Ten Years

Ten years is what most apprenticeships run in Japan. This would include the expected duration one would be required to experience in order to reach a stage where they are allowed to move on toward a more individualistic aspect of practice, training and teaching/applications. 

It is not a two hours a day, three times a week model but rather a minimum of six hours a day, six/seven days a week for ten years, minimum. Each individual has individual times due to individual personal makeup both physical and mental. Some may require more time but as far as can be determined the ten years minimum is required by all practitioners. 

Ju-tsukihi or ten years means about 3,650 days of dedicated, wholehearted and mostly uninterrupted days of practice, training and applications. This brings to mind the type of training and practice a sensei must endure. 

Sensei must train and practice outside the teaching arena. It is not enough for sensei to just teach during training time, i.e. the two to three hours three times a week that seems to be the minimum in most dojo or training halls I have witnessed or encountered. Sensei must dedicate, in my perception, twice the hours of training and practice outside the training time as sensei to maintain a minimum of proficiency, etc. 

Introspection, self-analysis/Self-reflection and change cannot occur if the individual time is not spent in practice and training outside the duties of sensei otherwise the practitioners under the sensei's tutelage suffer stagnation remaining in a limited practice of the system. It also stagnates the natural evolution of the martial system necessary for it continuance, i.e. its passing down to the next generation of practitioners. 

Now, if this is true, do you truly believe you have mastered your system and do you truly believe your remain qualified to be sensei? Do you even feel it necessary to ask yourself these questions?