Sensei - students relations

If you feel the teacher is a real teacher, give up your own ideas and learn.

I started learning Judo in 1969. Over the years, I I have been very fortunate to meet great teachers who guided my way and were role models to me. Their pictures are displayed in my Dojo. I bow to them when I get in and out. I am very thankful for the Sensei who came into my life.

What is a Sensei ? 

 

The Japanese word Sensei literally means "one who was born before". Your sensei was "born before" you in the system you are studying. He is senior to you. This is different from a coach. A Sensei can actually do what he teaches, he or she embodies the art, while a coach can teach you how to do something without necessarily being able to perform it himself.

In traditional Japanese culture, teachers are seen as the only real way to progress. Without their instruction, the student might make serious mistakes and be unable to master his subject. The Sensei’s role is to create situations so that the student learns by experience; he is not expected to explain the intricate details of every thing. Training is a thing of the heart, not of the mind.

Loyalty

The guidance of a Sensei being essential, once you select a teacher and the teacher accepts you, you should accept that this teacher does know what he or she is doing, that what really matters is practice, and that some of the most important lessons cannot be taught via spoken or written words. Most importantly you should be loyal to your Sensei, and your Sensei should be loyal to you.

Mutual trust and loyalty are the “sine qua non” condition for a harmonious and fruitful relationship between Sensei and disciple.

Experience proves, however, that the road can be bumpy.

Some students have an idealized image of a teacher who at times may not fit this image they created of him. When this happens the Sensei may become subjected to a great deal of criticism or abuse.

You should not idealize or identify with your Sensei; because if he or she does anything which, in your eyes, cannot be accepted or justified, the whole relationship comes tumbling down and breaks into a thousand pieces.

On the other hand, when the loyalty pledged by a student to a Sensei becomes blind obedience and belief a fraudulent or unscrupulous instructor can manipulate this for his own ends, financial or otherwise. A proper Sensei never requires or even tolerates blind commitment from any student.

Mutual respect

Although you must believe and be loyal to your Sensei, you should never surrender your right to think for yourself.

You should also remember that your teacher also has rights and may choose not to live his life according to your expectations of how things should be.

Respect and Manner

A nice little spot about Bowing, Respect, in the context of Kendo

When I was a kid in a French primary school, there was quite a bit of fighting, all the time, nothing vicious. There were few rules, of course unwritten. You did not beat the hell out of  someone smaller than you. Once you had won and your opponent submitted, that was the end of it... Fighting under these circumstances usually generated respect.

Actually, I made a few friends fighting them.

The Zero Tolerance about fighting in our schools is hypocritical, shameful, and dangerous. 

Kids who are bullied can't vent their anger, one day they grab a gun and bring it to school... Or if they cannot find a gun, they might commit suicide... If they had had the opportunity to beat the crap out of the bullies, maybe lots of terrible tragedies would not have happened.

It is easy, and it is wrong, to systematically ground both students who get in a fight. The right thing to do would be to figure out why the fight happened, and decide in all fairness what to do. Otherwise, how do you want the kids to understand what justice is about ?

 

Reigi o Omonzubeshi

Respect and Manners

We had a great Karate Seminar this last Saturday May 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Yoshukai Dojo in Dothan. Our instructors were Sensei Toyama - 8^th degree, and Culbreth, 7^th degree, the 2 directors of our WYKKO Organization. This seminar, open to all Yoshukai Karate Black Belts was free.

We spent 1:30 with Sensei Culbreth on Sho no Kun Dai, took a short break for snacks, then spent another 1:30 with Sensei Toyama on Tensho Dai. After that, people who had tested during the last winter camp received their belts. Among them, Mr Turner and Mr Page received their 6^th degree. Congratulations to them and the others who tested and passed.

Less than 15 people attended the seminar. This is surprising. Of course, some of us had other commitments, familial obligations, or simply are living too far and cannot afford to drive 4 to 5 hours back and forth on a Saturday for a 4 hours training session.

Still, some people drove more than 4 hours to be present – one of them even got a ticket while he was speeding back toward Dothan after he realized he had missed the exit on I 10 by 50 miles... Sensei Toyama himself drove 3 hours all the way from Pensacola.

No student or instructor from the numerous Yoshukai dojo located less that 2 hours from Dothan showed up. This was surprising, and unfortunate. It demonstrates a lack of interest in trying to improve one's Karate as well as a lack of appreciation for the efforts our directors put into training us. I have been part of several Martial Arts organization, and I can say without doubt that WYKKO is the best. In their constant effort to promote Yoshukai our directors have built a World Class organization, and wanting to improve it, they pay great attention to the wishes of students and instructors. They are also treating all instructors very well. The least we can do is to return their consideration by showing our respect and appreciation.

When a 7th and 8th degree Black Belt offer a free seminar, all instructors in a radius of 100 miles should be there. Choosing not to do so simply demonstrates a lack of respect and manners.

With such an attitude, how can an instructor ask a student to be dedicated in his practice ?