Cruentus
Grandmaster
I was wondering how some of you define "senior" in the arts. In other words, "master so-and-so is my senior..." Also, how do you differentiate between Senior and Peer.
Here's what I have figured out so far. These 4 categories seem to be the possible ways of defining who is senior.
#1. Age (The older person is the senior)
#2. Time in a specific art (He started Modern Arnis 3 years before me so he is my senior).
#3. Time in Arts in general (We've both been in Modern Arnis for 15 years, but I started TKD 5 years before him so I am his senior).
#4. Rank (He is one belt higher then me, so he is my senior).
I don't think that Skill is a way to define "senior" though. I think that senior status isn't based on who can kick who's ***, but rather these other factors.
To play it safe, for me if someone fits "Senior" status in any one of those categories, then I consider them my senior. I have, in the past, made the mistake of calling people my peers because they were in one sense, but they were older then me and weren't in another sense, so they were offended. So, to play it safe and not to offend, I call anyone who fits the 4 categories my senior. I have no problem with this because I am very young for my rank/time in, but because of my age I do not feel "senior" to anyone who is older then me.
By definition, most of my clients and group members are my seniors. I call them clients rather then "students," because its odd to me to call someone "my student" when they are older then me, or especially for some of my members who have been in martial arts longer then me. They train with me, but have been in the arts longer then I have. So, I feel that we are all students; I just happened to be the leader of my group and they are my clients or members.
Anyways...how do you all feel about or define this issue?
Paul
Here's what I have figured out so far. These 4 categories seem to be the possible ways of defining who is senior.
#1. Age (The older person is the senior)
#2. Time in a specific art (He started Modern Arnis 3 years before me so he is my senior).
#3. Time in Arts in general (We've both been in Modern Arnis for 15 years, but I started TKD 5 years before him so I am his senior).
#4. Rank (He is one belt higher then me, so he is my senior).
I don't think that Skill is a way to define "senior" though. I think that senior status isn't based on who can kick who's ***, but rather these other factors.
To play it safe, for me if someone fits "Senior" status in any one of those categories, then I consider them my senior. I have, in the past, made the mistake of calling people my peers because they were in one sense, but they were older then me and weren't in another sense, so they were offended. So, to play it safe and not to offend, I call anyone who fits the 4 categories my senior. I have no problem with this because I am very young for my rank/time in, but because of my age I do not feel "senior" to anyone who is older then me.
By definition, most of my clients and group members are my seniors. I call them clients rather then "students," because its odd to me to call someone "my student" when they are older then me, or especially for some of my members who have been in martial arts longer then me. They train with me, but have been in the arts longer then I have. So, I feel that we are all students; I just happened to be the leader of my group and they are my clients or members.
Anyways...how do you all feel about or define this issue?
Paul