Within the world of martial arts training, there are various titles of respect, honor, and authority. If you have been exposed to even the slightest bit of training, regardless of whether it was in the art of Ninja ninjutsu or any other system, you have no doubt come across some of these titles.
And while many non-native speakers can naively grasp or guess at the meaning of many of these word titles, the fact is that, at their core, there is a deeper meaning to each one.
Here is an example of what I mean.
In Chinese and Japanese martial arts, the general terms used to identify a “master” are Sifu and Sensei, respectively. However, while each can be used to mean “teacher”, the kanji characters used to write the words point to something else.
It can be seen that the Japanese word, Sensei, identifies “someone who has gone before (me)”. It is the general term used as a title, not only for any teacher, a transmitter of information, but can also be used as an honorific to recognize someone who, like a doctor or a lawyer, is a leader in their field.
The Chinese word Sifu, on the other hand, points to the concept of a mentor, guide, or “father” figure, as someone who teaches more than just lessons. This is seen in the Japanese word Shiso: someone who teaches “life lessons” instead of simply passing on “data”.
One of the titles that circulate, especially in the field of Ninjutsu, is the title of “Shihan”.
As seen inside the Bujinkan Dojo, a Shihan has been identified as part of the rank structure, used to identify those who were once 10th dan and above, now 8 and above. This can be very confusing for students outside of the Japanese culture and language.
And, while the term “Shihan” can be used to identify a “master teacher,” a look at the kanji characters used to write the word points to something different. The characters used to form the word shihan go together individually to mean “role model”.
And, as such, the word is supposed to be used as an honorific to identify someone from whom one can learn. NOT, as a title you would give yourself, or use to refer to yourself!
Can you imagine how it would sound to you if I came up and identified myself as “Role Model Miller”? Well, that is precisely why I do NOT use it!
While I can’t help the fact that others might use it when they talk about me with others, I don’t have to fall into the same self-centered “power trip” that is at the heart and undoing of many teachers. – people who care more about their own status than about the progress and development of their students.
I don’t have a teaching license from my teacher that says, Shihan. I hold a “Shidoshi” license, one that identifies me as a “master of the warrior ways of enlightenment.”
And that, plus the perceived arrogance and self-centered implications of calling myself a “role model,” is precisely why I don’t use the title, “Shihan.”