Can You Help Me On My Search.

[Blackspear]

This is the situation I recently opened a kwoon with my sifu's blessings. I am looking for a chinese word which means Instructor because I am not a sifu I am simply an instructor. I was going to use si-hing fut my senior brothers suggest I should not because I am not their older brother I am their teacher. I can not use the word sifu because I have not earned it yet and am simply a student myself and I train with my Sifu still in New York. So I am looking for a word that means instructor because it would sound more professional than just sir and I refuse to call myself a Sifu like many falsely claim nowadays.

So, if you could help me I would appreciate your input.
Thanks for your time.

[red5angel]

does it have to be chinese? how about Instructor?

[No_Know]

merely instructor--teacher (http://www.tigernt.com/cedict.shtml)

instructor; Input as English
Output Image.

result:

[jiang3 shi1] /instructor/lecturer/
[jiao4 yuan2] /teacher/instructor/

Use the site and my instructions to hear the sounding of the phrases.

[Mojo]

you could use ' laotze' or 'laoshi' which means teacher.
for example if your last name is Smith, you would be addressed as Smith laotze.

[Black Jack]

How about you just use your first name or if you feel like it Mr._____

Why does it have to be so specific?

[No_Know]

Person might not be old enough to be called by a phrase that uses the word old. And the shi in lao shi might refer to master or at least expert. And if Blackspear is being respectful enough to not use sifu (si of sifu might be the same word as shi of lao shi), then Blackspear might not prefer lao shi.

[David Jamieson]

gotta go with mojo on this, if you want to be called "teacher" without the inference of "teacher/father" that is Si Fu, then Laoshi is the word in common speech for teacher.

I have also heard it in another dialect as "Losi" (low see).

on the other hand, you aren't bound to use the language because you know the martial arts, but it does have some points to it that shouldn't be discarded.

peace

[No_Know]

Chinese might be more descriptive than English so teacher might have more meaning in Chinese although referred to those who teach a teacere in ?China might be different than an instructor or merely any ol' body that instructs or teaches.

Head instructor Lead instructor or Instructor or assistant to Sifu...might do until your Sifu gets back to tell you the preferred Chinese or title in whatever language.

[GLW]

[jiang3 shi1] /instructor/lecturer/
[jiao4 yuan2] /teacher/instructor/

If you are not going to go with Sifu out of feeling uncomfortable with it... I would definitely say you should NOT use Laoshi. Laoshi is how you refer to respected professional level teachers and how they refer to each other. For example, when I am with my teacher and they meet another teacher, they refer to each other as [Last Name] Laoshi. This term is of a higher level in China than Sifu.

In fact, if you go to China on a tour, the tour guide might very well refer to the bus driver as Sifu. Not due to martial skill or tacher/father but due to respect for the skill the man has in driving the bus.

Jian shi, Jiao Yuan are good. Su Dao (excuse the spelling it is probably NOT correct pinyin) is another...it is a title that might be used with a lecturer who has skill in an area but is not at the professional degreed level.

Personally, I do NOT use the Sifu word - but for two reasons - one is the bus driver and the other is that to do so would imply a close 'tudi' disciple relationship with my students. I do not do this so I do not want the verbal baggage about it either.

[Hau Tien]

In our school, we have a "lower instructor", who is below Sifu, but above Si Hing... the term Sifu used was "Jo Gao", and this is how we refer to him. From what Sifu said, it means "Assistant/Lower Instructor".

Perhaps this is the term you're looking for?

Hau Tien

[Maestro1700]

ok..wtf is wrong with your students just calling you teacher?

you obviously dont speak the chinese language or study it so why are you so hung up on having your students refer to you as teacher in another language you dont even speak?

anyone else think this sounds f*cked up?

just becuase you plan on teaching a cma doesnt mean you have to imitate a cma nameing plan..its just a word, teacher in english doesnt give you any more authority then it would in chinese

and its stupid imo to call yourself sifu or shifu or sensei bla bla if you dont even speak the friggin language

[scotty1]

Both of the teachers I have use their first names, no title. But then I wouldn't say that they were overly 'traditional' type teachers.

I would use the Chinese title if the instructor requested it, especially if he/she were Chinese.

Otherwise, I think it adds to the flavour of the art and is a little acknowledgement to where its roots are.

[Blackspear]

I thank you all for your input.I deeply appreciate it.

But, Maestro you need to calm down you sound like you drank a little to much coffee this morning. I simply asked for an input and if you didn't agree you did not have to comment so don't get all flipped out about remember Zen is you

[dezhen2001]

Well, why not ask him what he wants to be called? :)
I'm sure he's approachable and can help you, maybe even laugh about it...

Sure i think Lao Shi is like a school teacher or something.

Sifu can mean many things, but if he teaches you, then he's still your Sifu... just my thoughts of course.

Don't see what's wrong with a chinese title if you're teaching Kung Fu. If it's watered down bullcr@p however, who abuse the real meaning of the title, then it sucks...

david :)

[Eddie]

jiang shi is more to do with a 'speaking' lecturer jiang refers to speak or say, Chiao lin (sorry for the spelling) means coach. I have heared many modern wushu players refer to their teacher as chiao lin.

guess it also depends on what language your school or style follows. Pretty funny if you would call yourself in one dilect, and all your techniques ar in another.

[Blackspear]

Dezhen, thank you for your input. The very reason why I am asking for an opinion is because what we do is no where near watered down bull which is why I am searching for another word. But I think I will just stick to sir for the time being.

[dezhen2001]

You're welcome :)
I think as long as the respect is there, it doesn't matter what you call ur teacher...

david

[Bai Lung]

my school uses the term "wosu" to refer to student teachers, maybe that might fit your situation