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Dojo etiquette

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Principles

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The main purpose of Karate is for health benefits. It is appropriate to fight an antagonist if your purpose is to safeguard yourself or those close to you. Never fight an enemy without good reason.

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Karate cannot be learned in a short amount of time. A bull that walks very slowly will, in due time, travel a thousand miles. Likewise, if you study and practice earnestly each day, in three or four years you will understand what the core of Karate is about.

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You should practice the external techniques of Karate one by one, repeated over and over again, many times. During practice you should imagine that you are in a real battle.

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In the past, many of those who have become experts in Karate have lived to an old age. This is because Karate helps to develop the bones and sinews. It also helps the digestive tract and is good for blood circulation. Therefore, Karate should be the foundation of all lessons in sports from the elementary schools on up.

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Anko Itosu, Okinawa, October 1908

Students should not hesitate to go to a class even when running late.  It is better to attend a part of a class, even if for only ½ an hour, rather than miss the class altogether. We are imperfect and we cannot control all of the circumstances of our lives.

Sensei – translates as “one who comes before” and means teacher.

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Senpai – sen, meaning “before” and, pai meaning “fellow” a member of higher experience or hierarchy in the dojo.

  • Students should never leave a class without first gaining the permission of the instructor. This includes water and toilet breaks.

 

  • Inappropriate language is unacceptable.  Cursing, swearing, street talk, and any such terminology or gestures are not acceptable.

 

  • With grade comes responsibility, consequently all students have a certain accountability for the grade directly below their own.

 

  • Always treat your fellow students with respect and dignity, do not engage in horseplay with fellow students remembering that you are responsible for your safety and that of others.

  

  • Strive to develop your character and personality as much as you strive to develop your body and skills.

Student should practice basic techniques (kihon waza) and kata consistently outside of class, even if for just a few minutes each day.  Independent training will enhance and improve one’s skill and physical conditioning.

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Dojo Kun - Kanazawa
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  • All students must ensure that they hold an up to date Karate licence/insurance

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'Gichin Funakoshi'  said:

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“Without courtesy you cannot practice Karate-do. Etiquette is defined as 'the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or group'.

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Accordingly, karate has its own set of rules for proper and polite behaviour within the 'dojo'.

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This is the first step to practicing Karate-do.

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All of the manners and etiquette learned in karate training should also be used outside the dojo".

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The Dojo Kun

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The 'dojo kun' are, basically, the rules of the Dojo. These rules were laid down by the Okinawan master of Karate, Kanga Sakugawa 

He based these rules on the Chinese rules, which date back to the era of Bodhidharma.

The rules were recited at the end of every training session by the highest grade student, then repeated by the other students.

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Japanese

Hitotsu, jinkaku kansei ni tsutomeru koto.

Hitotsu, makoto no michi o mamoru koto.

Hitotsu, doryoku no seishin o yashinau koto.

Hitotsu, reigi o omonzuru koto.

Hitotsu, kekki no yu o imashimuru koto.

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English Translation

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To seek the perfection of character 

To follow the path of truth 

To cultivate the spirit of effort 

To esteem etiquette 

To admonish brute courage

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Note:

The word Hitotsu has more than one meaning, the root of the word, "hito" means roughly one"/"first", and this corresponds with the various meanings hitotsu can have, depending on how it is used.

 

At the beginning of a sentence, it's meaning is akin to "for one thing", "first off". This is generally interpreted to mean that each of the 'dojo kun' are equally important and therefore were not numbered in some form of decreasing importance.

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Below you will hear the

Dojo Kun narrated by one of Karate's great masters

Kancho Hirokazu Kanazawa 

Dojo Etiquette

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Karate goes back many hundreds of years and is influenced by the cultures of Okinawa and Japan. Consequently, our members are expected to observe many examples of traditional Dojo etiquette, some of which often go unspoken.

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Please note that these actions should never be interpreted as acts of subservience and are simply based upon common courtesy, respect, structure and safety. The dojo is a place where spirit is forged through rigorous physical conditioning and self-discipline. This compilation should make these rules more easily understood. If in doubt, always ask your Sensei or Senpai.

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  • All students should stop and bow (ritsu-rei) upon joining and leaving the training area of the dojo while saying “Osu!”

“Osu” – (pronounced Oh’ss with the stress on the O) is a term used by Karate-ka to show respect toward their fellows and toward the art itself.  It is an announcement of a student’s readiness to receive instruction and work hard, showing the seriousness and enthusiasm of the student.

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Osu is a contraction of two words:

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Oshi meaning “Push”
Shinobu meaning “to Endure”

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Thus, Osu can mean patience, determination and perseverance. When you are pushing yourself beyond your limits, you use Osu!

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The bow (rei) is the traditional Japanese gesture of respect and formal greeting. One bows by bending at the waist 30 degrees, keeping the back and neck straight.  The eyes should follow the path of the head downwards unless one is bowing to a training partner, in which case the two people maintain focus on one another as they both bow.

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Dojo – a room or hall for the practice of martial arts.

 

  • Students should take pride in their appearance and maintain a high level of personal hygiene.  Training often requires close contact between students and nobody enjoys training with someone who appears dirty or might scratch them accidentally.  Fingernails and toenails should be cut short; hands and feet should be clean; long hair should be tied back; and Gi's should be clean and in relatively good shape. 

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  • The Karate Gi should be kept clean and tidy with the Obi tied neatly with both ends at equal lengths. Any jewellery that cannot be removed, should be covered by tape.

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Karate Gi  - tradiitional uniform used for practice.

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Obi - Belt.

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  • T-shirts are not traditionally worn under the gi top and men are expected to follow this tradition.  Women and girls are expected to wear a white T-shirt or sports bra under their Gi top.

 

  • All students should arrive to class on time, mentally and physically ready to perform. Being late for class is disruptive and discourteous.  Punctuality is important for the individual and for the whole group.  Arriving 10 to 15 minutes before class begins allows students ample time to change clothes and stretch. Students should turn their cellular phones off or into silent mode.

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  • Students who do arrive late for a class should quickly get changed, warm up, kneel and wait patiently at the edge of the training floor until welcomed to join the class by the instructor.

  • When asked to ‘line up’, students should end conversations immediately and face the instructor. The most senior student will set the line, and everyone else will line up to their left, by rank order. If two students have the same rank, the student who trained longer at the dojo is the senior (senpai), ensuring that lines are straight and evenly spaced.

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  • When making seiza, always go down left knee first, then the right knee. The hands should rest comfortably on the thighs. Sitting in seiza is much more than just kneeling. Historically, the samurai always had to be ready to defend themselves at any time. Since the sword was always carried on the left hip, the left knee went down first so they could draw the sword without injuring themselves.

  

  • Students should never refer to the instructor by any name other than ‘Sensei’ whilst in the dojo. Whereas other senior grades should be referred to as ‘Senpai’.

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