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The kohai, tohai, and sempai relationships among students are also unique and special. Few people appreciate the direct interdependent relationships and responsibilities that are at play in these student status relationships. Many times, unconsciously, these roles only have unspoken expectations. Sempai is a senior student. Kohai is a junior student. The kohai will look upon his or her sempai with respect. The sempai will look upon the kohai with compassion, patience, and fond remembrance of what it was like to begin aikido training. Both sempai and kohai benefit from this interdependent relationship. As kohai, your sempai will give you much of his or her time and experience. Your sempai will only ask that once you become a sempai, you too give to your kohai.

Ultimately, there is no sempai, tohai, or kohai. There is only the training. If one thinks too much of rank, one will not be paying attention to the lesson or training and will totally miss the beauty of aikido.

The sensei-student relationship is very important in the training and practice of aikido. The student must learn to trust in the sensei and the sensei must be worthy of that trust. Like all relationships, it takes two to make it work and be productive, but it only takes one to make it fail. Both the sensei and the student make a mutually beneficial and reciprocal agreement that betters not only themselves but also all within the dojo.