Ranking students

Question, as I don't understand, so don't jumpp all over me here.

If a student is a Shidoshi-ho, and they don't have a shidoshi near them to train, can they give students rankings they deserve? I mean, if someone has skill can't they teach? I know people who have been training for YEARS and don't give a lick on rank, and others who don't want to try for their Godan.

I heard if someone has a Shidoshi-ho then they can promote students to right under themselves.

Please verify and please don't fire me up.

God Bless,
Rickey Holladay
Attalla, AL

[tenchijin2]

A 'shidoshi ho' is someone who has gotten his shidoshi (teacher) credentials before godan, by being sponsored by someone who has full shidoshi status.

The shidoshi ho can then rank students up to one level below his own. Anyone can 'teach' anything he knows to anyone, I s'pose, but if you aren't licensed then you aren't teaching officially. If you claim to be teaching Bujinkan, but you aren't authorized to do so, then you're misrepresenting yourself and your art, even if you are really good.

The shidoshi ho came about at a time when there were very few shidoshi, and many small groups with shodan-yondan acting as instructors. In order to keep everything smooth, the shidoshi ho category was added. Nowadays, there's a shidoshi around every corner, so it's not as important as it used to be.

Originally posted by tenchijin2
Nowadays, there's a shidoshi around every corner, so it's not as important as it used to be.

Although I am certain the number of shidoshi worldwide has grown, there is not one around every corner. Up herein the province of Saskatchewan, Canada (just under one million people) there is only 1 shidoshi - my instructor Brad Hutchinson.

[tenchijin2]

Originally posted by kimq


Although I am certain the number of shidoshi worldwide has grown, there is not one around every corner. Up herein the province of Saskatchewan, Canada (just under one million people) there is only 1 shidoshi - my instructor Brad Hutchinson.

If there's a shidoshi in Saskatchewan, there really IS a shidoshi around every corner!

Allow for the occasional literary device, Kim. Otherwise, I'll have no ability to express myself. Naturally I know that there are places without shidoshi, but very few.

... if my posts on the other thread confused some people. I've gotten all of my menkyo except one from shihan & was under the impression that Shidoshi-ho weren't authorized to give Dan ranks, but only kyu ranks. I've been corrected. Thanks again...

Originally posted by tenchijin2
Allow for the occasional literary device, Kim. Otherwise, I'll have no ability to express myself. Naturally I know that there are places without shidoshi, but very few.

Fair enough. I got a little jumpy. Things in SK aren't all roses and beer as far as I'm concerned, but it's nothing to worry about. I just wanted to point out that despite all the Bujinkan teachers in our province, only one is a shidoshi.