While our Club follows
minimal etiquette or protocols, the one that I think is the most important is
bowing. We bow on the following
occasions:
- Upon
entering and leaving the dojang, (or training area, such as the mat)
- Start
and finish of classes or Testing Session
- When
working with a partner.
- Formal
sparring
I see the act of
bowing important for many reasons, but I want to focus on when entering the
dojang. One major reason we bow before
entering the dojang is so we can leave the outside world and events outside and
prepare ourselves mentally to focus on what happens inside the dojang: practicing
and studying a martial art.
When is the last
time you spent a moment and let your day go before you entered the dojang?
When is the last
time you bowed entering the dojang and said I am happy to be here and ready to
learn?
The attitude and
energy you bring into the dojang will determine how well you enjoy the class
that night, how much you may learn that night, the type of experience you will
have and the type of experience your fellow students will have as they interact
with you.
If you are
distracted and not focused on learning, how much and how well do you think you
will learn?
If you are
distracted, how well do you think you will practice?
If you had a bad
day and are still thinking about that or spending the class time thinking about
the rest of your night or tomorrow, do you think your partner will enjoy
working with you? Do you think your
partner that evening will get the most of his/her experience that night?
Especially
considering what we practice can do damage, should you be practicing if you are
not focused? If you have other motives
of being there – waiting for traffic to clear or just wanting to escape work
for an hour and we are doing a drill that is intense or sparring, should you
participate?
As instructors, how
good do you feel about your teaching session if you are tired or
distracted? How much do you think your
students will get out of your session?
We owe it to each
other, our fellow students and instructors, to show up and be present when we
are participating in class sessions and bring a positive attitude and energy
ready and willing to learn and practice.
One student or one instructor that is not present, distracted, or really
wanting to study/learn that night can change the experience for everyone for
that night from positive to not positive.
So, when you bow
before entering into the dojang, spend a moment and let your day go, be happy
to be entering the dojang and be ready to learn (and/or teach) and practice
with an open mind.
Regards,
Kelly
“As you think, so shall you become.” ~ Bruce Lee, (1940 –1973)
American-born Chinese Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune
Do
