Mr McCoy,
The logic in the final part of your post is suspect. You conclude that Mr Nishiyama is "probably right" about the meaning of the word shihan because he knows more about karate and the Japanese language than you do. The assumption that shihans know as much about the Japanese language as they do about the art in which they are shihans is also suspect.
I live here and my experience suggests to me that in this case, consulting a Japanese language expert is probably better than consulting a Japanese martial arts expert. Or at least a good Japanese kanji dictionary.
There are several reputable monolingual dictionaries of Japanese, but none I have consulted give the meaning of 師 as finger. What they do explain is more abstract and subtle, like teaching something by pointing it out, in other words, teaching by showing. But this is only one meaning, out of 15 given in the dictionary. There are a few compounds with shi in the first position, most having to do with teaching. The exceptions include shidan 師団 (army division) and 師走 shiwasu (12th lunar month). There are many more compounds with shi in the final position, but not all have to do with teaching. Interesting examples include 一寸法師 (issunboushi: Tom Thumb), 如何様師 (ikasamashi: swindler), 家庭教師 (katei kyoushi: private teacher), 琵琶法師 (biwa houshi: minstrel playing the lute).
As for 範, it has the meaning of pattern, model or limit. In other words, what to include but also exclude. So a kihan 規範 is a standard or norm, and this is part of the title of a book on aikido written by the present Doshu. The Japanese is Kihan Aikido 『規範合気道』 which is something like Model Aikido. There are far fewer compounds with han and nearly all have to with limits, model, standards and categories.
Peter Goldsbury,
Forum Administrator,
Hiroshima, Japan