man), an older title used to address high officials in ancient times, now used colloquially when addressing a doctor. Xiānshēng 先生 (born before) historical, no longer used. Martial arts A list of titles when addressing a martial arts master. The titles below are listed by the Mandarin pronunciation which is the national language in China. In the West, the titles are more commonly known by their Cantonese pronunciation which are given in brackets. Shīfu (Sifu) 師父 (teacher father), used when addressing one's own martial arts instructor. But can also be used for teacher/instructors of other kind. Shīgōng (Sigung) 師公 (teacher grandfather), used when addressing the teacher of one's Shifu. Shīmǔ (Simo) 師母 (teacher mother), used when addressing the wife of Shifu. Zōngshī 宗師 (ancestral teacher), technically the founder of a discipline or branch (宗派), used when addressing a great master. See also Chinese honorifics Chinese pronouns Japanese honorifics Chinese name Kung Fu (Ranking) References