Your Dojo's Sensei's rank?
 

Just trying to get a feel for the average "expertise" level of the sensei's out there.

And what about your dojo's senior members ranks?

This will surprise you! No one at my dojo has rank, not even the instructor. He hates it and has dodged it for years. He held grades in Ju Jitsu before but thinks grading and more particularly rank is contrary to the way.

The problem is insurance and credibility so I may grade eventually just to get around this and come inline with the rest of my association. I wouldn't do it for want of doing it though.

Re: Your Dojo's Sensei's rank?
 

I've been practicing regularly for almost 12 years and haven't yet taken shodan. Would my expertise level (not that I think I'm an expert :))therefore be less than someone who had been practicing for 6 years but has a shodan? Of course it would depend on how often we trained and practiced, or how many hours we put in in a week?

One of my Sensei's practiced regularly for more than 20 years before taking his shodan.

Wouldn't the question "How long have they been studying/ practicing Aikido" be a better way to gauge your question?

Love, light, joy and laughter

Bryan

We have a 5. dan with around 20-25 years of practice as head-instructor.

Apart from that we have 4 nidan instructors and a couple of shodans.

A year ago we had one more 5. dan, but unfortunately he left the dojo.

In our 'sister' dojo a few km away they have I believe a 5. dan as well plus a 3. dan, a couple of 2. dans and a couple of shodans.

We are about 20-25 members in the dojo who practices on a regular basis.

Sandan (20 years + ) , and a couple of Shodans.

Around 20 regulars practicioners on the dojo.

Plus KI!.

Re: Your Dojo's Sensei's rank?
 

We are very lucky at our dojo (www.aikibudo.us). Our Sensi, Jean-Luc Moreau has the following ranking:

8th Dan - Daito-Ryu Aikibudo Jujitsu Tai Sabaki

7th Dan - Judo

6th Dan - Aikikai

5th Dan - Ko-Budo

4th Dan - Shotokan Karate

4th Dan - Shito-ryu Ryu Karate

2nd Dan - Kendo

We also have two 2nd dans and several 1st dans in the club.

Re: Re: Your Dojo's Sensei's rank?
 

Wow!, thats a hell of a curriculum , how old is your sensei Randy?

I would like to ask you too , what does this Aikibudo Jujitsu Tai Sabaki consist of?

Congrats on your taste to pick a sensei :D

Bryan makes an extremely good point, and I would rather be training with someone with many years of experience and a lower rank (for whatever reason) than someone with a high rank and less experience.

Experience matters!

Re: Re: Re: Your Dojo's Sensei's rank?
 

It's my guess that our Sensi Jean-Luc Moreau is in his early 50's with over 30+ years of experience. He studied in Japan for several years and has competed in several Olympics. He also trains Olympic judo contenders from around the world in Chicago.

Our style is a blending of Aikido, Daito-Ryu AikiJujutsu, some Judo and some Karate (just a little). Very cool!

Figured I would get some replies saying that, so I'll clarify why I'm asking. There are three dojos in my area, and I know that rank really doesnt say much about what kind of training or how well the dojo is run or whatever. But just trying to get a feel for what the average is out there for the instructors.

I Believe one of the sensei's in my area is 5th dan, one is 3rd and the other dojo is run by 2-3 people around 1st and 2nd dan.

So just trying to get a feel for what is normal for a dojo to be run by. (hope that clears it up a little)

Definitely. When I look at high ranking instructors, I use my eyes to rate their technique. Maybe I like their style or you can uke and feel what is going on. What have they got to offer in explanations and philosophy? I find all of this more important than grade. ;)

I love training with 60 years + instructors, the kind that you never hear about, maybe meet them on a course or at a little club. The type that have been doing it all their life in the background, the hidden gems. That is a real buzz for me as I get a lot out of it! :D

William, thanks for clarifying.

I think someone suggested you just go and observe and see what you think. Find out the length of time each has been training too, and the stylistic differences. I take it that these are all different organizations, or that the one run by the 1st or 2nd Dan might be a satelitte dojo of the 5th Dans. Where are you located? That might help get some suggestions if any of us out here in Cyberland know the senseis.

best,

Rachel

There isn't such a thing as "normal", it all depends. I do think you'll have an overrepresentation of people whose teachers are highly ranked answering your question...

FWIW, my teacher is 5th dan with approx. 25 years of experience. I started a university dojo, so my students' instructor is a lowly nidan. The most highly ranked guys coming to my classes are third kyu.

I completely agree with Rachel: go visit them. If you are not comfortable with someones way of teaching, how many dans he has will not matter. Howeverm, when I had elaborate plans to visit all the places and ask the teachers clever questions, they always failed - I ended up where my gut feeling told me to. Not the worst way to make decisions I think, although I sometimes made bad ones.

Oh, and my first instructor was first kyu at the time. He made a good impression, I'm still here...

Shizuo Imaizumi was awarded a 7th Dan ranking under Koichi Tohei. He retains this rank as cheif instructor of Shin Budo Kai, which he founded.

At my dojo, our Sensei holds a 6th dan in Kokikai aikido with 25+ years of experience. Before that, he did Tae Kwan Do for 20 or so years and held a black belt (not sure of the degree). We have 8 blackbelts in the dojo who hold ranks between shodan and nidan at this time as well.

Peace,

Erik

Colorado Springs, Colorado. From what I've been able to find through phone books and the various dojo search engines there is an ASU affiliated school called Pikes Peak Aikikai, there is possibly a school at the air force academy here in town (all the info i've found about it on the net has been old, and havent been able to get in contact with them yet) and there is an Aikido / Tangsoodo school http://www.aikitang.org/

Any input or info about any experiances with anyone from/in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area is much appreciated

Hi William, I've never met this teacher, but I am USAF-ER myself, and can certainly put in a good word for this organization!

Distance: Within colorado springs, CO

Address: PO Box 2601; Colorado Springs, CO 80901 (Map)

Country: United States

Instructors: Ed Peteroy, 5th dan

Phone: (719) 481-6666 (Home number)

Schedule: MWTh 5-6:15pm; Sa 10-11:15am

E-mail: C03Kevin.Haines@usafa.edu

Style: Aikikai

Affiliation: USAF East

why not give him a call or drop him a line, and go watch class and see what you think. I am sure you will get a lot of good advice from the AikiWeb participants, and maybe someone will have trained with one of the teachers in your area.

best,

Rachel

Our sensei is sometimes 6th dan, sometimes an 8th dan uchi-deshi

Ok I am going to put this out there... But first I would like to say that I do not think that the art is in the rank, belt hakama or anything else. However, recently I have been promoted to the rank of ni kyu and started wearing a hakama. I noticed that I did in fact get better. Was it related to my hakama? Well yes and no. It seemed to me that I just had to be better not that I made the choice but that it was expected I was looked up too and so I was better. Of course my instructor (hi Bronson) might disagree. Does anyone else out there feel what I am saying? So I guess I would say that rank can be a major help but it is not a deciding factor (my first instructor was a fresh shodan and a 1kyu) and ya I am still here. hi to every one at home.. and to all those here in Denmark

take care

Marty

Ranking...

In all the different dojos that I've been to in the US and Asia, I sometimes have met someone who:

1) Likes to bring up what rank they are

2) Likes to bring up the fact that they could've tested for such and such a rank, but their morally opposed to the ranking system

I find both of those comments strange. Hey, who cares, let's just practice! Your true ability, which is not defined by rank, will show through your movement.

There are many abuses to the ranking system, such as 1 year black belt system or other such nonsense, but are those who choose not to test morally above us who test??

I can see 2 reasons for not testing:

1) You don't want any more responsibilities, such as teaching

2) Commute and expense to test aren't feasible

Personally, I have taken ukemi from shodans to 10th dans in aikido and the level of expertise does not always match the dan level. So I wouldn't base complete judgment on the dan level but for those who want to help give back what they have learned in the dojo, for those who do want to teach, maybe rank is important. The sad fact is that most people do look at a teachers dan level when deciding on joining a class or attending a seminar.

Best,

Jake McKee

www.budovideos.com

William,

A good friend of mine moved back to the US from Japan and was (is?) training at Pikes Peak. He was a 3rd Dan when I last met him 4 or 5 years back, and a great guy to train with.

Regards

Bryan

Hi to you too Marty!

If you don't mind me asking: what exactly is your relation to Denmark ? Are you one of those guys that travel half the way around the globe to go to our easter-camp each year ? If so, we might bump into each other this year in Odense.

Oh and yes! a year ago I graded 3. kyu which in our dojo allows me to wear a hakama, and I obiously I didn't improve from one day to the other by 'magic', but the simple fact that you are wearing the darn thing forces you to move in a more correct way, and makes you feel better about the way you look. I believe that is part of the explanation. Apart from that it will be a lot easier to get to practice with the higher graded people on a camp, if your not an 'all-white'. and that of course teaches you a lot.

Just my thoughts on the matter!

Denmark
 

I am in Denmark to study for one semester at DIS. so no I did not come for aikido, tho I am still trying to train, when I have time and am not on a study tour to some other part of Denmark.

Marty

There's no sensei in my dojo, only seniors who have learn and absorb aikido for long years..