Respect Cannot Be Self-Appointed: If You Call Yourself Sensei, Have You Missed the Point?

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on NOV 12, 2024

Respect Cannot Be Self-Appointed: If You Call Yourself Sensei, Have You Missed the Point?

(Approx 2 minute 25 second read)

Someone commented on an article I wrote, suggesting I was “getting carried away” and advising I should “spend time in Japan” to better understand Japanese traditions.

Assumptions often lead to misunderstanding and conflict. His comment was based on a misreading of my article; and he doesn’t know me at all, where I have been, or how I have spent my time. However, the piece I wrote, which addressed misinformation in the martial arts, also made the point that you do not call yourself ‘sensei’ – it’s a title others use to address you.

This commenter insisted that ‘sensei’ simply means “teacher”. No, it doesn’t – not entirely. While some Western schools have diluted the term’s meaning, either through convenience or ignorance, the reality is much richer and more nuanced.

In Japanese culture, sensei is not just a label for teachers. Lawyers, doctors, politicians, and others can also be referred to as sensei. It is an honorific – a term of respect applied contextually to individuals with experience, authority, or expertise.

Honorifics are bestowed upon you by others; they are not self-applied. This basic principle seems to escape many practitioners, including this individual, who claims to have been practicing karate since the 1960s. His suggestion that “even a yellow belt” could be called sensei was particularly baffling. A sensei should possess substantial knowledge and skill, which a beginner simply does not have.

Let me clarify why this distinction matters.

The word sensei (先 生) literally breaks down as follows:
– 先 (sen) = previous
– 生 (sei) = born

Together, it signifies “a person born before you”, metaphorically referring to someone with experience and wisdom gained through their journey. It’s a title of respect, offered by students or peers to acknowledge someone’s expertise – not simply a synonym for ‘teacher’.

It’s not something you declare for yourself. Walking into a room and introducing yourself as sensei is equivalent to announcing your own superiority – it contradicts the humility integral to martial arts philosophy.

The only exception to this rule is with children, who may require direction on how to address their instructor. In such cases, it’s acceptable to say: “Please call me [Name]-sensei.”

Otherwise, the title must come from others who respect you, not from yourself.

In my dojo, we strive to honor the cultural roots of karate, including its language. If we’re going to borrow terminology from another culture, we owe it to ourselves – and to that culture – to use it correctly.

Some may argue that this is pedantic, but I disagree. Accuracy reflects effort. If we teach our students to try their best in all aspects of their training, shouldn’t we also try our best to uphold the traditions and language that define our art?

Ultimately, how you run your dojo is your decision. But if you value the integrity of the martial arts, consider this: every word, movement, and principle in our practice carries meaning. Treating terms like sensei casually undermines the respect and humility that lie at the heart of the martial arts.

To those who dismiss these nuances as irrelevant, I offer this: martial arts is not just about techniques or fighting – it is about doing things right, it’s about discipline, and respect. If we cannot honor the traditions we inherit, how can we claim to pass on the art with integrity?

So, try your best in everything, I’m mean, why not? And remember, respect is earned – not self-appointed.

Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo.