Bowing

[skribs]

I'm just curious, for those that take arts that use bowing as a sign of respect - do you keep your eyes on the other person, or do you bow your head down?

I've heard both rationalized - keeping your eye on the other person helps with awareness (never take your eyes off of your opponent), but bowing with your head down can be seen as a sign of respect and trust, similar how a handshake with the right hand signifies offering your dominant hand to the other person.

Is the difference associated with different cultures or just individual perspectives?

 

[dancingalone]

Is the difference associated with different cultures or just individual perspectives?

It's not even consistent within cultures. I'd heard two different Japanese teachers contradict each other in this respect. Granted, they taught different arts.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

This is the ancient Chinese bowing.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/imag....us.dis_oc._._&hsimp=yhs-fh_lsonsw&hspart=avg

 

[seasoned]

Eyes down "deep respect" eyes up "cautions respect". Nowadays nothing is written in stone.:asian:

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

similar how a handshake with the right hand signifies offering your dominant hand to the other person.

Is the difference associated with different cultures or just individual perspectives?

If you don't know your opponent, it's smart to use both of your hands to shake one of his hands in case he may play some trick on you.

 

[frank raud]

If you don't know your opponent, it's smart to use both of your hands to shake one of his hands in case he may play some trick on you.

If he is going to play a trick on you, wouldn't it be with his other hand? Wouldn't it be better to have a free hand to counter the possible trick?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If he is going to play a trick on you, wouldn't it be with his other hand? Wouldn't it be better to have a free hand to counter the possible trick?

With 2 hands on your opponent, you can always give him a downward pulling (a quick shaking) to interrupt his other hand intention (or even his kick) by forcing his weight to shift on his front foot. It may be harder to do that if you only use one hand. Since you can also pull his arm across his body, you can use his right arm to jam his own left arm too.

 

[Cirdan]

You keep the spine straight and look straight ahead while not overdoing the bow, meaning you will be looking about at the ankles of the other person. Your focus does not leave the rest of him however. Also the bows should be syncronized, you do it as one. Just the way we do it.

 

[RTKDCMB]

I'm just curious, for those that take arts that use bowing as a sign of respect - do you keep your eyes on the other person, or do you bow your head down?

I've heard both rationalized - keeping your eye on the other person helps with awareness (never take your eyes off of your opponent), but bowing with your head down can be seen as a sign of respect and trust, similar how a handshake with the right hand signifies offering your dominant hand to the other person.

Is the difference associated with different cultures or just individual perspectives?

Where I train you always look at the eyes to never take your eyes off of your opponent as that is a good habit to cultivate. When doing something with a partner you both bow at the same time, in most other cases the more junior belt bows first and the more senior belt bows back.

 

[WaterGal]

I was always taught to keep your eyes down when bowing to the teacher, because otherwise you're saying you don't trust them.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I was always taught to keep your eyes down when bowing to the teacher, because otherwise you're saying you don't trust them.

I've heard this. I've also heard that not looking at them when you bow is insulting.

 

[oftheherd1]

...

When doing something with a partner you both bow at the same time, in most other cases the more junior belt bows first and the more senior belt bows back.

I agree with the above. As to where to look, it obviously varies from one teacher/style to another. I was taught in different places, to look at the eyes, or to look at the lower extremities (ankle or so) so my peripheral vision could keep an eye on the rest of them.

 

[sfs982000]

It varies depending on schools and styles, I've done it both ways looking at instructors/students and not looking.

 

[chrispillertkd]

I'm just curious, for those that take arts that use bowing as a sign of respect - do you keep your eyes on the other person, or do you bow your head down?

I've heard both rationalized - keeping your eye on the other person helps with awareness (never take your eyes off of your opponent), but bowing with your head down can be seen as a sign of respect and trust, similar how a handshake with the right hand signifies offering your dominant hand to the other person.

Is the difference associated with different cultures or just individual perspectives?

In Taekwon-Do we bow while maintaining eye contact with the other person. This is different than in the wider Korean-culture, which emphasizes that the junior look down as he bows to the senior. Gen. Choi, Hong Hi, however, specified in his books (and in person) that one always keeps their eyes on the other person.

One thing to remember about Taekwon-Do, as Gen. Choi developed it, was that it was an outgrowth of the Korean military. As such bowing can be likened to a salute rather then the somewhat more complicated bowing procedures in Korean society. Bowing should be done smartly, only bending 15 degrees while keeping the back straight and the eyes forward. We do wait for the senior to initiate the bow and the junior is supposed to wait until the senior returns to an "upright position" before coming up from his bow.

Shaking hands is a whole 'nother thing

Pax,

Chris