Sensei, Sempai, Kohai, Shifu, Kru, Arjan

I am at a dilemma, My Tang Soo Do Instructor is now my Student in Ashihara Karate. I'd not seen him for many years apart from now and again through passing in the street.

He has joined my Dojo, and was willing to start from the beginning. I insisted that he wear his black belt. I am grading him directly as a 1st Dan. I just feel strange talking to him as a student. I know Ashihara is different to Tang Soo Do but I just don't know.

Your thought please

Osu

Well..personally i think you said it..
It IS different..when starting a different MA..you start from the beginning.
My Uncle is a 2nd Dan in Shotokan..he joined the Taekwondo club where i practise..and started from white again.

Personally..i think..i would be same as you in feeling a bit weird talking to your old master as your student..but he is a master in Tang Soo Do.

He still has to start from the beginning in your art..

Hope i helped.

Take care,
Neo

I think it is unfair of you to insist he wears his black belt. If you respect him that much, you should let him make his own decision. It is a completely different art, and I would think he will feel uncomfortable having attention drawn to his unrelated experience whilst tackling a new and unfamiliar set of challenges.
Excellence in one thing, does not guarantee, nor imply excellence in all.
Did you ever think that he might be looking forward to just relaxing and being a beginner again? there is a weight of expectation on instructors, maybe he is just looking to recapture the fun and spontenaeity of the arts again?

Definitely agree. He could be there to learn nothing more nothing less..Seems like he is fine/content with starting as white again. I am sure with his prior experience he will advance rather quickly....

I see where you are coming from, As I am a Kyu Grade in Wado Ryu and there to enjoy the training.

But its the fact that He was my instructor. I thought that for him to wear any belt other than black would be dishonourable.

Within the Ashihara UK syllabus, there are only 4 kata to practiced for 1st Dan (I am only grading him to 1st Dan and he will have to grade through the Dan Grades within his own timescale), I am teaching him these. Then we can work through the full syllabus in his own time through all the kata etc.

Why would it be dishonorable? Different style...One belt in one styles means nothing in another....

The man makes the belt not the belt makes the man...

Hi Ken. I realize that this is somewhat uncomfortable for you. I do agree with Cord and MrMoyer that he should be treated as anyone else - no more, no less.

Thank you all

For your guidance and I will start to treat him like every other student of mine.

Although it has already been agreed that he will grade as 1st Dan then continue through the syllabus before he will be able to take his 2nd dan. My other students have accepted him into the group too as a blackbelt

Osu