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ETIQUETTE
WITHIN THE DOJO SOCIETY
Some rules
of the road
In any karate dojo, one of
the most important rules of etiquette is behaviour.
Since by nature we all
learn by trial and error, many things will be forgiven in
a dojo, but bad behaviour is definitely not one of them.
This rule applies to every student within the dojo
society regardless of their rank, in fact the higher the
rank, the less tolerance there is for any breach of
etiquette what so ever. Starting with the "sensei"
or "teacher"
down through the "sempai's" or "assistants" in the black
belt ranks, and then finally through the "kyu" or coloured belt ranks, known as
"kohai" it is the responsibility of each
student to make sure that those who follow in their foot
steps, do so with the highest possible level of personal
behaviour. It is very important to remember, however,
that correction for acts of misbehaviour always come from
the top down, not the bottom up.
Entering
the dojo
The first lesson you will
ever learn once you have been accepted into any karate
school is how to enter and exit the "dojo" or "training hall"
properly.
Prior to entering the dojo
for the first time a senior student or “Sempai” will usually instruct you in the
art of "bowing in". Every karate dojo in the
world has a shrine at the designated “front” of
the dojo, this is referred to as the "Shomen" and regardless of how many times
you enter or leave the dojo during the course of your
daily training, you must always bow to the "Shomen" first. This is done by standing
at the dojo entrance and facing towards the "Shomen", be sure that your feet are
together, keep your legs straight, your arms should be at
your sides and touching the sides of your thighs, your
hands should be open and facing downward along the seam
of your gi with your fingers and thumb together. To bow,
bend forward at the waist to about 45 degrees, keep your
eyes looking downward and do not let your arms move or
leave your side, pause for a second at the bottom of the
bow then unbend. The entire bow should take only a few
seconds, but it should be performed with the utmost
courtesy and respect.
Remember :
"In
order to bow well physically,
you must
first learn how to bow well in your mind".
Should you ever find
yourself entering or leaving the dojo with a large group
of students, do not push or shove, but instead patiently
wait your turn. If the opportunity presents its self
always allow those senior students in the group to enter
or exit the dojo first, since in a karate dojo everything
is dictated by your rank within the dojo society.
Arriving
late
In a karate dojo, as is it
is in life, it is very bad manners to be late.
Sometimes, however, this
may be unavoidable, in which case you will be
required to bow in quietly and then kneel in seiza just
to one side of the dojo entrance. If you arrive while
everyone else is also kneeling in seiza or reciting the
dojo kun, do not make any noise what so ever, just wait
quietly until the sensei
or senior instructor acknowledges you and invites you to
join the class. This may not happen right away, and it is
important to remember that you must remain kneeling where
you are until your are invited in, at which time you may
be asked to perform some task as a penance for being late.
Once you are invited to
join the class, you must first bow while still kneeling,
then get up quickly and join the class by finding a place
in the last row unless some other space is indicated to
you. This may or may not be your normal place of rank
within that particular class, but as I mentioned earlier,
in a karate dojo as in life, arriving late usually
requires you to pay a price for your tardiness.
The line up
At the beginning of each
class you will hear the most senior student present call,
“line up”. Upon hearing this command you must
move quickly and quietly to stand in "heisoku
dachi" or
"informal stance" at your appropriate place of
rank within that particular class. Depending on the size
of the class you will often find that your place within
the rank of students will vary from class to class. This
is to be expected since the more senior students there
are in a class, the further down the line you will be.
The line up is done in rank
order from right to left facing the "Shomen" or the “front” of the
dojo. As a result unless you are actually teaching the
class, you will always have a more senior student to your
immediate right, this could even be a student who wears
the same colour of belt as you, but who would have
achieved that rank before you did. To your immediate left
you will then find a student of similar or lesser rank
and so on down the line until finally at the end of the
line you will find the newest or most junior student in
the class. If you are ever required to start a new row
due to the number of students ahead of you, be sure to
start the row by standing behind the student on the
extreme right end of the line in front of you, be sure
that the line you start is of the same width as those in
front of you, and that you are lined up directly behind
the student in front of you.
One day, if you train long
enough and hard enough, you too may find that it is your
turn to give the command, "line up".
Everyone
starts at the bottom
Upon joining a karate dojo
you will find that no one gets special treatment.
Everyone starts at the
bottom. By that I mean that even the President of a large
company who may be well known and respected, or for that
matter even your boss at your place of work; if he or she
were to join your dojo they would find that despite their
rank within the business community, even they can not
simply join a dojo and without any previous training move
to the head of the line just because of their status, or
wealth outside of the dojo.
Like I said, in a karate
dojo everyone starts at the bottom - where you go from
there is entirely up to you.
The
standing bow
The single most important
technique in Shotokan karate is the bow.
The standing bow for
example, is used not only to bow into and out of the dojo
at the beginning or end of each class, but it is also
used for example when bowing to another student, or an
instructor before performing any form of partner training.
The standing bow is also performed prior to the begining
of each kata, and at the end of each kata, and it must
never be omitted or performed casually as it is extremely
important that all of your karate training and all of
your katas begin and end with courtesy. Starting from a "heiko dachi"
or "ready
stance" bring your feet together while at the same
time bringing your hands to your sides so you are now in "heisoku
dachi" or
"informal attention stance" remember, when
bowing bend forward at the waist to about 45 degrees
without letting your arms move or leave your side, pause
for a second, then unbend. The entire bow should take
only a few seconds, but it should always be performed
with the utmost courtesy and respect.
Remember :
"In
order to bow well physically,
you must
first learn how to bow well in your mind".
If you find yourself bowing
to a partner always keep your eyes focused on theirs,
however, when bowing to your sensei or to the Shomen always be sure that your eyes are looking
downward.
Seiza
The "seiza" or "kneeling position"
while a very common occurance, is used most often at the
beginning and the end of each class, or when you are
instructed to sit and watch a demonstration of some kind.
To get into the seiza
position from an attention stance, bend down on the balls
of both feet then first place your left knee on the
ground, then your right knee, then sit down and tuck your
feet underneath you. Be sure and always keep your back
straight and your shoulders relaxed when sitting in seiza
and your knees should be aligned with, but not touching,
the knees of the person on your right or your left. Rest
your open hands comfortably on the upper portion of your
thighs with your fingers and thumb together and pointed
slightly inward.
Proper posture in seiza is
very important, and for anatomical reasons male students
should have about a 12 inch to 14 inch width between
their knees, while female students should have their
knees together.
Bowing in
seiza
At the beginning of each
class prior and to any form of training, the entire class
will kneel in the seiza
position and bow in turn to the Shomen and then to the sensei. The first bow is to the Shomen
and the shrine at the front of the dojo. This is done in
rank order at the command, “Shomen ni rei” this first bow is done as a sign
of deep respect to the memory of the long line of Masters
and Sensei who came before you and who in turn passed the
art of Shotokan karate down to your sensei.
This second bow is to your sensei. This is done in rank order at
the command, “Sensei ni rei” this done as a sign of deep
respect to your sensei
without whom there would be no dojo for you to train in
and therefore no one who could pass the art of karate on
to you. In return the sensei bows to the entire class as a sign of
deep respect to the students who come to train, because
without students to teach there would be no one for the sensei to pass his or her knowledge on
to.
When you are bowing to
either the Shomen
or to your sensei
you will either remain respectfully silent, or as is the
practice in many dojos, it is permissible to say “onegaishimas” which roughly translated means
“please teach me”.
To perform a bow from the
seiza position first move your left hand from your left
thigh and on to the floor about two hand lengths out in
front of your left knee with your finger tips pointed
inward, then, slightly behind in time, move your right
hand from your right thigh and on to the floor about two
hand lengths out in front of your right knee with your
finger tips pointed inward so that your right hand is
facing your left hand so that your and your index fingers
are slightly touching. Now without letting your elbows
touch the floor lean forward and bow your head stopping
this motion just short of touching the back of both your
hands. The bow is done entirely from the waist and since
it is a more formal way of bowing you should pause for
slightly longer than you do when performing a standing
bow. When coming up from the bow slide your hands back to
their starting position in reverse order, that is your
right hand first followed by your left hand and then sit
up straight in a relaxed posture.
Respect by all students
regardless of their rank for the past, the present, and
the future is the best way of assuring that the art of
Shotokan karate will be spread in tact to the next
generation.
Mokusoh
This is the command to
meditate.
When ”mokusoh” is called, you must close your
eyes, lower your gaze, tuck your chin in towards your
chest, relax and quietly begin taking long slow breaths
in through your nose and out through your mouth. It is
important to learn to breath not just with the upper
portion of your lungs but also from your lower abdomen or
“hara” as the Japanese call it. Your "hara"
is the lowest part of you abdomen and is located
approximately three fingers widths below your navel. By
learning to breath from here you will develop greater
power and speed as your karate training progresses.
It is during this
meditative process that you want to “quiet your mind”
and to try and rid yourself of all thoughts unrelated to
your karate training, you must seek to find an inner
sense of peace, or a relaxed state of being, this will
help you to stay focused through out the training that is
about to begin.
Remember :
"In
order to train successfully in the dojo,
you must
first have a dojo mind".
If you use
the time spent in ”mokusoh” to properly focus
your mind prior to each class, you will over time in all
likelyhood notice a definite increase in the quality of
your techniques.
Mokusoh
yame
This is the command to stop
meditating.
When “mokusoh
yame” is called
open your eyes immediately and sit up straight. When your
turn comes quickly rise up by starting with your right
foot, then your left foot and stand in "heiko dachi" or "ready stance" and
await further instructions.
It is usually at this time
that the sensei
or a sempai will lead the class in the "dojo kun" or dojo creed.
Student
creed
After the ritual of bowing
and mokusoh is complete in many karate dojos the class
will recite the “dojo kun” or “dojo creed”.
The "dojo kun" can best be described as “a
verbal affirmation” of certain principles or truths.
You must make a point to learn your dojo's creed as soon
as possible and when reciting it always try and speak it
in unison with the other students, but never so loudly
that your own voice stands out from all the rest.
It is important that you
believe in what you say, and you must then use this
belief to help you do your very best, not only in the
training that lies ahead but also in your daily life
outside of the dojo.
Etiquette
during class
Once the training starts it
is very important to put aside all unrelated thoughts.
You must make every effort to only concentrate on the
specific task at hand and especially on improving the
quality of your own techniques. On "seeing"
what can not be seen. In the beginning this will be a
very hard concept for you to grasp but you must push
yourself both physical as well as mentally if your karate
is ever going to improve. In short, "always do your
best". In fact to do otherwise would be
disrespectful not only to yourself, but also to your
classmates and your instructor who have come to train
with you.
When moving from one area
of the dojo to another always do it quickly and quietly.
When changing positions in line be sure not to cut
through the lines or to pass in front of anyone else,
instead go behind and around them. Whenever you watch a
demonstration, do so respectfully and silently, without
leaning on the walls or doing anything that would
distract others. If you have a questions about any of the
techniques that are being taught during class never call
out, instead always raise you hand and wait to be
acknowledged, then ask your question in the politest
possible terms.
When training with a
partner always be sure and bow properly before you begin
and after you finish your training together. This applies
every time you change partners regardless of their rank.
Kiai
Sooner or later you will
learn to perform a “kiai” or "spirit cry".
A kiai is not unique to
karate, but it is a sound that will be unique to each
individual student. This sound does not come from the
throat, but instead it originates deep in your abdomen or
"tanden" and is usually expressed during the
maximum point of attack or defence in all Shotokan katas.
In the beginning most students will simply say the word
“kiai” but in fact "kiai" is simply a
Japanese word that when translated into English literally
means, “yell”.
So what is a kiai?
My personal definition of a
kiai is as follows : “a kiai is a unique, personal
vocalization, brought about by a strong emotional feeling
."
In karate a kiai is most
often used at the moment when the students maximum
physical, mental and or spiritual power is required in
combination with a specific movement or technique. What
you will learn to do over the course of your training, is
to draw on all your mental, physical and spiritual energy
and focus and release this energy for maximum power and
effect at the appropriate moment in your kata or during
class.
Don’t be afraid to
kiai loudly.
The overall tone of a class
is often set by the level of spirit in the class, which
can often be raised with a strong kiai on your part. So
you if you have a strong kiai it will often spur others
to work harder as well. On the other hand, if your spirit
is poor, or your kiai weak, you might actually bring down
the class spirit, so always do your very best.
In the end your own
personal kiai will be as unique as you are, never be
embarrassed by what you think it sounds like, if there is
spirit and conviction in your actions then your kiai will
always be strong.
Kata
If basic techniques are the
"heart" of Shotokan karate then most assuredly
kata is the "soul" of Shotokan karate.
Just what is kata?
My definition of kata is as
follows : “A kata is a series of pre-determined
defensive and offensive movements and techniques that
have been handed down from past masters as a means of
helping a student to understand, and cope with, their
personal physical limitations, while at the same time
helping the student to develop a strong spirit, and a
peaceful mind through the art of karate."
In the end kata is all
about control - physical, mental, and spiritual control.
If you do kata often enough you will finally come to
understand what this means. So how often is often enough?
If you need to ask you will
never find the answer.
The end of
class
Often this comes all to
soon.
When your class is at an
end and “Line Up!” is called once again, be
sure and quickly line up in in the same manner and rank
order as you were at the start of your class. Finish as
you started, with a positive attitude and a willing
desire to always do your best no matter what lies ahead.
It is very important that
the lessons you learn at each class leave the dojo with
you. How you use and apply these lessons in your everyday
life is up to you, but your progress depends on you
remembering them and building upon them.
Upon instruction come to
attention, and then bow, after the final bow to the Shomen and the sensei students will often say “arigato
gozaimashita",
which means “thank you very much” or simply say
“thank you” in English in either case it is the
level of gratitude is important.
In truth "class"
never ends.
Clean up
After each class there is
usually some cleaning required in the dojo.
Try and take and active
part rather than sit back and watch others do the work.
In many dojos these tasks
are often performed by the most senior students since
they know that respect for the dojo or training hall is
just as important as respect for your teachers and fellow
students.
Exiting the
dojo
When your
class is finished be sure that you exit the dojo in the
same manner as you entered it, with courtesy and respect.
Once again
this is done by
standing so you are facing the front or "Shomen", be sure that your feet are
together, keep your legs straight, keep your arms at your
sides with your hands open and facing downward along the
seam of your gi and with your fingers and thumb together.
To bow, bend forward at the waist to about 45 degrees,
with your eyes looking downward and without letting your
arms leave your side, pause for a second then unbend. The
entire bow should take only a few seconds but it should
be performed with the utmost courtesy and respect.
The end
If you keep these simple
rules in mind then your experiences within the dojo will
be much more enjoyable, and your fellow students will
hold you in much higher regard for your efforts.
- Remember
- A good
effort is the result of
- having the
proper mental attitude.
- Part the
clouds - see the way.
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- "The
objective of karate-do is to contribute to the evolution
- of the
human spirit through physical and mental training."
- Sensei
Peter Lindsay
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