greeting meaning

[level7]

Hey fellow kicksters! I hope everyone is doing well.

I was wondering about something that it seems, all the higher belts were doing.

When greeting each other, they would shake your hand, bow and have their non shaking hand across their waist. What is the significance of this?

Thanks!

 

[seasoned]

Always vigilant. :asian:

 

[Drac]

Always vigilant. :asian:

I heard something like that..The more you trusted the person the further away from you wrist your non-shaking hand would be..I put the question to a Hapkido Master from Nova Scotia and he says...

"As I understand it, that tradition was originated from the Samurai. Because a
warrior tried to cut off the hand of his opponent, the crossed hand shake was to show
that he trusted the person that he was shaking hands with by extending his hand.
Similarly by showing his other hand, the opponent knew that he wasn't going to swing a
sword and cut off his hand when he extended it. So yes, it was a trust thing but also
ensured the neither were going to be an amputee."

 

[Tryak]

I was told that it is a sign of having so much respect for the other person that it takes 2 hands to carry it.

 

[Chet]

Having the hand closer to the body, i.e. at the elbow, is a sign of respect. As you become better acquainted the hand will move further down the arm. A good friend may even shake using both hands.

This is how it was explained to me and having had the opportunity to meet and train with several dozen Korean interns over the last few years I have seen it play out this way over and over.

 

[FieldDiscipline]

As has been said above, it is a sign of respect.