A question that gets asked a lot is, “Why do you bow, what does it mean?”
That is a good question….
We are teaching Japanese martial arts and to fully appreciate and learn the arts you need to have an appreciation of the Japanese culture which created the arts. Japan is a small island country of 377km2 similar in size to our state of Victoria which is a little smaller at 237km2. However the population of Japan is a whopping 127 million compared to a mere 5.8 million in Victoria.
When you have a huge population living close together life is either orderly or chaotic. In Japan everything is orderly and everyone is respectful. For example, as you can imagine trains in Japan can be extremely crowded. However when the train pulls into the station it ALWAYS stops at the same position. The people at the station queue patiently in lines at the edges of the doors. This allows a wide opening for everyone to exit the train quickly and efficiently. Only when the last person exits the train do people start to board. By comparison in Australia the trains never stop at the same position so people are all along the platform. When the doors open there is a fight to get out of the train as people are rushing in to get a seat. Especially at rush hour, it is chaos. In Japan every time the train pulls in, it is like rush hour in Australia but there is no rush. This is because of the inherent respect the Japanese people have for each other.
Another example; you often see people in Japan wearing face masks. Why…
- Is the air pollution so bad?
- Are they afraid of catching a cold?
- Are they bank robbers?
The answer is surprising and simple, the person wearing the mask either has a cold or feels they are coming down with a cold. They wear the mask out of respect for their family, friends, neighbours and people they do not know. They do not want to spread the germs they carry to anyone else. Again it is a simple act of respect.
So what does boarding trains and wearing face masks have to do with bowing? They are all acts of respect. So through promoting respect in the dojo we hope to also teach our students that respect should be an integral part of their everyday life.
At the beginning and end of each class we have three commands and bows.
- Shomen ni rei (Bow to the front)
Everyone turns to the front of the dojo and bows. The front of the dojo may have a photo of a Sensei (teacher) that has passed away or a flag of your country. By bowing to the front of the dojo you are paying respect to the place you train (your dojo). It is a reminder that this is a place of learning and we must be respectful at all times.
- Sensei ni rei (Bow to the teacher)
Everyone faces the teacher and bows. You are saying thank you to the teacher for teaching me. The teacher is bowing back and saying you are welcome.
- Otagai ni rei (Bow to each other)
This is a bow to each other. We are thanking everyone that took part in the class for their efforts in making the class a success. Also for assisting you in improving your skills.
We also bow when we:
- Enter/leave the dojo (training hall)
- Step on/off the tatami (mat)
- Starting/finishing practice with your partner
- Request assistance from the Sensei (teacher)
The act of bowing is a non-verbal way of saying “Thank-you”. It is essentially the Japanese equivalent of shaking hands.