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The
Japanese have taken politeness to an elevated form in their culture. In
his book ‘Bushido, The warrior’s code’, Inazo Nitobe ponders
whether it is more important to tell the truth or to be polite. As
Karatedo is a Japanese art, we can expect these cultural aspects to form
the basis of our etiquette in the dojo. However, most people would find
the following points to be common sense, even in our western society.
When
you enter the dojo, remove your shoes. If you see someone else about to
enter the dojo without doing so, please save them the embarrassment of
being told by Sensei or Mrs Matsumoto, and inform or remind them of this
requirement. Smoking, chewing gum and other such behaviours are not
acceptable within the dojo, for both students and visitors.
When
coming onto or leaving the practice floor, bow to shomen. In doing this
you express your intent to concentrate fully on your training and remind
yourself to be grateful to have to opportunity to train in karate.
Punctuality
is expected. It is best to arrive early. If you are late for unavoidable
reasons, you should wait at the edge of the floor until invited to
enter. Bow to Sensei, then quietly, so as to not to disturb the students
who did make it to class on time, take yourself over to the corner and
perform 30 – 50 pushups. This is an excellent way of warming up
quickly and quietly, and serves as a reminder to be more punctual next
time. Join the class when you are invited to do so.
Any
student wishing to leave the floor during class, for any reason, must
first ask permission of their instructor.
During
class Sensei may come up to you and offer advice or adjust some aspect
of your stance. It is polite to acknowledge this, by saying ‘Hai
Sensei’ or ‘Yes Sensei’ or ‘Osu’ or at the very least,
nodding. To say nothing, even if you make the adjustment suggested is
not a good custom. It is also polite to bow to any senior student you
train with and thank them for their time. Keep talk during class to a
minimum. It interferes with other students’ concentration and is
impolite and disrespectful.
When
leaving the dojo after class, please remember to bow to Sensei and Mrs
Matsumoto and thank them for the opportunity to train. Don’t forget to
say ‘Good Night’ – ‘Oyasuminasai’
If
you know ahead of time that you cannot make your usual class, please let
Sensei know. This may make a difference to the lesson planning. If you
are unable to attend class on short notice, it is polite to phone Sensei
and say you cannot attend,
or at the very least apologise for your absence when you next attend
class.
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