Traditional Ways

[JiuJitsuNation]

I am just curious as to the class structure, rituals and displays of respect in different schools.

For example.

At Jiu Jitsu Nation we bow entering the mats.

We bow in and out of class.

Students line up in order of rank.

We never adjust our gis and belts facing an instructor or higher rank.

When we roll (spar) we always give way to higher ranks. Meaning that if we bump into or get close to another pair and one or both is higher rank the lower ranks will get up and move to give the higher ranks the mat space.

Many people feel your belt should never touch the floor but for us in BJJ the belt never stays on and since we are already on the floor so is the belt. lol

We never wash our belts.

We take great pride in wears our belts so much they wear out. Another reason we don't wash them as some people do this just to wear them faster.

Curious to hear about everyones traditions.

[sensei8]

Interesting topic! Many of our 'traditions' reflect what's found in your OP.

Here are the basic etiquettes and the like within the Shindokan Hombu that should be followed, accepted, and embraced:

1) There are seniors and there are juniors. Nobody is equal in the dojo.

2) If there was no Sensei, there would be no group, he/she is the glue that holds the group together and sets the general tone. He/she sets the training schedule. He/she has gone through all of the hardships that the student has gone through or will go through. Thus, all etiquettes focus on the Sensei, and their Sensei(s).

3) The dojo is the "way-place". This is the room or the building or the spot where the knowledge is passed from one generation to the next. This place will always be special. It is a place where life changes take place. Thus the place itself deserves reverence.

With that, I give you the class structure, rituals and displays of respect within the Shindokan Hombu. [in no particular order, and not all are listed]

* We bow when entering/exiting the Hombu's main [dojo] training area, as well as with the two other smaller training areas.

* We bow in/out of class.

* We line up in order of rank.

* We bow to all Yudansha's.

* Junior grades must bow to senior grades first.

* Always treat the dojo, your instructor (sensei), senior students (senpai), peers, and junior students (kohai) with respect.

* We clean the Hombu's main and smaller training areas after each and every training session. NO MATTER THE RANK!

* No shoes are to be ever worn in the Hombu.

* No unnecessary talking allowed.

* No food or drink may be consumed anywhere inside the Hombu.

* No smoking is ever allowed in the Hombu.

* There is no horseplay in the Hombu.

* The use of bad language and/or inappropriate behaviour will lead to expulsion from the Hombu.

* If you arrive late for class kneel down at the side where you can be seen and wait for the SOD (Sensei On Duty) to say you can join, at which point you first bow, and then line up in the back of the class at the end of the line. NO MATTER THE RANK!

* We never adjust our gis and belts facing an instructor or higher rank.

* We always give way to higher ranks. If a lower rank bumps into a higher rank, the lower rank will always excuse themselves to the higher rank, and then move out of the way immediately. Also, if a higher rank wants the floor, the lower rank must surrender the training area to that higher rank.

* We don't ever ask a senior ranking

* We keep our gi's clean at all times.

* We keep our finger/toe nails clean and trimmed at all times.

* We never wash our obi's.

* No jewellery to be worn during training. If you cannot remove a ring, cover it with tape to protect your fellow karateka from injury.

* If one must leave the Hombu during training, permission must be given by the SOD before one can leave. It is disrespectful to walk out while training is still in session.

* Discard chewing gums and similar items before coming to practice.

* Direct all training related questions to the black belts and/or to Dai-Soke, Kaicho/Chief Instructor, Kancho, and the members of the Board of Regents. Only they are qualified to teach Shindokan.

* Do not cross your arms or place your hands on your hips…it is considered belligerent behavior. When sitting, sit in seiza or with legs crossed…it is considered rude to show the bottoms of your feet.

* It is the senior belts’ responsibility to lead in keeping the dojo clean. If you see a senior belt doing some form of work, offer them the opportunity to do it for them.

* When using the training equipment, handle it with care. When finished with it, return it to its proper place.

* If someone above your rank asks you to spar, you cannot turn them down. If they ask you to spar, it is that they are taking an interest in your progress and it would be an insult to refuse. On the other hand, don't ask someone above your rank to spar. This could be interpreted as a challenge. Be careful what one asks for because one may not like the answer.

I'm not sure that's I've answered your question directly, but, nonetheless, there they are! I've always felt the the Shindokan Hombu had more class structure, rituals and displays of respect than most others. Irregardless, these were established by our Soke, and some things were added and/or subtracted from the above over the years for one reason or another by Dai-Soke, the Executive Team, the Administrative Team, the Instruction Team, and/or the Board of Regents.

[JiuJitsuNation]

Thank you for that Sensei8. Interesting. Very structured.

Edited July 5, 2010 by JiuJitsuNation

[DWx]

Good topic JiuJitsuNation

- When entering the training hall we bow if there is a senior rank to yourself already in there. If the only people in the room are junior or the same rank you don't have to bow but the majority of people do as a sign of respect to those they are going to train with.

- Its the senior student's responsibility to get everyone lined up in rank order and ready to start.

- At start of class, the senior calls for "charyot" (attention) and then bows everyone in to the instructor(s) & masters (if there are any present).

- If a master (7th dan and above) enters during training, the first person to see them calls attention, everyone stops what they are doing and bows to them before resuming the session, unless a higher ranking master is already present in the room.

-If you arrive late, get yourself ready as quietly and as quickly as possible then wait at the side until the instructor signals for you to join in.

- Turn away from your seniors when adjusting your dobok and belt. Ideally if you can turn away from both your seniors and your juniors do so but if not, turn away from the senior rank.

- At the end of the session, bow to the instructor and masters on the command of the most senior student. Then the second in seniority bows everyone to the senior student who then dismisses the class.

While we are respectful to our seniors we don't have to treat them as though they are a member of royalty, we are all there to train, no matter what rank. So bumping into people when sparring usually results in both parties apologizing and moving. TBH, we're not all that strict in our school but a lot of schools in the org enforce these rules + more.

* Direct all training related questions to the black belts and/or to Dai-Soke, Kaicho/Chief Instructor, Kancho, and the members of the Board of Regents. Only they are qualified to teach Shindokan.

This is interesting as it is pretty much the opposite of what we do. In the first instance we are supposed to consult our peers with technical questions, if they don't know or can't provide a satisfactory answer we can ask the same question to someone slightly higher in rank and if they don't know keeping going until you reach the blackbelts. If they still don't know you've asked a really really good question and should probably ask the instructor now. Its to make sure that even the lower ranks fully understand what they are doing to the point that they can explain it to another person and if you are asking the instructor, he knows that it is probably something he should cover for the whole class if that many people don't know.

[Jay]

As I do Jeet Kune Do, there are very little formalites. Some schools will include a bow at the beginning but to tell the truth I don't even know how to do it. It is not enforced at all. We arrive we get straight into training and then we go home. I pretty much like it that way plus I very much like the fact we train in shoes thats one of the best aspects.

We do still refer to our teacher as sifu, but there is no lining up in rank order or anything. Nobody in the room really knows anyone elses rank its on a bit of paper somewhere at home.

I hear back when Bruce Lee was teaching Jun Fan he was very formal, this can be seen in a number of photos. He always wore tradition chinese attire, insisted that younger students respected older ones as their seniors. Rank was given on a how long you have been training basis. Its strange for a man that was trying to liberate people from tradition he was very traditional.

[ps1]

Our traditions are very informal. In all honesty, there's more of a locker room mentality. We bow at seminars because that's how most schools do things and certainly how Pedro does things. But at our school the class usually begins with us circling up and poking fun at one another and telling jokes while doing warm ups. We're attentive to the instruction at all times. We respect everyone equally, regardless of rank. It's very different than most schools, but it works for us.

[ShoriKid]

Stealing your list and shortening it a bit there JiutisuNation. Not overly concerned about belts hitting the floor, but we have a few of our own.

We bow in and out of class.

Students line up in order of rank.

We never adjust our gis and belts facing an instructor or higher rank.

When we roll (spar) we always give way to higher ranks. Meaning that if we bump into or get close to another pair and one or both is higher rank the lower ranks will get up and move to give the higher ranks the mat space.

We never wash our belts.

We take great pride in wears our belts so much they wear out. Another reason we don't wash them as some people do this just to wear them faster.

Adding to the edited list above.

If your belt comes off during training, that's fine. Don't forget your belt though. If you do, you'll have to "earn" it back from one of the Senseis who found it. Usually with time on the mats after the regular training is finished.

Attack the rank. If you are the lower rank you set the pace and the level of contact when sparring. That being said, don't try to lay back or be passive.

Instructors are to be addressed as "Sensei", "Sir/Ma'am", "Mister/Miss(es)" at all times.

At the end of each class after coming to attention and bowing out, hands are shaken all around and everyone thanks each member for the training and class/hard work.

[sensei8]

* Direct all training related questions to the black belts and/or to Dai-Soke, Kaicho/Chief Instructor, Kancho, and the members of the Board of Regents. Only they are qualified to teach Shindokan.

This is interesting as it is pretty much the opposite of what we do. In the first instance we are supposed to consult our peers with technical questions, if they don't know or can't provide a satisfactory answer we can ask the same question to someone slightly higher in rank and if they don't know keeping going until you reach the blackbelts. If they still don't know you've asked a really really good question and should probably ask the instructor now. Its to make sure that even the lower ranks fully understand what they are doing to the point that they can explain it to another person and if you are asking the instructor, he knows that it is probably something he should cover for the whole class if that many people don't know.

Yeah, let me clarify this some. We absolutely encourge every kyu ranked student to go to their Sempai for any and all kind of assistance. What that rule is stating has some ambiquity, therefore, ask any and all black belts for the final word on anything that's Shindokan.

Having now seen the ambiquity in this statement; I'll change it properly so that there's no amiquity whatsoever, and I'll change it immediately. Thanks for bringing this is our attention.

[KarateGeorge]

My school is fairly non-traditional in some regards, with our sensei having thrown gis out and going to workout pants and a school t-shirt, we do wear rank belts however. But as far as how classes are conducted our traditions are fairly similar to those already mentioned:

*We bow in at the start and end of class.

*If you aren't a black belt and you're late for class, you wait at the sidelines until a black belt turns and bows you in. If you are a black belt and you're late for class, everybody stops what they are doing and turns to face the arriving black belt to bow them in.

*Kyu ranks never face a black belt when tying or adjusting their belts.

*When bowing in and out of class, students line up in rank order facing the black belts. If you forgot your belt and there are multiple people at your same rank, you line up at the beginning of your rank's spot in line.

*Once bowed in and class starts, we are fairly informal as we are all there to train. Everybody is expected to show proper respect in class, but its done within a more casual atmosphere. During tests, however, the members of the testing board are to be addressed by title, such as Shi-Han or Sensei, or as Sir/Ma'am.

[Lupin1]

Wow. Our adult class seems extremely informal compared to pretty much all of you:

-We never bow and the only time we line up is for drills and promotions, but we never line up in order of rank.

-The only one who calls anyone sir is the head instructor, who calls the other instructors sir (not for any reason-- that's just what he does).

-We don't call anyone sensei, but I call all the instructors Mr. ____ mostly because I grew up knowing them and was taught to do that as a kid and never broke the habit. The other adults just call everyone by their first name, though.

-We don't wear jewlery mostly for safety issues and if you accidentally wear it, the head instructor uses it to remind everyone what a "force multiplier" is by doing something with it that causes you pain.

-Uniforms are optional on the one day a week we wear them and can be any color and a patch is optional. And if we want we don't have to wear the jacket or we can roll the sleeves up or one guy even cut his sleeves off. It's pretty much anything goes in the adult class.

-We're allowed to swear and say pretty much whatever we want as long as there are no kids around.

The kids class has a few more rules than us. They line up by rank and bow at the beginning and end of every class, they're required to wear gis to every class which need to be white, and they're required to call all the instructors Mr. _____ (which is how I developed the habit).