Bow

[Tote]

"How does one perform the bow properly?

 

OK, so your instructor is going to make you bow whether he does it like an idiot or not. Or, maybe you find me to be overreactionary and you refuse to stop making your students bow to you. Maybe you like pretending you are a Samurai. Perhaps your instructor thinks that his hour at the dojo might earn him a role in the movie Shogun. What are you going to do? Learn to bow properly, that's what. You need to attempt to make your pretending-to-be-in-Japan psuedo-bow as inoffensive to the natives as possible.

 

Most importantly, remember that most young Japanese do not bow very often, nor do they bow correctly. At the risk of sounding like Dr. Suess, they don't know how to bow. Most Westerners who take karate, kendo, and aikido are more versed in bowing than your average Japanese college kid. Large corporations usually train their new employees in how to bow when they join the company through a strict class on etiquette and behavior. Until then, most Japanese don't know doodoo about bowing.

 

If you watch Japanese TV, you'll see a 17 year old girl who is studying to be a geisha explaining to a talk show host about how to bow properly, and he'll act as though he is hearing this stuff for the first time. He is. He doesn't know anything about traditional Japanese society anymore than you know how to speak Middle English. Bowing is not the fine art in Japan it once was. So, when you bow, it is doubtful that anyone under the age of 25 is going to know whether or not you are doing it right.

 

Look down

 

You should look down, not at the face of your opponent. The Japanese think that looking up with your face when you bow is very rude. But, ever the vigilent distributor of maximum *, Hollywood done whatever possible to convince all of us that a proper bow involves lifting your face so that you can see your opponent. Utter nonsense. Do it that way, and the Japanese will think you look like the doofus you probably are.

 

Besides, there is no reason to watch anyone when you bow to them. Anyone attacking someone while they are bowing during a karate training exercise is going to get sent home, suspended from practice, and perhaps expelled from any reasonable karate club. It's not allowed. And, since we don't run around bowing during our regular lives as Westerners, we don't need worry about bowing to a real opponent - not that a Japanese would bow to a mugger. So, you can see that the idea of watching you opponent is utter bull. Only in a movie would a martial arts hero bow to someone he was about to beat the stuffing out of.

 

From the waist with a straight back

 

Bowing should be performed from the waist, not with the neck. You should bend forward only about 30 degrees or so, hold for a half second, then return to the upright position. Don't bow too shallow or too deep - 45° is the lower limit, and 20° is the upper limit. Bowing only from the neck is what typical Japanese kids do when confronted by someone who bows to them politely and they uncomfortably try to figure out how to show humility. They bow, but badly.

 

When

 

One generally bows to the instructor when they enter the Karate school, when the leave the Karate school, when they are about to spar with someone, and when they have finished sparring. There is also a ritual bowing performed at the beginning of the class and the end of the class to the instructor and to his instructor. Depending on your instructor this may be a standing bow, or a bow from the "sitting" seiza position. Your seniors in your class will instruct you on the proper form of this bow.

 

You do not have to bow every time you approach the instructor. You don't have to bow every time you are given some instructions or corrected. You don't have to bow every time the instructor tells you to move from here to there. Try to minimize the amount of bowing you engage in. Bowing too much makes your expression of false humility look as fake as it really is.

 

No drama, please

 

Don't bow melodramatically, even in a competition. Bow gently but purposefully, without any great pause. Some people make a ridiculous show of bowing every time that they do it. A melodramatic bow is as disgusting as an overzealous handshake from a used car salesman. The key word here is "tasteful." Try to make your motions elegant, understated, and subtle - not flamboyant.

 

Women Bow Differently

 

Women bow with their hands on their thighs or with their hands crossed in front of them, men generally "hold their rears." In karate uniforms, both men and women bow by putting their palms at their sides with their fingers nearing their buttocks. Do not slide your hands down your legs when you bow. Do not slap your legs when you bow. Sliding your hands and slapping your legs give you the ambience of a furry barbarian who smells like a cheeseburger, which is what you are to the Japanese."

 

http://www.24fightingchickens.com/101/22_behave.html

[mArTiAl_GiRl]

If you want to bow its cool but you amricans need to learn how to bow right if your going to do it.

 

[Tibby]

That is very interesting, but who said anything about Japanese bowing? lol, I can't speak for many, but I have taken 2 Japanese martial Arts, and I've alway all bowed from the waist, head down, the lowest rank going lowest. The only thing I don't do it the hand palcement you talked about in the end. I've normally bowed hand at my side.

[shotokanwarrior]

If you have ever been to japan everyone bows and they are not martial artist. It is part of the custom sort of like shaking hands here. They even take off their shoes on the house. This is all part of the art and custom, you can always find a school that does not do it.

[Tote]

If you have ever been to japan everyone bows and they are not martial artist. It is part of the custom sort of like shaking hands here. They even take off their shoes on the house. This is all part of the art and custom, you can always find a school that does not do it.

 

Its obvious that you have not been to japan. Bowing is dieing in japan, hardly anyones does it anymore unless the do costumer sevise for a living.

[shotochem]

I don't get it. If you're a karateka, then why the heck do you ask about: should I bow or not? (I dont mean to be unfriendly or something, but isn't it already known or kept in mind that you practice martial arts and the main thing is showing respect??)

 

You have to bow anyway, if it is Karate you practice, I mean, hey it shows respect, you HAVE TO bow, it is Karate, understand? If for example a judge shouts: and ..... second place!

 

And when it's you, you go for the medal and you must bow to the people and then to the judges. I can't immagine a karateka winning first place, gold medal at some kind of World Champinships and then not bow.

 

Geez, I wouldn't call that person a karateka.

 

I train with many religious people in our dojo. Some of them do not bow due to religious objections. They are not any less a karateka than I. When engaged in drills or sparring with each other we exchange a nod of respect then begin. The problem is not the respect it is the humility. They will not bow before any one but their God. I train with Jews, Muslims, Christians and Hindus this is what the religious ones have explained to me. There are some that will also bow to fellow students while standing facing each other but will not kneel and bow. It is a personal choice based upon what they believe. I occasionally feel kind of riddiculous bowing at times but when in Rome I tend to go along with it as I do not have any religious objections. I tend to find the whole bowing thing amusing since I'm not Japanese and I probably look like a fool bowing in my funny white pajamas.

[Sasori_Te]

*Shotochem* wrote:

 

I train with many religious people in our dojo. Some of them do not bow due to religious objections. They are not any less a karateka than I. When engaged in drills or sparring with each other we exchange a nod of respect then begin. The problem is not the respect it is the humility.

 

I think respect and humility are very difficult to separate from one another anyway. People that have no humility for anyone except god by whatever name you call him ( I am Christian also, but I have no problem respecting others ) tend to have no respect for anyone else except maybe themselves and then not always that. Bowing is way to show respect and give a tribute to the old masters at the same time. You're not worshipping anyone while doing this. It is my personal belief that these people have no true understanding of the art that they practice. Of course I always make a point to explain this to my new students. As I said before, it's a part of the art that I find promotes several good qualities. If my new students have a problem with that then they are always more than welcome to train somewhere else. No harm no foul. If I seem to contradict myself here I'll be more than happy to explain in my next post.

[Goju1]

"How does one perform the bow properly?

 

Look down

 

You should look down, not at the face of your opponent. The Japanese think that looking up with your face when you bow is very rude. But, ever the vigilent distributor of maximum *, Hollywood done whatever possible to convince all of us that a proper bow involves lifting your face so that you can see your opponent. Utter nonsense. Do it that way, and the Japanese will think you look like the doofus you probably are.

 

http://www.24fightingchickens.com/101/22_behave.html

 

Not necessarily - some formalized bunkai teach eye contact during bowing since you are 'engaged in combat' and watching your opponent to make sure they are finished or have given up. Most Dojo bowing should, of course, be done without eye contact as a form of respect. I say - bow if in doubt, ya can't have too much respect in the world!

[shotokanwarrior]

I have not been to japan but my friend in the air force was stationed there, maybe they only bow to americans but they sure did to him so how is it dying. not everyone here in america shakes hands so is shaking hands dying? no its part of how we greet people and the tradition of japan is to bow and that is honored when we study an ART CALLED KARATE.

[Sasori_Te]

You tell 'em Shotokanwarrior