Quote:
Ashley Carter wrote:
This whole topic is a bit confusing for me. Haha. My sensei has the title of shihan and went to Japan to receive it. He is a student of Chiba Sensei. His name wasn't on the list above... so now I am confused as to what he would be considered. It really doesn't matter to me because he is still a great teacher and the title really doesn't mean that much to me. Just curious now.  |
Totally can relate to your curiosity.
On one hand, however, you have the fact that a person trained with someone who would be deemed reputable.
On another hand its about what you feel you get out of the person you train with.
So overall the politics of it plays less importance, though it does cease to amaze me how tangled things get.
To some extent its really about limiting numbers. You could have someone who is not a Shihan who technically speaking is better than a Shihan. Im not sure that Shihan necessarily equates to 'talent' per say, [not saying its not], but I believe the emphasis is more of a respect for time and energy [which talent would seem to be involved] for ones time spent.
Again, its more of a courtesy alongside of keeping the pyramid shaped as a pyramid less everything blur into a singularity as it were.
Anyway... at the end of the day, most people wont have to worry about being a Shihan as the current status would take approx 20+ years to get there...
Peace
dAlen