Traditions

[cathal]

Hello all,

 

Does your dojo have a unique tradition, or unique way of celebrating something? Anything from belt promotions to new students, pretty much anything. Have you tried to start one, but just couldn't get it off the ground, or maybe just couldn't think of one?

[smr]

Many schools in my little karate world wear their belts for 24 hours after getting their shodan.

 

I'm going straight home and staying there when I get mine...

[Shorin Ryuu]

Sometimes we eat at either the Chinese restaurant or the Japanese restaurant nearby if we feel like it after practice.

 

Hmm. I guess we don't really have any extra traditions.

[taiji fajin]

Not really. We have an award ceremony where people get new belts come up and it is done in front, but that's more just how kuk sool is done than some tradition for my school. I guess we do have a potluck whenever it is an instructor's bday, and a barbecue at the end of the year, but we're always having potlucks.

 

We like to eat good food.

[Chaz]

In our school, when you recieve a promotion in rank, you do the salute to our master. The salute is how you get your white belt... Other than that, not really...

[isshinryu5toforever]

After every tournament we would find a Chinese restaurant and have a big meal "family style" even though we practiced Okinawan karate and kobudo. Also, we have the tradition that after you were promoted you needed to wear the belt for 24 hours. Our promotions for colored belts were usually on Teusdays and Thursdays, so that was kind of interesting.

[Shorin Ryuu]

After every tournament we would find a Chinese restaurant and have a big meal "family style" even though we practiced Okinawan karate and kobudo.

 

That's not too strange. Most of traditional Okinawan culture is decidedly more Chinese than it is Japanese.

[ninjanurse]

My old school gave you three wacks on the butt with an escrima stick when you received your confirmed BB-no matter what your age. It was always fun and lighthearted but it did hurt a bit.

 

My new school has quite an elaborate ceremony for receiving a confirmed rank...lighting of candles and everything-very serious. Afterwards we all go out to dinner.

 

 

 

[PrideampPoise]

For BB promotions, we form an aisle. The BB to be promoted walks down that aisle of students and we hand the BB roses, which symbolize how everyone has helped him/her reach BB.

 

After all of our promotions, which are quarterly, we have a pot luck. We also have a Christmas pot luck where we do a gift exchange, and the kids play games.

[karatekid1975]

Heidi stole my answer LOL

 

There is another thing with our school. When a new student recieves their white belt (after two trial classes), the instructor will stop the class and have the class welcome them with a salute and bow. Pretty cool.

 

Another thing we do is when we have a seminar, special class or whatever, my instructor will take us out to lunch (he did that when I took the instructors course .... I have two more to go, and more lunches hehehehe).

 

We also have potluck dinners at the dojang twice a year (I think) and cookouts there also in the summer.