Whatcha call 'em

When you start a new physical activity, what do you call the instructor? I'm talking about North American English here.

Sometimes they get called Coach, but just as often they go by their first name.

In martial arts, this normally doesn't happen. The big-name martial arts all come from cultures where instructors are given a much more formal level of respect.

An example would be the term Sifu. This is a word used in some Chinese Martial Arts groups. It translates somewhere between teacher and master. It has never really caught on in North America in a big way.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is big right now, and some use the term Professor for their instructors. This doesn't work well in a North American context. The Portuguese version of the title means any type of teacher at high school level or above. A better translation into North American terms would be Teacher. Professor is reserved for University instructors only. When used by martial artists it sounds as if they are claiming an expertise they do not hold. Regardless of skill, they are not University instructors.

Many Korean martial arts are big in North America. Unfortunately, the English term they use for their instructors is often Master. While some English private schools use the term for teachers, there is no equivalent in North America. In my entire life, I've never run upon anybody in any other context who would expect to be called Master. Korean arts first arrived here in the 1950s. At that time there were still Americans who had been born into slavery. Master in a North American context has a very negative connotation. Master is normally paired with Slave, not with Student.

The most successful term transferral came with Japanese martial arts. Their term for instructors is Sensei. This has been adopted into the English language. In Japan, it is the title given to school teachers, and teachers in general. Culturally, it implies a great deal of respect. A teacher can be addressed as Sensei, and have it mean nothing more than teacher if the North American student so desires. It can also carry a great deal of respect. Most students accept this, too. It carries no negative or inaccurate connotations that the terms Master or Professor can.

It's a matter of honorific.