Dojo Etiquette
DOJO ETIQUETTE
Good manners, courtesy and respect for karate-do traditions should be assets of great importance to each karate-ka. This requirement is underlined by our Dojo Kun. Showing suspect for dojo etiquette helps us all to carry the assets of courtesy and respect into our every day lives. Some of the more important elements of dojo etiquette are given below.
- Be proud of and respect your Association, Goju-Kai, and your Dojo.
- Upon entering or leaving your dojo, bow briefly towards Shomen, the front of the dojo. Shomen represents the Masters (past and present) of karate and other martial arts, but especially our Goju Masters, whom we thank for their teachings and guidance. The act of bowing before and after training sessions is a respectful Japanese way of greeting which should be done with thoughts of respect for the persons being greeted. The karate-ka should be more eager to bow than to straighten again and therefore it is said that one should bend to the count of three, and straighten to the count of four. A rapid up and down bow is like extending a hand to greet someone and then withdrawing it quickly at the first touch.
- Remove your shoes before entering the dojo. Make sure all clothing and shoes are placed neatly in the change room, or at the back of the dojo (if there are no change rooms). Out of necessity, many dojo are actually housed in halls and rooms not specifically intended for or designed for karate-ka are allowed during training times. Shoes should never be worn when walking in this area. If such an area can be designated, karate-ka should not enter this area before the Sensei of Sempai.
- Address all instructors as ” Sensei”, and all assistant instructors as “Sempai”.
- Humility is a valued asset to any karate-ka. Show humility at all times and always be prepared to assist those weaker than yourself, inside and outside the dojo.
- Respect karate-ka with a higher grade than yourself, irrespective of their ages. Show karate-ka with grades lower than yourself the same respect you would like them to show you.
- Accept constructive criticism form your Sensei with grace. He is only trying to get you to achieve your maximum potential.
- At the command ” Seiretsu”, line up immediately and quickly with the highest graded student on the left of the front row with lower grades to the right of him, continuing in the same way form the left of each following row. The Sensei and Sempai will stand on the left in front of the class. When a Shihan is present in the dojo, the above line up is reversed with the highest graded student standing on the right of the front row. The shihan will stand opposite the Sensei on the right hand side of the class.
- On getting down into, or rising from “Seiza”, sitting on your knees, the highest graded karate-ka will kneel or rise first, followed in sequence by the lower grades.
- When leaving your position in the ” Seiretsu” line up, always move behind the students in your row towards the side of the most senior instructor present.
- At the end of a training session, your Sensei may thank you for doing your best during training by saying, ” Gokuro san”. You may respond to thank your Sensei for his or her help and guidance by saying “Gokuro sama deshita”.
- Regular attendance is a key to good development. However, if you are unable to attend a training session, make your apologies to your dojo secretary or your Sensei.
- Arriving late for training is to be discouraged but is sometimes unavoidable. Should you arrive late, wait at the dojo door until your Sensei invites you to join the class. Arriving late regularly is a bad habit that must be corrected.
- The gi or karate suit is the only clothing that the karate-ka may wear during training. For reasons of modesty, woman and girls may wear plain white tee shirts where necessary. Training with a tee shirt for men and boys should be unnecessary and will even be uncomfortable as perspiration will be trapped close to the body. All too often male karate-ka train with tee shirts under their gi in an apparent attempt to keep warm and than walk form the dojo with their wet tee shirt into the cold night air without any tracksuit top or jacket. No tee shirt and a warm jacket for afterwards makes more sense.
- Jewelry, watches and other adornments are not allowed on the karate floor in respect for one’s fellow karate-ka. Such items can cause injury to others and oneself.
- The chewing of gum is another disrespectful behavior on the karate floor and may even cause you to choke during training.
- When it is necessary to remove or tie your belt, kneel down on your left knee with the left thigh up straight, and the right thigh extended parallel to the floor toward the front, right foot flat on the floor.
- Traditional dojo do not make provision for visitor seating. However, circumstances in the modern world usually make this necessary. Visitors must in no way participate in the actions on the dojo floor, and should especially refrain form side-line coaching. This only confuses the karate-ka especially if they already lack confidence.
- Karate-ka who attend training sessions but because of injury only watch and do not participate in training, must in any event participate in the bow- in and bow- out.
JAPANESE TERMS USED IN KARATE-DO DOJU-KAI
General
| Goju-Kai | Goju Association | Goju Ryu | Goju style (school) |
| Go | Hard | Ju | Soft |
| Karate-do | The way of the empty hand | Karate-ka | A student of karate-do |
| Gi | White training uniform | Obi | Belt |
| Hombu Dojo | Headquarters | Dojo | Training hall (the place of the way) |
At the Start of a Class
| Seiretsu | Line up | Seiza | Command to sit on knees |
| Mokuso | Clear mind | Rei | Greet by bowing |
| Ni taishite | Turn of face | Shomen | The front (of the dojo) |
Bowing in sequence (typical dojo sequence)
| Shomen ni (taishite) | Turn to the front of the dojo |
| Kaiso ni taishite | Turn to face our founder, Yamaguchi Gogen Hanshi |
| Yamaguchi Saiko Shihan ni taishite | Turn to face Yamaguchi Goshi Saiko Shihan |
| Bradon Shihan ni taishite | Turn to face Peter Brandon Shihan |
| Sensei ni ( taishite) | Turn to face the Sensei |
| Sempai ni (taishite) | Turn to face the Sempai |
| Otagai ni (taishite) | All students face forward to greet each other |
At the End of a Class
| Sensei may say | Gokuro san | Thank you for doing your best |
| Students may answer | Gokuro sama deshita | Thank you for your help and guidance |
| Or Sensei may say | Domo arigato gozai masu | Thank you very much |
| Students may answer the same | Domo arigato gozai masu | Thank you very much |
Counting and Numbers
| Ici | Ni | san | shi | go | roku | sichi | hachi | ku | ju |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Directions
| Hadari | Left | Migi | Right |
| Mae | In front of you | Mawashi | Round circular motion (Roundhouse) |
| Yoko | To the side | Ushiro | Behind you |
| Age | Upwards or rising | Otoshi | Downwards |
| Hantai | Opposite (foot or hand) | Mawate | Change to opposite direction |
Body Parts and Areas
| Jodan | Face area | Chudan | Body area |
| Gedan | Groin area | Hiza | Knee |
| Hiji | Elbow | Seiken | Fist (clenched fore fist that is punching) |
| Teisho | Palm | Tettsui | Hammer hand |
Training Forms
| Kihon ido | Basics movements | Shiho ido | Four point movement |
| Kumite | Free sparring | Yakusoku kumite | Prearranged sparring |
| Kata | Predetermined sequences | Bunkai | Application of a kata |
Techniques
| Uke | Block | Zuki | Punch | Ate | Smash | Uchi | Strike |
| Geri | Kick | Dachi | Stance | Kiai | Shout, hard breathing out |
Grades and Belts (kyu, dan and obi)
| Rank | Denoted by | Japanese Term |
| 10th Kyu | White belt | Shirobi |
| 9th Kyu | Red stripe | Shirobi ichi-akaisen to issho ni |
| 8th Kyu | Yellow belt | Kiirobi |
| 7th Kyu | Orange belt | Oreniobi |
| 6th Kyu | Green belt | Midoriobi |
| 5th Kyu | Blue belt | Oreniobi |
| 4th Kyu | Purple belt | Murasakiobi |
| 3rd Kyu | Brown belt | Chaobi |
| 2nd Kyu | Brown belt + 1 black/white stripe snr/jnr | Chaobi ichi-kursen/shirosen to issho ni |
| 1st Kyu | Brown belt + 2 black stripes (senior) | Chaobi ni-kursen/shirosen to issho ni |
| Dan grades | Denoted by | Japanese Name |
| 1st Dan | Black Belt, kurobi | Shodan |
| 2nd Dan | Black Belt, kurobi | Nidan |
| 3rd Dan | Black Belt, kurobi | Sandan |
| 4th Dan | Black Belt, kurobi | Yondan |
| 5th Dan | Black Belt, kurobi | Godan |
| 6th Dan | Black Belt, kurobi | Rokudan |
| 7th Dan | Black Belt, kurobi | Nanadan |
| 8th Dan | Black Belt, kurobi | Hachidan |
| 9th Dan | Black Belt, kurobi | Kudan |
| 10th Dan | Red Belt | Judan |
Honorary Titles
While the title Sensei can be applied to any instructor who has earned the title through the training regimes described in this booklet, additional honorary titles may be awarded to senior teaching ranks worthy of the title by virtue of their dedication, integrity, loyalty and contribution to Karate-do. These are:
| Renshi | for Yondan |
| Shihan | for Godan and above |
| Kiyoshi | for Rokudan and above |
| Hanshi |
Teaching titles
| Sensei | Teacher |
| Sempai | Assistant teacher or senior student assisting the Sensei |
| Oshi-deshi | Apprentice teacher starting a traditional Instructor’s course at the Hombu Dojo. |
Organizational Titles
| Kaiso | In the case of the I.K.G.A. this is Yamaguchi Hogen Hanshi |
| Kaicho | A president, director or grand master of a karate organization |
| Jokyo | A branch manager of at least yondan rank |
| Shedoin | Assigned instructor under the command of the Hombu Dojo of at least sandan rank |
Courtesy Titles
| Sempai | A student more senior than oneself, formally a black belt Assistant Instructor |
| Kohai |
A student more junior than oneself-hence the Bushido sempai-kohai code of mutual respect of Junior for senior, and senior for junior. |
Stauces
| Musubi dachi | heels together, each foot at 45″ |
| Heiko dachi | feet straight foreward, shoulder width apart, toes in line |
| Sanchin dachi |
balls of feet shoulder width apart, heel in line with toe, front foot heel turned outward at 45″ |
| Zenkutsu dachi |
long forward stance, back foot at 45″, front foot straight forward, back leg straight, front knee bent |
| Han-zenkutsu dachi | one foot-length shorter than zenkutsu dachi, otherwise the same |
| Shiko dachi | wide low stance, feet each at 45″ |
and therefore:
| Shakaku ( or yonjugodo, 45″) shiko dachi | and Chokkaku (or kyujudo 90″) shiko dachi |
Blocking Techniques
| Jodan uke | Block against a punch to the face |
| Chudan uke | block against a punch to the body |
| Gedan barai | block against a punch or kick to the lower body or groin |
| Kake uke | a hooking (grasping) block usually supported with teisho uke |
| Taisho uke | block with heel of palm |
| Mawashi uke | round complex block using both arms, covers chudan and gedan |
| Yoko uke shita barai | a combination block of chudan uke and gekan barai |
Striking Techniques
| Jodan zuki | punch to jodan, in practice aimed typically at the nose or chin |
| Chudan zuki | punch to chudan, in practice aimed typically at the solar plexus |
| Gedan zuki | punch to the groin, in practice also aimed at the knot of the belt |
| Mae hiji ate | elbow smash to opponent in the front |
| Nawasgu hiji ate | roundhouse elbow smash |
| Mae ura uchi | striking to opponent in front using the back of fist |
| Yoko ura uchi | striking to opponent to the side using the back of fist |
| Gyaky zuki | punching with back (or other) hand to jodan, chudan or gedan as required |
Kicking Techniques
| Kin geri | groin kick | mae geri | front kick to body or head |
| Hiza geri | kicking with knee | Kansetsu geri | thrusting kick to the knee or shin |
| Mawashi geri | roundhouse kick to gedan, chudan or jodan |
Commands used in training
| Keotsuki |
Come to the formal and respectful musubi dachi stance. Karate-ka with good Zanshin will respond immediately without being commanded to do so if any Karate-ka more senior than him or herself comes to the musubi dachi stance. |
| Heiko dachi yoi | come to a ready (yoi) position in the stance heiko dachi. |
| Yame | the much appreciated command after a hard practice, menaing relax. |
| Naote | the formal ending of a training form or kata. It involves crossed palm movements and returning to musubi dachi, making rei and then to heiko dachi yoi. |
and the all important
Hidari sanchin dachi no kamae-te our default starting kamae (posture), in left sanchin dachi making left chudan uke.
For interest, note that Japanese nouns do not have a plural form. Therefore to use the Japanese terms correctly we refer to one dojo and ten dojo, one karate-ka and many karate-ka, one kata and two kata. That is why wyou may hear a Japanese person talk about having three child, not three children.
