25/04/2024
THE SENSEI
Every martial arts student needs to read this statement from Fumio Demura Sensei:
"The person you refer to as 'Sensei' is in that position for a valid reason. It seems like today I hear a lot of former students or former black belts disrespecting their Sensei for a multitude of reasons. To help you better understand why a Sensei deserves, or let me put it better, demands your respect let me explain it to you.
The Sensei is the one who has dedicated his life to the art they teach you. You will never have so many years of dedication because you came after them.
Sensei is the one who spent many days and nights opening his dojo, cleaning it, improving it... for YOU.
The Sensei is the one who has made sacrifices you will never understand just so that you have a place to train, learn and earn in your art.
The Sensei is the one who, often at great cost, has given up his free time, his family time... time when they could be away doing many other things just so you can learn and train.
The Sensei is the one who has invested thousands of dollars in his own training just to learn how to teach you properly.
Sensei is the one who has often broken bones, but still showed up to teach. He tortured muscles, tendons and sinews, but he still showed up to teach class. I had a migraine, I was sick, I had a bad day... but he still showed up to teach. All of these things are excuses for why you miss class.
The Sensei is often left without the dojo and students to be taken care of. This means they stop having nice things sometimes, vacations, going out to dinner, hanging out with friends and family... all so you can learn karate.
Sensei has spent more time in a dojo than most of you who train with them have been alive.
Sensei is the one who is always there for your training...
The Sensei often sees a need and fills a need for his students. They see that poor kid who has little of anything and needs training equipment and they just go ahead and get it for him. They see the student who is struggling to get funds to buy his own weapons for Kobudo and only buys extras so they can participate. They see their adult students losing their jobs and say "Don't worry about paying until you're stuck." This is the role that the Sensei plays and demands respect.
I can sit here and think of a thousand other reasons why you should never, ever disrespect your Sensei too... but in all honesty, you shouldn't have to. I shouldn't have even had to write this blog... But then again, people live in a shallow world these days. Maybe we should come out of this, be bigger and better, and then the world will change.
Respect your Sensei, take care of your Sensei and honor your SenseI... Because, one day, your Sensei will no longer be around. "
- Fumio Demura.
Thank you SenSei.
