That is not martial arts!

[Spartacus Maximus]

The trend observed was widespread in an entire region spanning four cities and their wider area. This was not limited to a single governing body, style or even martial art. So much so that the trend has become the dominant if not the only image of martial arts in that area. The only thing yet to be determined is when this trend started because it is doubtful that it was that way no more than a decade ago.

[RW]

I enjoy a certain aspect of martial arts that is NOT religious, merely different, perhaps cultural, or traditional.

Before each class, students bow and then "meditate". I am not sure all students know what's up, but in theory you're supposed to clear your mind and focus on your breathing.

You bow to the teacher and to your fellow students. It's nothing religious, it's simply keeping it as it's always been practiced.

There's supposed to be a certain code of conduct, you know, not being a bully, etc. Then there's some rituals like bowing before putting on your belt, or making sure your belt never touches the ground. hey're just traditional/flashy things, but there's nothing religious about them. Maybe there was at some point, but not anymore

[sarah]

I tell my students (adults and children) that bowing is how we say 'hello' and 'thank you' in Korean. Then after a few weeks I teach them the Korean word for thank you, to say when they bow to another person. They enjoy it.

Even if the formality isn't understood culturally, it does encourage a group sense and keeps people safer when they train. But if you're inventing formalities because you're trying to get a bit more money out of students, it's not so great.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Bowing and other such traditional martial protocol is never an issue, except on the very rare occasion that some uninformed, ignorant individual decides to see some kind of spiritual meaning in it that is not, nor has ever been there. If it is not a bow, then it is other similar gestures. Every single known martial arts system has these, no matter what their culture of origin.

In this case the problem observed is ethical. It was immediately obvious that the instructors were misinterpreting and misrepresenting what they were doing either willfully to profit from it; or unknowingly because they themselves were taught that way.