Visiting Another School of the MA!!

[Bulltahr]

Interesting to see this subject come up when last night I trained at a dojo in Moscow, Russia. Same style, but they do not bow in and out. I myself did, as that was what I was taught and it felt right to me, especially knowing that it was not going to offend anyone. I think that if you normally bow in and out then it is a demostration of your respect for the floor and the club you are visiting. If youdo not normally bow in and out then do whatever you normally do.

[Spartacus Maximus]

In all the dojos and schools visited the key to proper protocol has always been preparation in advance. This is where a good sense of observation is important. Most of the habits and rules of the dojo can usually be guessed by watching and imitating the regular students who have been there a while.

Details and precisions can be explained before starting, which is why making sure to arrive earlier is a good idea. A perfect understanding of all the protocol is not usually expected from a visitor, but any instructor will certainly appreciate the efforts and the fact that the visitor shows an interest in them. It goes a long way to show that the visitor is open to learn things which maybe different than whatever said visitor practises.

[Alan Armstrong]

Doing a karate bow in a kung fu school might not look like a sign of respect, it could however have the reverse effect.

Also, going bare footed in a kung fu school, wearing a karate gi, might not go over very well either.

Martial art etiquette does need reviewing, prior to visiting unknown or unfamiliar schools.

[sensei8]

However, isn't there another way to show respect without the pageantry of bowing??

We're not asked to bow, we're made to bow, in which we obey as though our lives depended upon it. I'm all for the respect and all, but way to often, I see the pageantry done as though the individual being bowed to is quite near worshiping.

I use to stand before Soke and Dai-Soke in complete obedience in pure awe, as though they were Godlike in appearance and mannerism; and with just one glance, I'd melt away to nothingness. In my youth, I feared them, in which, I blindly obeyed them without question(s).

[Spartacus Maximus]

There are countless ways to show respect of another’s space. The best way is just to show one's willingness and interest in the way things are to be done. Be open and ask questions. There is nothing wrong or contemptible with trying to understand. Not knowing something is not anything to be embarrassed or shy about.

[singularity6]

Doing a karate bow in a kung fu school might not look like a sign of respect, it could however have the reverse effect.

Also, going bare footed in a kung fu school, wearing a karate gi, might not go over very well either.

Martial art etiquette does need reviewing, prior to visiting unknown or unfamiliar schools.

That probably depends on who's running the school, and the style. I've seen some kung fu practitioners (in China!) wear uniforms that look very much like a karate gi. Many westerners lump anything "Asian" into an "Asian" category - I've been to dojos that have artwork from China, and to dojangs with Japanese writing, and not Korean. To some, "it all looks the same."

The bit about shoes is interesting, to me. I would not have considered that, even though I know that kung fu practitioners wear shoes! Would you be able to recommend a brand?

[bushido_man96]

If I'm walking into a formal, traditional MA school, I probably would. When I go to DT training, I do not, because its not the norm there.

[Trailer_Ape]

Yes I do. If I could not show respect for their school, I wouldn't go there in the first place. Plus it sdrves as a sign of peaceful intent - if you're trained in a combat art and walking into a place where people you don't know (and who don't know you) are gathered for the purpose of training a combat art, I think it helps show you are there for the "right" reason.

One poster said bowing is uncommon in Western culture. I disagree, I think it is VERY common but it is just not as deliberate or formal, more casual and subtle. How many times have you and a stranger lock eyes, while in public and each of of give that little "nod" before looking away? Where I'm from, it happens all the time. That is a bow. You're acknowledging each other and each other's space.

[LLLEARNER]

I use to stand before Soke and Dai-Soke in complete obedience in pure awe, as though they were Godlike in appearance and mannerism; and with just one glance, I'd melt away to nothingness. In my youth, I feared them, in which, I blindly obeyed them without question(s).

This reminds me of the kids in our school with wide eyes when the learn that Sensei knows, and talks to, their school teachers. I chuckle every time I see it.

[IcemanSK]

I bow when I enter a school not my own out of respect for the space and out of tradition. How I'm treated when I'm there is up to those who are there. I don't view bowing as any more of a big deal than offering my hand in a handshake.

When I was a teen, I idolized my instructors and clergy that I knew. I'm an adult now. I've learned that anyone can have a hidden agenda. My showing them respect doesn't alter that possibility. I try to show respect everyone I meet. I have no control over what they do with that act of kindness.