You’re not my sensei, so why do you call YOURSELF sensei?
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If I see somebody labeled as, and calling themselves “sensei”, and I don’t know them, it’s just plain wrong. They aren’t teaching me… so they aren’t my sensei. I’m not choosing to call them sensei.
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The term can’t apply as a blanket statement, especially if they’ve given the label to themselves.
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In the West, we tend to call anybody who has a martial arts dojo, sensei. They tell you that while you’re in the dojo you need to call them sensei. Some of them don’t even tell you what the term means, so you just assume it’s some kind of teaching title…… Which it ISN’T!
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If someone is more experienced than me. I respect their knowledge and ability to teach others, so I choose to call them sensei.
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You do NOT call YOURSELF “sensei”, as a general term, or as a title. There are people out there that I would call “sensei.” The term is situational. But it’s not a general label for a person. And those who actually are a sensei, would not tell me to call them “sensei.”
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Sensei (先生) is a word people all over the world use in place of ‘teacher.’
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But the word sensei is much more than simply a synonym for ‘teacher’. When trying to understand a Japanese word, it’s always a good idea to look at its kanji:
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先 (せん) = previous
生 (せい) = born
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So would you describe yourself in English to someone by saying; “my name is previous born before Smith”? Or even if you used the basic term teacher, you still wouldn’t say; “my name is teacher Smith”….. No, it’s ridiculous.
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Sensei is a term that shows honor and respect. It’s a term GIVEN by a student to their teacher. It’s NOT a label you give to YOURSELF. You use the term to show respect to others. You choose to call somebody else a sensei.…. Surely you’ve got it by now!
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You honor your teacher by calling him sensei. This comes from the fact that in Japan respect is very important, much more important than it is in the West. However, as you know, respect needs to be earned.
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So, how do you earn respect? By getting your black belt? Not really. There are children who have a black belt. Nobody calls them sensei. And if they do, they really shouldn’t.
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Does this mean that being called sensei comes with age? Not necessarily. You find much older adults who have black belts but are never called sensei.
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You see, the point is that even if the guy teaching karate in the local high street demands that you call him sensei, he might not be a sensei at all. There’s a difference between teaching how to kick and punch, being an instructor or coach and being a sensei. A huge difference!
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So, who can you call a sensei? A person who doesn’t only teach you the techniques, a person who also teaches you the philosophy behind the martial art that you’re studying, a person who’s wise and sage, a person who teaches by example, is trustworthy and has good morals.
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I doubt that somebody who labels and signs themselves as “sensei” on their business cards, dojo front-door, letters, or on social media, is going to change their ways because of this article.
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Stop calling yourself “sensei” is just narcissistic, weird and presumptuous.
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Oh well. Maybe it helps them be something they obviously are not. It’s just marketing, some might say.
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