is a
Japaneseis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family. There are a number of proposed relationships with other languages, but none have gained general acceptance...
term, often used in
Japanese martial artsJapanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": "budō", literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like...
as an
honorificThe Japanese language has many honorifics, parts of speech which show respect, and their use is mandatory in many social situations. Honorifics in Japanese may be used to emphasize social distance or disparity in rank, or to emphasize social intimacy or similarity in rank.The system of honorifics...
title for expert or senior instructors. The term is frequently used interchangeably with
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
terms such as "master instructor".
Various martial arts organizations have different requirements for the usage of the title, but in general it is a high title, 6th dan or above, that takes many years to achieve. It is sometimes associated with certain rights, such as the right to give out
black beltThe term black belt has become widely known as a way to describe an expert in martial artswhere a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a high degree of competence, and often associated with a teaching grade...
(
dan) ranks in the name of the organization.
is a
Japaneseis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family. There are a number of proposed relationships with other languages, but none have gained general acceptance...
term, often used in
Japanese martial artsJapanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": "budō", literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like...
as an
honorificThe Japanese language has many honorifics, parts of speech which show respect, and their use is mandatory in many social situations. Honorifics in Japanese may be used to emphasize social distance or disparity in rank, or to emphasize social intimacy or similarity in rank.The system of honorifics...
title for expert or senior instructors. The term is frequently used interchangeably with
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
terms such as "master instructor".
Various martial arts organizations have different requirements for the usage of the title, but in general it is a high title, 6th dan or above, that takes many years to achieve. It is sometimes associated with certain rights, such as the right to give out
black beltThe term black belt has become widely known as a way to describe an expert in martial artswhere a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a high degree of competence, and often associated with a teaching grade...
(
dan) ranks in the name of the organization. However, the title is generally distinct from the black belt ranking system (
dan'i).
The use of the term is completely style or organization specific, as is the process of becoming a shihan. Within the
BujinkanThe Bujinkan is an international martial arts organization based in Japan and headed by Masaaki Hatsumi, it is best known for its association with ninjutsu...
it has been said that you become a shihan when the other shihan start calling you a shihan. However within
judo, meaning "gentle way", is a modern Japanese martial art and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century...
, a Japanese teacher automatically becomes a shihan at sixth dan. In other organizations, for example
Shodokan Aikidois the style of aikido founded by Kenji Tomiki （富木 謙治 Tomiki Kenji, 1900–1979). It is sometimes referred to as Sport Aikido because it is the only style of aikido to hold regular competitions, and also referred to as Tomiki Aikido, after its founder. It places more emphasis on free-form...
, the title is organizational and less strongly correlated to rank. In
aikikaiis the original organisation for the Japanese martial art aikido, officially recognized by the Japanese government in 1940. It is also frequently referred to as "Aikikai Honbu", or more simply, just "Aikikai"...
aikido, the shihan title is bestowed by the
Aikikai Hombu DojoThe is the headquarters of the Aikikai which is an umbrella organisation of various national, as well as smaller, aikido organisations. Although the name strictly refers only to the main training hall , it is often used by extension to refer to the Aikikai organisation itself. The dōjō was...
headquarters.