In April of 2022, I was given the rank of 4th degree black belt and the title “Sah Bum Nim” in the art of Tang Soo Do. It was an incredible honor, but it has also been a bit frustrating to explain to non-practitioners what my new rank meant: am I a master? No, that requires a red stripe, but yes, I’m an instructor, but a bit more than others, kinda? Saying I’m a “Sah Bum Nim” wasn’t exactly helpful either, and no, before you ask, it’s not the same as saying I’m a “Sensei” (perhaps that will be another article!).
In Korean, the “Nim” is an honorific and doesn’t add any significance to the meaning of the word, so we’ll be focusing on the “Sah Bum” part of the title. The Chinese characters for Sah Bum are 師範, which literally mean “teaching example” or “mentoring pattern”. Sah Bum is pronounced as “shi (as in she) han” in Japanese and “shīfàn” in Chinese. 師 means “teacher”, “instructor”, or “mentor”, and is the combination of 𠂤 and 帀. In ancient times, armies would build an alter adorned with meat in order to provide good fortune in their upcoming battle and honor their ancestors, and the shape of the sacred meat adorned on the altar is 𠂤. When armies had to split up, they would also split up the meat so that each army would have their own sacred meat to adorn their own altar, and the sword used to cut this meat is represented by 帀. The one who’s task it is to cut this meat is 師, and as such this individual held a position of military leadership. Village elders were typically also military commanders, and after retiring from service were tasked with teaching the next generation, so 師 would also come to mean teacher.
Bum 範 means “example” or “pattern” and is the combination of 竹 which means “bamboo” and 𨊠. When an army got ready to depart, they would drag a sacrifice behind the troop wagon in order to purify its path, and this is represented by 𨊠. 範 can also mean “to create a pattern”, as in 型 (https://urbanmartialartists.com/2023/09/12/the-meaning-of-hyung/), with the 㔾 used as a covering over the pattern, supported by 竹 (an alternate character used was 笵). Creating a pattern using wood instead of bamboo was represented by 模, and together they created the phrase 模範 which means “an example, demonstration, model”.
As we can see above, 師範 has strong military influences and so it is no wonder that it became a word used for martial artists. Being a Sah Bum means more than being a teacher or instructor: it also means being a leader and an example for everyone under your care. For those of us who have had the honor of bearing this title, it is a responsibility that can not be taken lightly. And for those who are currently training in pursuit of this title, I hope this article serves as an enlightening and sobering insight into the history and expectations that come with being called Sah Bum Nim.
Shirakawa, Shizuka Joyou Jikai Dai Ni Dan(Common Character Analysis 2nd Edition) 2018
