There are a great many things that I like about the ROKC. Last Thursday, I was reminded of one of my favourite things. It was very simple, “Hi, my name is Dan”. Sensei Dan Bailey is our highest and most experienced instructor next to Sensei Albert. With this statement, he introduced himself to a 12 year old student, not as “Sensei Dan”, but just “Dan”. This, of course, was just moments before he started to work with the student on a Kata; not just tell the student what to do, it was more of a peer-with-more-experience-to-peer sort of thing.
I love the total lack need to assert rank. This experience reminds me of something I overheard a couple of years ago: a then 16-year old Sensei Kate asked a student to stop calling her “Sensei” outside of the Dojo. We have some great people in our Dojo.
