Heaven is right where you are standing

One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train. Morihei Ueshiba - The Art of Peace - translated by John Stevens

Etiquette in the Dojo

 

Article researched and written by Ryan Attard. To know a bit more on Ryan and his work you can access ryanattard.com.

Etiquette in the Dojo

Etiquette and manners are part and parcel of the Asian culture, particularly in Japanese standards. As such, as martial arts schools carrying on their traditions, we must observe such practices. However, these rules may be obscure to an outside since the majority are unspoken, and tied heavily to the concept of respecting oneself and others as well as the area you are training in.

 Before entering the Dojo

Be on time. No longer do we live in an era where students live within the quarters of the Dojo, tending to their masters like an extended family. This means that more often than not one must travel in order to train. Smart students made sure to arrive at least fifteen minutes earlier – this gives them time  to assemble the mats, and perhaps engage in some pre-session training of their own should they decide to pursue a unique path. Traffic, parking and travelling difficulties are no excuse. However, most Instructors understand the situation outside the Dojo and would generally allow a five to ten minute window, especially in the more punishing of towns in terms of parking. But some degree of discretion comes in play here – if a student enters the area, and the lesson is in progress, then they are traditionally punished by doing ten (or more) push-ups on the outskirts of the Dojo. The most respectful of students do not even wait for their Instructors’ prompt – they know they are late, and start doing press-ups immediately.

Most training halls are rented from gyms and that means sharing training space in a roster system. This means that early students will meet a class of some other sport using their Dojo space. Do not interrupt or interfere in any way. Instead one must respectfully stand to the side, outside the training area, and wait until the lesson is finished. It is considered extremely bad manners to cross the Dojo area with another class going on, in order to access the changing room or bathroom (unless for emergencies). Early students are to stand aside, not clutter the area, and allow the other students freedom of movement. Five minutes prior to their own session, the Instructors will generally give permission to the awaiting students to access the changing rooms and get ready. This usually applies when the Instructor is teaching an earlier class, so there is no need to assemble mats.

Footwear in the Dojo should be flat soles – so as not to leave a mark on the floors or make too much noise and disturb others. When training one must always wear to traditional white socks on the mats.

Entering the Dojo

Students will assemble at the edge of the training area and await for their Masters to grant them entry permission. Before entering the mats, students traditionally wipe their feet by rubbing their feet against their shins and bowing. They stow their weapons and equipment (if any) to the side, away from passers-by or tumbling students, and place their Budo passes to either their Instructors, or place them in an area where their Instructors can hand them out to them again.

Beginners should always follow their seniors in this regard, and Seniors should always lead by example.

Rei

The Rei or bow, is part and parcel of the Asian language, culture and lifestyle. The Spirit Combat Rei is done by standing upright, keeping hands and feet together. Then we press the palms of our hands together (like a prayer) and bow. This is called a Standing Bow and is the most common bow during our sessions. It is done with a partner before and after the practice of a technique, done before and after exiting the mats and done to Sensei after they explain a technique, or even interact with you in any way.

The kneeling bow starts with a standing bow. Then we go into a kneeling stance and kneel fully into Seiza position. We then place both hands on the mat and bow. It is important to always look forwards during any sort of bow.

Sitting

Traditionally we have two ways of sitting – Seiza, where the knees are tucked under the body in a traditional Japanese style. However since most Westerners lack the joint flexibility to sit like this for a duration of time, some Instructors allow the students to kneel on the edge of the mats where the feet can be off the mats, giving a slight angle where the feet are less stretched.

Sawari is more Indian in origin, also known as the Lotus position. Essentially this is sitting down with the legs crossed in front of you.

In both positions, the hands are always on the knees. The fingers are curled around the knees, with the little finger pressing against the underside of the knee and a little outside. This is known as Dragon’s Claws gripping Pearls, a meditative stance originating from the monks in China. The fingers press a pressure point, which is an energy release point, thus making the body less stiff over time. In all cases the back should be kept straight with the shoulders and arms relaxed.

 Weapons and equipment

These should be stowed away safely and out of harm’s way. It’s very rude to touch one’s weapons without permission from the owner. One must be mindful that weapons, ever the foam ones, may cause injury so one must take precaution. A good rule of thumb is to use weapons either during a session when the Instructor asks you to as part of the training session, or when the Dojo is completely devoid of students, perhaps when the student arrives a little early for some personal training or stays a little later. Whatever the case, one has to be mindful that it is very easy to get hurt using a weapon, and it’s a good idea to seek advice and instruction, especially when the weapon is foreign to the syllabus or the grade.

Budo Pass

This must always be present and handed to the Sensei before the session. The Budo pass has an interesting history behind it: it is the same document issued to warriors in ancient Japan and China, so that people my open up martial arts school, challenge each other to duels, go on their Warrior’s Pilgrimage (Musha Shugyo) as well as file for legal acts of revenge against someone who has wronged them.

Our Budo pass is less bombastic, but it is nonetheless a representation of the individual’s achievements and their rank. Some also have a sentimental value.

Asking and guarding

Whenever the student asks a question or kneels to arrange their suit, or fix an injury, it is the duty of their partner to stand in a stance in front of them and guard them from any further injuries.

The student asking a question should kneel on one leg and lift up their hand, with their partner either kneeling with them, if safe enough or guarding them if other students are practicing around them.

 Appendix

Some Japanese phrases of interest:

 Sensei – teacher. Traditionally used as a suffix eg. Gerard-Sensei. Westerners use this as a title, referring to an Instructor.

Shishou – Master. Usually the rank above the Sensei.

Hagime (Pronounced: Ha-Ji-mE) – Begin, Start.

Yame (Pro: Yah-mEH) – Stop, End. Also may use Yamete.

Seiza (Pro: Se-I-zA) – Sit, rest.

Gi (Pro: G-I) – the traditional suit used in most Japanese martial arts.

Sawari (Pro: sa-wa-ri): sitting cross-legged.

Uke (Pro: U-keH): Training partner, usually the one receiving the technique. Literally means ‘the one receiving’.

Soke (Pro: SoH-KE): Grandmaster, Founder. Usually the one who builds the martial arts school.

Kencho (Pro: Kan-ChO): There is no literal translation in Japanese but the closest I found were Dancho (Boss/Chief) and Taicho (Captain). These act as the second-in-command: organizing events, having the responsibility of the Shishou, Sensei and students, as well at the entire schooling of Spirit Combat in their respective areas/region.

 Numbers:

Ichi (Pro: I-Ch-I) – One

Ni (Pro: N-I) – Two

San (Pro: S-A-Nn) – Three

Shi/Yon (Pro: Sh-I / Yo-N) – Four (Since Shi also means ‘Death’, it’s considered bad luck to use it, so Yon is used instead.)

Go (Pro: G-O) – Five

Roku (Pro: Ro-Ku) – Six

Shichi/Nana (Pro: Sh-I-Ch-I / Na-Na) – Seven (Shichi has the characters of ‘death’ and ‘blood’ in it, so it’s considered bad luck to use it. Nana is preferred.)

Hachi (Pro: Ha-Chi) – Eight

Kyu/Ku (Pro: K-Yu / K-U) – Nine. Either is acceptable depending on pronunciation.

Ju (Pro: J-U) - Ten

Happy Birthday Spirit Combat Malta – today 7^th October, 28th years ago Kancho Adrian had his first lesson at 7.30pm, and Sprit Combat has never stopped ever since. Thanks to all those instructors, students, friends and parents who have contributed to Spirit Combat and supported along the way.

The Jim Wagner Knife Disarm Rule for Police & Military