Elderly martial arts master Elderly martial arts master The elderly martial arts master is a mentor/teacher stock character in fiction, especially "Wuxia", "Chanbara", and other martial arts films. Typically an East Asian male, he is a near-invincible master of the martial arts, despite being advanced in age and presumably having a decrease in physical strength. Often he possesses the rank of Sensei (or teacher) and is referred to as such by his student. The elderly master most often teaches either generic kung fu or an exotic style specific to the fictional period (see List of fictional martial arts). During the films, the master often
Grandmaster (martial arts) knowledge". Some organizations, such as the Bujinkan, Kodokan (Judo), and Shodokan Aikido, use the term shihan for high-ranking or highly distinguished instructors. , meaning "the head family [house]," is sometimes used to refer to "founder of a style" because many modern sōke are the first generation headmasters of their art, but most correctly refers to the current head. A sōke is considered the ultimate authority within their art and has the authority to issue a "menkyo kaiden" certificate indicating that someone has mastered all aspects of the style. The actual Korean word for a student's master is sonsaeng. This term