BlueDragon1981 Posted July 11, 2002 Posted July 11, 2002 Ours is similiar too. A call is made and we line up according to rank. The head black belt has us bow to any others that are in the room. The we all bow to the main instructor. Then we do another item and say our creed. Then bow again after the creed. Also have to bow into the dojo before class but this is just a simple bow.
Kensai Posted July 11, 2002 Posted July 11, 2002 -: What style of Aikido do you do? What grade are you. There does not seem to be alot of us Aikidoka that come to this website.
-- Posted July 11, 2002 Posted July 11, 2002 I take traditional Ueshiba Aikido. I have been practicing for 11 years, but am a white belt. That's because you're either a white belt or a black belt, and I nowhere near ready to give my blackbelt exam. It involves you holding off 4 attackers for several minutes, and doing so properly. They can and WILL hurt you, badly. d-----
Bitseach Posted July 12, 2002 Posted July 12, 2002 Bloody hell - bowing to flags, symbols and photographs? Snapping to attention? What ungodly practices in some places!!! Sorry, but being brought up a Northern Irish Christian my gut reaction is that this is idolatry! In my old dojo we'd bow to the Sensei upon entering the dojo, casually warm-up, stretch, enquire after each other's health etc, then when when the Sensei asked us to line up we'd do so in (rough) grade order. Some people were really fussy about this; I was never one of them and didn't mind if beginners were all around me! The Sensei would begin the movements of getting into the kneeling position then we'd all bow from this position, he to us and we to him. Then he'd spring up and we'd begin the warm-up. At the end of class a similar line-up except there'd be a minute or so of meditation/getting one's breathing back to normal in the kneeling pos, bow, pay him, sign in then everyone went to the pub together. Sometimes some folk would ask more knowledgable students to go over kata with them at that point. In class we'd usually "oss" and "Sensei" him, but afterwards it was first names strictly (unless we were being sarcastic in the pub). A Japanese class-member was always trying to get everyone to be more militaristic in class and some people bought into this. To be honest, the more they did, the worse the atmosphere became in the class. I suspect empire-building from the studnet in question! Before anyone starts, I know it is inconsistant to bow to people but not the objects I mentioned but I was brought up only to bow in Church in certain circumstances. To bow to another person is not the same as it is not idolatry but respect for that person. I do not claim this is the right way, or even that it is logical or consistent, only that it is my upbringing and as a consequence affects my instinctive feeling towards such practices. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My karma will run over your dogma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kensai Posted July 12, 2002 Posted July 12, 2002 I study Ki Aikido. I have not been studying long. Very good fun, I have a great Sensei. 4 people. Thats what I think all Aikido black belt gradings consist of. Is it called Randori?
SaiFightsMS Posted July 12, 2002 Posted July 12, 2002 We do a formal beginning and ending to class. Everyone lines up in order of rank from left to right. Dai sempai (senior student) in first positon in line up. Senior student gives the command to sit down. Then seated meditaiton. Then a kiai then a command to shomen ni rei everyone bows to the front of the room as a sign they are happy to have a nice place to train (after a filthy basement some of us trained in we really appreciate a nice place to train) and stays down until sensei has a chance to turn around and senior student kiais. Then sensei ni rei everyonebows to sensei as a sign of respect and that I am here and ready to learn you stay down until sensei kiaias and everyone sits up at once and class begins. We are pretty traditional.
-- Posted July 12, 2002 Posted July 12, 2002 Randori is Jujutsu and Judo free-sparring, I think. Might also be used in Aikido, but I don't see the point... d-----
karatekid1975 Posted July 13, 2002 Posted July 13, 2002 Hiya sai, I visited a Shotokan school. I saw them line up as usual, but they line up really close together. They sit one by one starting with the senior student. Then they bow (sitting) in the same fashion. Does your school do that? Laurie F
shaolinprincess Posted July 13, 2002 Posted July 13, 2002 I study an okinawan style, the head student tells the class to line up, we line up by rank. Then the sempai or cohai says:(in Japanese) Line up! Turn around and straiten you gi and obi. Face the front. Sit. Bow to teacher, saying please teach us.. Stand. Bow and say konichiwa, or kombawa. Then class starts. We end the same way. Only saying saionara. And thanks for teaching us. It is formal. Ettiquet is very important in our system. It's what you put into it...1st kyu-Okinawa Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Federation
SaiFightsMS Posted July 13, 2002 Posted July 13, 2002 KarateKid actually everyone is supposed to move at once on the commands. But come time to stand up there are some of us who are slower that others.
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