Karate School Etiquette Explained By Japanese Sensei

The dojo is a very special place, unlike any other martial arts school or gym. And in today's video, you're gonna learn about the correct behavior, manners, and etiquette of a traditional Japanese dojo. Keep watching. What's up, I'm Jesse from karatebyjesse.com, aka The Karate Nerd, and today, I am joined by my very good friend, Sensei Yusuke, right here in Tokyo, Japan. Thank you so much for having me here. No problem. And I'm looking forward to hearing what you have planned for today's content, because a lot of foreigners love to come to Japan and practice in a real dojo, but there are many things that they need to consider, right? Yes, there are. So let's take it from the beginning. What is the first thing that somebody needs to keep in mind in a traditional dojo? When you go into a Japanese household in general, you have to take off your shoes, put the heel side close to you. And then you bow. Yes. Correct? So you put the shoes down, get your jacket, everything on your shoulders down. Yeah. Hold that to your side and bow. And is there anything special you should be saying as you bow when you enter the dojo? So you say, And what is the translation of this phrase? Excuse me, I guess. Okay, like may I enter? Yes, may I enter. And then what is the next step? After you've entered the dojo, what should you think about then? So I guess there are, if there's a senpai or a sensei already inside the dojo, before doing anything, you go to them and you say konnichiwa. Okay. Or konbanwa or whatever time is correct. And if there are nobody there, then you put your stuff down. But if there's a point that you should consider when putting your stuff down, you don't want to throw it on the ground. You want to place it nicely on the ground. Is there a specific order you should put things? I wouldn't say there's an order, but let's say you're putting down something. Let's say you're putting down your belt. Yeah. And if there are lines on the floor, then I guess you want to put it alongside the line. You don't want it to be like this. Okay, so it should be kind of neat. Yeah. Yeah, okay. Interesting. Okay, so then you probably start getting changed. You put on your karate gi and your belt, and then you head into practice. Yes. So then when everything starts, usually people line up for the traditional bow, the seiza. And what are things that people should know about the bow? So, I mean, this is also different between dojos, but I guess the two common steps that we take is that we bow to the front and we bow to each other. Right. So those are the two steps. And when we bow to the front, the sensei or the oldest person in the dojo would say, shoumei, which means to the front. Okay. And then he will say, rei, which means bow. Yeah. So we bow. And then after that, we bow to each other. Right. So if the sensei is behind you, then the students turn around. Right. And we say, otagai ni, rei. Otagai ni means to each other. So, and rei is the same word. So we bow to each other. And then you also keep bowing during training. Yes. When you find a partner, for example. Right. So how does that work? Before starting, let's say you're doing a sparring practice. Before you do the actual sparring, you say, yoroshiku onegai shimasu. Ah, I see. Which means... It's a difficult term, right? Yeah. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu. I would say... Like mutual respect. Yeah, to show respect to the opponent. Like, please teach me or please train me. Yeah, let's have a good lesson. Yeah. So we can practice. Onegai shimasu. And when we're done with the lesson, or the practice section, we say, arigatou gozaimashita. Right. Which of course just means, thank you very much. Arigatou gozaimasu. And what are other considerations in the dojo? So, I guess the common mistake people make is that when a senpai, or someone older, or a sensei, who's a teacher, is watching someone train or do something, you're not allowed to cross in front of their eyes. Right. So you don't want to block their view. So the sensei, or whoever is higher ranked than you, should have a clear visible line. So, when you have to go in front of them, you can go down. Oh, you duck under? Duck under, or it's the best, if there's space behind them, you just go behind them. So what if you want, or if you need help from the sensei? Should you be like, hey sensei, come over here! Or is that wrong? You have to go to the sensei and say, itsurei shimasu. Okay. Which means, can I have your moment, please? Ah. Hey sensei! How's my kata? Give me an ad-vice. And a common thing that I have noticed, is that when Westerners, or foreigners, come to Japan and practice, they expect a lot of positive feedback from the sensei. They want a lot of encouragement. Yeah, that's good! But this is more of a Western thing, right? Maybe, yes. Yeah, in my experience, a Japanese sensei will not tell you that much. And if he tells you something, it's what you're doing bad, right? So if a sensei doesn't like you, he will just ignore you, right? But if he likes you, he will tell you everything you're doing wrong. But a Westerner might see this the opposite way. They think the sensei doesn't like them. I mean, I think it comes from a cultural background, where we don't really give them positive feedback all the time. Yeah. So maybe he'll point out problems, and once it's fixed, he'll say, it's a little better now. A little better. Not it's good, it's just a little better. Like I said, it all depends on the sensei. Yeah. So what do you think are other common mistakes that a Westerner might make in the dojo? Let's say during the practice, you're allowed to sit down. Yeah. When you sit down, first, you sit down in this position called seiza. Like we're in right now. Yes. And since this position is hard for some people, you can sit down in, what's it called? With your legs crossed? With your legs crossed. You bow down. Right. You say shitsurei shimasu when you do it, which means, please excuse myself. Yeah. And you're allowed to do it. Oh my God, I thought you were never gonna ask. Sit down like this. So this is more informal, right? Yes, yes. So if a sensei tells you to sit down, you should start with the seiza. And the sensei will tell you, please feel relaxed, or please sit down in a relaxed position. And then you say shitsurei shimasu. Right. And then you sit down like this. So what if somebody sits like this, or like this? No. Or like this? No, absolutely not. That's a big no-no. No, no. You're not supposed to do that. Because it's disrespectful, right? Yeah, it's always like this. It's either this or the seiza. Those are the only two. Only two options. Or you stand up. Right, exactly. If you're, yeah, like usual, if you have your legs straight, or your knees up, I think knee up would be the most taboo things to do. Really? So, yeah, you can't be like this. So always sit like that. Yeah, and this is a problem because many people, especially in today's society, are very stiff because they sit down a lot. So their hips are tight, their hamstrings are tight. They can barely sit in these positions. So, start stretching like this. Start stretching like this. Definitely. I mean, you can have your hands down here, but then, I mean, this is a cultural Japanese thing, but this would be unacceptable. Really? But then, I guess this would be okay. I mean, if you come to Japan, you have to consider those little things. Yes. Yeah. And these are the things that people who have never been to Japan might never understand because it's so woven into the texture of the culture and the society. But stuff like this, these kinds of nuances are what can take your karate to the next level, make you a more complete practitioner. So, what else? I guess one topic would be wearing your t-shirt. So, you are allowed to wear a t-shirt during the summer season because it gets really humid and hot in Japan. Okay, so let's clarify this. You can wear a t-shirt in the summer season when it's humid and hot. Right. However, when you start a lesson and when you end the lesson, you bow to the front and you bow to each other. During that time, you have to wear your doki. That's the most formal time of the lesson. Ah, right. So, you have to have this on. Okay, and does it have to be a white t-shirt? Can it be a pink or a yellow t-shirt? No, I don't think there's any limitations. Okay, and do you keep the belt on when you wear the t-shirt? You can. Okay. And I think you should. In my personal opinion, I think you should. So, you finish a lesson, you bow off, you go to the changing room, and maybe you wanna have a little snack after training. Is it okay to eat in the dojo? No. You wanna keep the tatami or the mat really clean. I see. So, you don't wanna be spilling everything on the tatami. No. So, when you eat or when you drink something, make sure you're off to the side. So tired. Me too. I've also heard that it's very important that you always run in the dojo. Is that true? Well, I wouldn't say you have to be running like I'm running. Not much. Okay. But you wanna be, let's say a sensei calls you. Yeah. You don't wanna be just walking slowly. Uh-huh. You wanna be there as quick as possible. So, maybe like jogging pace would be nice. Because you don't wanna waste time? Right. Or is it something to do with respect? Respect-wise and time-wise, I guess. Exactly. So, don't be a lazy bastard in the dojo. Make sure you move with haste. Right, exactly. And how about talking in the dojo? Some students love to just talk, talk, talk, talk. And they don't do a lot of training. Is this good? No, I don't think so. I've heard the term kuchibushi. Have you heard this? It's like a keyboard warrior. People that just talk, but don't really train. I guess, yeah. When practicing karate in general, I don't think there's any time to talk. Because during the kihon, which is the basics, there's no one in front of you. So, if you're talking, that's like talking to yourself. Which makes no sense. And I guess, when you do kata, that's gonna become an individual practice. So, it's possible for you to go to your friend and be like, what do you think about this? Or, you might be talking about yesterday's TV show. If it's related to karate, I think you're welcome to talk about it. If it's not related to karate, then just save that for later. But also, like you said, and especially for people who only practice maybe two or three times a week, you don't wanna waste that time. You wanna make sure you get as much repetition and training as possible. So, how about when you finish training? Are there specific points to take into consideration instead of just running out of the dojo and going home? Right, so, there are two points. Number one, you have to say goodbye and thank you for the lesson. So, you say this to someone older than you, so that would be your senpai or their sensei. And so, you go up to them, you say, shitsurei arigatou gozaimashita, which means thank you. And then you say shitsurei shimasu, which means I wanna excuse myself. So, those two words, arigatou gozaimashita, shitsurei shimasu. Then you bow, and then you leave. And number two would be cleaning of the place. So, let's say you put the bag down, and then you got all your karate mats, the mitts that you use, like your headgear, your mouthpiece and all that, something like that. You have to put it back to where it was. So, when you leave the dojo, it has to be really clean, like the way it was when you walked into the dojo. So, you wanna restore everything so it's perfect next time you come there and wanna start training. So, do you run with the towels? I've seen that in some dojos. I think, yeah, some dojos. And some just sweep it with a broom? Yes, yes. I think that differs. Okay, and who does the cleaning? Especially the youngest one. Okay. It has to be, you know, the first. Like the newest students? Right, but then, I mean, I mean, the older people can help out too. Yeah. But it's usually the youngest one that does it first. I see. Okay. Turn off the lights. Turn off the lights, turn off the air conditioner. Turn off the air conditioner. Close the door. Ah, close the door. Close the window. Okay, do it. Just say it. I'm not gonna ask you to do it. Okay. And let's say you're the last one to leave the dojo. You close the windows, shut the lights down, turn the AC, if there's AC, then turn it off, turn the fan off, do all that stuff, close the door, get the keys done, and then you get to leave. And don't lose the key. Yeah, don't lose the key. They've never done that. So I hope you guys enjoyed this, so you can now finally learn what it's like when you visit a real traditional dojo, because these things are super important. And it's all about respect and humility. Thank you so much. Sensei, for having me. And I hope to do more videos in the future. Yeah, see you guys next time. Cool. All right.