihan are directly related to rank. This may be incorrect use of the terms in the proper sense, but I think is it quite established terminology these days in schools.

Best bet is as usual... take things in the proper context and ask how each person wishes to be addressed within their own school. Some schools even don't use any titles, just go by first names and "sir" for formality.

Dave, it reads like you felt that you were personally attacked by AikiMac. Do you feel that may have influenced the way in which you posted your replies to him? Your opinion may have been hurtful to him.

You don't have to give me an explanation, I'm not asking for one. However, it sure looks to me like one or the other started the hurt feelings (and I really don't care who started it) and the other reciprocated.

And even if feelings weren't actually hurt or intended to be hurt, it still looks like reciprocation to me. And I don't see anyone in a hurry to say they are sorry or appologize in a sincere manner.

 

What are you on about ? Iwama Aikido ? I don't study Iwama aikido and I doubt you'll see an adult student in Iwama using a coloured belt, so what does that have to do with this discussion?

 

I recall that where I trained Aikido, all the Adults started at 6th Kyu. No colored belts, but 5th Kyu would still be the next adult rank. In many places (other martial arts schools that use colored belt system, NOT Aikido), the first colored belt is yellow... so I think Dave's logic is just that 5th Kyu adult = yellow belt (first rank test) in comparison.

P.S. You bumped my "let's all get along" post to the previous page. :cry:

 

I'm not "hurt" by the things said in this thread or other attacks and harassment in other threads about my grades etc however, I will not sit back and allow a person to make an accusation however slight that might have been, without responding. If that response solicits a particular reaction..

 

I think the current Doshu might have an opinion to share on that subject. Feel free to express your opinions to him if you see fit

I can't comment on what you've seen or what you haven't however, in general terms there are six kyu grades which have corresponding colours for those that use 'em rokkyu = white, gokyu = yellow.

Mac, I've decided I'm no longer going to bother responding to your posts as it is clear to me you just wish to be argumentitve, it strikes me you've now got your little ruleset in the topic rules relating to Japanese and English and now you want to have a go with something else, not with me mate I can assure you.

 

Dave .... I have addressed our staff's conduct with them. You however, don't seem to want to move forward from past discussions regarding your rank & dojo. You are bringing it up now and not the mods.


Look.... if you have a problem with the moderation either take a break and return in a few days or not at all.

 

Fine with me, perhaps you missed this, Post 79 of this evening

So it was in fact one of your own moderators who brought this matter to the surface, again; not me.

 

I think it's fair to say within the context of a formal Aikido class the teacher or person leading the class is normally refered to as Sensei.

This being the Aikido forum I think we should stick to things in the context of Aikido and no digress (is that the right word) to Astrophysics.

 

No one least of all me is actually disputing this, Sensei does not however mean "teacher" or "instructor" in Japanese language