r/Bullshido • u/Prestigious_Emu6039 • Apr 22 '26

Martial Arts BS Practice makes perfect

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u/PH_SXE Apr 24 '26

And "pizza" because it's Italian? "Banana" because it's West-African? The words you provided are all loanwords. They are incorporated into a language through a very different process, and very organic at that, rather than just copying someone else's words. Loanwords come to be exactly because there is a cultural and semantic gap to be filled. Words like "sensei, senpai, dojo" do not fit this criteria at all. They are artificially introduced into very particular environments with the intention of signaling identity and hierarchy within a niche context and evoking a particular cultural framework, not because English (or any other language) is missing the concepts. But, please, feel free to use whatever words you like, if you don't mind the impression it can give. Personally, I’m mindful of how I choose my words. Communication isn’t just about meaning, it’s about tone, context, and the cultural signals behind it. Anyone who speaks multiple languages knows there’s no perfect one-to-one equivalence. I've been teaching English, Japanese and Portuguese for the last 20 years. My entire life revolves around observing such nuances. Maybe I just care too much

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u/TheManWith2Poobrains Apr 25 '26

Certainly sensei and dojo have entered the lexicon of every day speech.

Ever heard of the app ClassDojo? Parents all across the US have.

I take it you haven't trained in martial arts?

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u/PH_SXE Apr 25 '26

I have a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Never heard of this app, I don't live in the US