![]() ![]() ![]() That is a blackbelt, a member of the Yudansha – one who is senior to the mudansha (those below blackbelt). There are others in the dojo referred to as Sempai – and it means Senior. You are the one the students watch when you contest with Sensei – because they know you are the one most likely to catch Sensei when he makes a technical mistake. You are recognized as the person nobody wants to mess with. At the same time – you are the person most looked up to in the dojo. You are solely responsible for resetting the tone of a group of students if it is going in the wrong direction. You save the new student from abuse by more experienced students. You smack them on the back of the head when they are fooling around instead of training. When you see Sensei ready to start class you tell the students to line up. Traditionally you are the one who commands the students. You set and maintain the attitude in the dojo. You get the special training with Sensei. You maintain the relationship between Sensei and students. With all this responsibility, Sempai is still the best “job” in the dojo. Those who could not fulfill these responsibilities were removed. It was and IS Sempai’s responsibility to immediately correct any breach in ettiquette toward Sensei, stop any threat toward Sensei, correct technical insufficiencies of the Kohai, and dominate in training. The difference is that it was Sensei’s position to lead in a calm, controlled and sophisticated manner, whereas Sempai maintained control through toughness, fierceness, and a no-nonsense attitude. Most often Sempai was the fiercest and smartest person in the warrior group besides Sensei. He is the one person who Sensei “feared” in the group. Was replaced with someone who could accomplish the duties assigned.īeing Sempai also meant you were the only person in the dojo that Sensei completely recognized for his martial skill. If either of these situations happened more than a few times, Sempai If Sensei had to make the correction, it simply meant Sempai was not doing his job. Any breaches in ettiquette in the dojo were repremanded by Sempai, not Sensei. Sempai was personally responsible for Kohai ettiquette. Upon review by Sensei, all Kohai must measure up to Sensei’s standards or Sempai was directly to blame. A Sempai who was not the strongest was quickly replaced out of necessity.īeing Sempai meant you were personally responsible for the training of Kohai (juniors). In times of war, Sempai was either the strongest or the weakest link in the command chain. This often meant that Sempai was forced to train harder than both the students and the Sensei, for if a student or enemy saw that Sempai was vulnerable or easily beatable – there was surely an opening to get at Sensei. The sole responsibility to protect Sensei with his life. With these privileges and knowledge about Sensei, Sempai had With that vulnerability came trust by Sensei and responsibility by Sempai. Thus this made Sensei vulnerable to Sempai. More than these understandings, he had privileges and knowledge about Sensei that other students did not. He also understood Sensei as a warrior and as a person. He understood the headmasters (Sensei’s) goals, training methodologies and philosophies. The Sempai of a dojo had trained for a long time with the headmaster. In the Japanese martial arts, the position remains the same. No other position in a warrior group had these responsibilities. He was responsible for the development and direction of the lower warriors, and for the protection of the leader. His responsibility has always been awesome and harder than anyone elses in the group. Originally Sempai was the most senior warrior in the group, under the group’s commander or leader. The position has existed in warrior groups since warrior groups began, and is not just a Japanese phenomenon. But the meaning for those in a traditionally run martial art group is far deeper than simply “Senior.” ![]() The Japanese term is used in school, business, the arts, and of course the martial ways. Sempai translates as “Senior” and can be applied in any situation where someone is senior to you. The simple meaning is to understand the definition. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |