With some of the great search engine programs out like Web Ferret and Copernic 99, one can root out web sites never before found. One rainy day I searched out JKA Karate sites and was sickened by what came up.
Dozens of JKA/ Shotokan karate web sites had people who claimed to be "students" of the masters. Most of these people have only attended a few seminars or summer camps, and yet claim this distiction. They count their training in years rather than hours with a master. Many of them claim "belts" in as many as 4 other martial arts and mention the Shihans of all of them as their teachers. Many of these people are not what I consider complete "phonies", as they are members of traditional JKA organizations. Based on attending a few seminars and summer camps over the years, or registering their "dojos" with an organization which doesn't care who is in it as long as they pay the yearly dues, they are all now "pupils of the master".
I personally do not consider anyone who has not trained continuously for at least 2 years week after week with a master to be a pupil of a master. I'm being very lenient saying at least 2 years. It should be at least 5 years. But please, don't sell yourself as being a "pupil of a master" with almost no training at all under the personal supervision of said master. Training in hours on the dojo floor.
I've also found many of the so called "traditionalists" have studied many different arts with "belts" in all. I remember my Sensei once found out I was studying only one other martial art, and he told me, "the fox who hunts two rabbits at one time comes home hungry". His English was not very good. While I do believe that after one becomes fairly advanced,(nidan up), its possible to study 2 arts which may in fact compliment each other.
If any potential karate students are reading this article, please check just how long your sensei has actually studied with the master they claim as their own. In most cases here in the US, you'll find there are far fewer than you might suspect. Most of them are pupils of pupils of pupils of a master, and thats only if you are lucky. There are very few of us left who were lucky enough to be taught by a true master, and some of us don't have dojos or make a living as teachers. Some of us are high ranked and others not, but the one thing we do have in common is we train the way our sensei would have wanted us to, and try to follow the correct path towards improvment and understanding of the art.

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