How many Shihans?
 

Can anyone tell me how many shihans where recognised by the aikikai at the time of O'sensei's passing?

Re: How many Shihans?
 

That's easy - zero.

Best,

Chris

Re: How many Shihans?
 

What about Tohei? Not a rhetorical question here...

Re: How many Shihans?
 

There was no official "shihan" certification until fairly recently. Normal practice in Japan was (and more or less still is) that anybody 6th dan and up would be called "shihan", so the answer to the question "officially recognized as shihan" would be "zero".

Best,

Chris

Re: How many Shihans?
 

Wasn't Tohei named "shihan bucho" of Hombu in 1956? Wouldn't that make him officially a shihan?

R

Re: How many Shihans?
 

No, that would make him "head of the department" ("bucho") for "instructors" ("shihan").

"Shihan" is just another word for "instructor", and there were never any "official" designations until, as I said before, fairly recently. So far as I know, most Japanese don't even realize that there are "official" designations now - Japanese instructors have been called "shihan" for years without the "official certification" that foreigners are required to receive.

Best,

Chris

Re: How many Shihans?
 

Thank you, much appreciated, perhaps a revised question would be how many 6th dan and above where there at the time of O'sensei's passing.

Aran

Re: How many Shihans?
 

When I saw this thread title I thought the rest of the post would be:

".....does it take to change a ligthbulb?"

:)

Mike

Re: How many Shihans?
 

One, but only if the lightbulb makes the first move;)

Regards,

Mark

Re: How many Shihans?
 

Hmmm... Tenkan on top of a ladder... Interesting.

Re: How many Shihans?
 

Yeah I thought of making that joke...