Bowing in Martial Arts

[Headhunter]

I have no problem bowing but the club I train at doesn't do it when you enter and leave. Some do some dont I don't really think it matters you have a salute and salutation at the end of each class that shows all the respect that's needed. When you spar you pay respect but when you do techniques we don't. It simply depends on the school if a school insists on it then do it if they don't then just do what feel better doing

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Oddly enough, even though my school doesn't have a tradition of bowing before entering the mat, I generally do so anyway because I spent enough years practicing arts where it was required that it feels strange not to.

I've noticed that my instructor (who owns the school) tends to do the same thing. He could make it a requirement for the school if he wanted to, but he doesn't. I think he also just bows onto the mat because it's a habit from his previous training.

 

[Buka]

I've always enjoyed the bowing in Martial Arts. Will not lower my eyes, though.

 

[Buka]

Gotta' love these guys. Extreme bowing.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Gotta' love these guys. Extreme bowing.

I'm going to start requiring that last one in every class that has students in multiples of 3.

 

[jks9199]

In my class, we bow at the start and finish of class. If you're late, you stop and bow before entering the training area. (The biggest reason for that is to let the class come to a stop if necessary so that you can safely enter...) When senior black belts arrive, if class is in progress, we'll stop and bow to them. We'll greet each other, depending on where and what is going on, with a quick bow, and we'll bow to our association's grandmaster and chief instructor. Training partners bow to each other. (Those bows are signs of respect -- and signals of readiness, or dismissal if I'm using a student for a demonstration. Easier and kinder than "go back in line" )

 

[jks9199]

In my class, we bow at the start and finish of class. If you're late, you stop and bow before entering the training area. (The biggest reason for that is to let the class come to a stop if necessary so that you can safely enter...) When senior black belts arrive, if class is in progress, we'll stop and bow to them. We'll greet each other, depending on where and what is going on, with a quick bow, and we'll bow to our association's grandmaster and chief instructor. Training partners bow to each other. (Those bows are signs of respect -- and signals of readiness, or dismissal if I'm using a student for a demonstration. Easier and kinder than "go back in line" )

Oh, we also bow at the beginning and end of forms and some formal drills. Those bows serve two purposes: they mark the start and finish, and, especially in the animal forms, they help you get into the spirit of the form. Nothing overly mystic-woo-woo about it -- just kind of like an actor hanging part of getting into character on getting into costume.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

In my class, we bow at the start and finish of class. If you're late, you stop and bow before entering the training area. (The biggest reason for that is to let the class come to a stop if necessary so that you can safely enter...) When senior black belts arrive, if class is in progress, we'll stop and bow to them. We'll greet each other, depending on where and what is going on, with a quick bow, and we'll bow to our association's grandmaster and chief instructor. Training partners bow to each other. (Those bows are signs of respect -- and signals of readiness, or dismissal if I'm using a student for a demonstration. Easier and kinder than "go back in line" )

Everyone gets bowed into class, with us. If someone is late, they bow into the space (like everyone does), then wait for an instructor (usually "the instructor", but not always) to bow them into the class. This provides a safety measure that nobody tries to slip in without getting proper instructions, or at just the right moment to become a bowling pin.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Training partners bow to each other. (Those bows are signs of respect -- and signals of readiness, or dismissal if I'm using a student for a demonstration. Easier and kinder than "go back in line" )

I usually say, "I'm done with you. You may leave." Only to my wife, though, and never in class. And I always pay for the laughs.

 

[Steve]

I usually say, "I'm done with you. You may leave." Only to my wife, though, and never in class. And I always pay for the laughs.

Brave man.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Brave man.

You have no idea, Steve. I risk my life daily with that woman.

 

[JR 137]

You have no idea, Steve. I risk my life daily with that woman.

Sleep with one eye open.

 

[kuniggety]

I usually say, "I'm done with you. You may leave." Only to my wife, though, and never in class. And I always pay for the laughs.

I reserve such words for special occasions... such as immediately following particular "nocturnal activities".

 

[JR 137]

I reserve such words for special occasions... such as immediately following particular "nocturnal activities".

I usually try to say something as romantic as Gerry said afterward, but I always end up falling asleep before I can say anything. We all have our limitations.

 

[senseiblackbelt]

as far as ive seen not all dojos bow at the start and at the end of the class or when doing kata sparring etc

 

[Tez3]

I've always bowed in martial arts training places ( not all are dojos of course ) I haven't heard anyone complaining or saying it was religious or whatever. it's considered polite but then we do have quite a lot of bowing going on anyway here in various situations ( and not to the Queen either).
In the UK armed forces we don't salute people at all, we salute the badge on the headwear which represents our monarch to whom our loyalty is sworn ( no, not the government just the monarch), so no saluting without headwear for us. We also salute the Colours which in one regiments case are field guns.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I've always bowed in martial arts training places ( not all are dojos of course ) I haven't heard anyone complaining or saying it was religious or whatever. it's considered polite but then we do have quite a lot of bowing going on anyway here in various situations ( and not to the Queen either).
In the UK armed forces we don't salute people at all, we salute the badge on the headwear which represents our monarch to whom our loyalty is sworn ( no, not the government just the monarch), so no saluting without headwear for us. We also salute the Colours which in one regiments case are field guns.

I suspect there has to be more religious influence in an area for someone to perceive the bowing as a religious conflict. It's not rare here in the Southeastern US, in what is known as the "Bible Belt". These discussions come up when talking to prospective students, and I've noticed that some schools even address the non-religious nature of the bowing on their websites, physical bulletin boards, etc.

 

[Tez3]

I suspect there has to be more religious influence in an area for someone to perceive the bowing as a religious conflict. It's not rare here in the Southeastern US, in what is known as the "Bible Belt". These discussions come up when talking to prospective students, and I've noticed that some schools even address the non-religious nature of the bowing on their websites, physical bulletin boards, etc.

Religion doesn't actually come up much in anything here, it would be the end of any politician's career if they banged on about their religion likewise most organisations including martial arts ones don't mention religion. It's still, luckily, considered a private thing here, hopefully it will stay that way.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Religion doesn't actually come up much in anything here, it would be the end of any politician's career if they banged on about their religion likewise most organisations including martial arts ones don't mention religion. It's still, luckily, considered a private thing here, hopefully it will stay that way.

Quite the opposite here. I'm reasonably certain that if a strong presidential candidate were called "Atheist" because they didn't attend church regularly, that would be the end of their campaign.

 

[Tez3]

Quite the opposite here. I'm reasonably certain that if a strong presidential candidate were called "Atheist" because they didn't attend church regularly, that would be the end of their campaign.

I have no idea whether the Prime Minister goes to church or not, nor her predecessor or any of them really. Going to church isn't something that comes up in elections campaigns, plenty of other stuff does lol, all the usual insults and the 'they did this, that and the other' but chucking about someone doesn't go to church raises no eyebrows just yawns. As I said it's the same with just about everything else, very few associate martial arts with religion, and bowing, we know it's what Japanese people do ( yes and a lot of others but Japan sticks in people's minds) so don't think anything of it.