Uchi-Deshi

[MBuzzy]

There was just an article in our local paper about a high school grad going up to Connecticut to be an Uchi-deshi in Kykoshin. I was wondering how common this is in the US? Are there still a lot of dojos that offer it?

How about in Japan?

 

[Ken Morgan]

You mean becoming a slave? Not too often I would guess.

 

[pgsmith]

Strangely enough, there are actually quite a number of aikido dojo that offer an uchideshi program. Since I deal predominantly with the Japanese sword arts world, I've never known anyone that was an uchideshi. Sword arts dojo are generally much smaller than either aikido or karate dojo.

I imagine you could classify the IBU in Japan as an uchideshi program.

 

[Fat Cat]

Yea there are alot of options for uchideshi in aikido.
- I think it can be done through shorin kempo too.
-Jinenkan (one of the 3 x-kans of ninjutsu) has something going on in their hombu.
- The founder of kyokushin karate also used to do a 3 year uchideshi program, and one or two of his students now offer the same. There is also a few opportunities in goju ryu.

But like pgsmith said... sword arts are often koryu, and the koryu arts dont seem to offer uchi deshi programs... none that i know of anyway.

 

[Ken Morgan]

I'm not aware of anyone that makes a living in the JSA. Every Sensei I have ever met/trained with, has a real job outside of the sword arts. Perhaps one day when firearms no longer work and we are thrown back in time, those of us that train in the JSA will once again be looked upon as the gods we truely are!! Then we can have a different uchi deshi for every day of the week!

 

[Mike Hamer]

I found this article to be very informative for anyone considering to become an uchi deshi
http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=1

 

[Black Belt Jedi]

You mean becoming a slave? Not too often I would guess.

No, not at all. Uchi-Deshi is a student who lives at his Sensei's dojo. I presume that it is common still in Japan and Okinawa, but in the Western world, not sure.

 

[Zealot]

Surprisingly its not as common in Japan as you think. I was a Deshi for 3 years. It had nothing to do with slavery and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was mostly a religious experience for myself. I would like to see it become a more common occurrence because it clears the mind and puts you on that razor's edge of life. When I moved back to North America and opened my first dojo, I met a boy that was talented and trained very hard but didnt have the money to pay for lessons. When his parents moved, he stayed as a Deshi in my dojo. He understood that he had duties to do, and he also grew into one of my best students, not only of the sword, but also of Zen and the art of living.