Etiquette

Of etiquette is the entirety of the rules of courtesy and manners. Of kern of etiquette: take into account the feelings of others and the customs in society, in all situations in which people interact with each other.

There is also a "karate etiquette". Many of these "rules for inside and outside the dojo’ obvious, but sometimes it is good to be reminded of it every now and then. Oh yes, just read it through…

General rules
Bend ('King') when you get the dojo enters.	OSU!
Bend when you get the dojo leaves (in the direction of the dojo!).
Say OSU! (speaks from ‘OES!’) when you bend.
Bend when you go to the sensei goes.
Bend when you turn from the sensei runs away.
Bend before you start Kumite.
Bend when you get it Kumite ends.
Bend if you change partners.
Bend when you have a Word of Shihō starts or ends.
If you have to leave the training earlier, let the sensei know that in advance.
Be on time for the training.
Can't come to the next training, let the sensei know that.
Do not wear jewelry during exercise.
Keep your nails short and clean.
Do not snack during training (so no chewing gum).
Show respect for each other, also for beginners. (Remember that you once started like that yourself!)
If you like one side of the dojo to the other, do that quickly, do not delay.
Push yourself to the limit during training, even when you are tired
Do not use karate outside of the dojo.
Treat your fellow human beings with respect, both inside and outside the dojo.

Sit in ‘Seiza’

The correct way to sit down, as is done at the beginning and at the end of the lesson (marked with ‘Seiza’) is as follows: first put the left knee on the floor, than the right knee. You open your hands, palm down on your legs. Your back keeps you straight. As it is said “King” (greeting), “Sensei-ni-rei” (greeting to teacher) of “Otaga-ni-rei” (greetings to fellow students), then you put your left hand on the ground in front of you, then your right hand next to it, you bend over and back again, where you withdraw your right hand first, then your left hand. When getting up, put your right leg up first, than your left leg. Some schools use a system where getting up is in order of tire height, of course the sensei first. But at other schools it just goes all together again…

 

Tying the tie (‘obi’)

Tying the belt is more difficult than you might think. But with a few practice you will get it. Tie your tie (either you ‘obi‘) as follows:

	1. First fold the right part of your jacket, then the left part. Now take your band and hold the ends together to find the center of the band.
	2. Then place the center of the band on the stomach just below the navel.
	3. Pull the band around your stomach behind your back.
	4. Behind your back, now take the tire on your left (so the band that comes from your right side) and cross it under the band coming from your left side.
	5. Now pull both ends back for the middle of your belly, so that the end that is now on your left side comes forward at the bottom and the end on your right side at the top. Make sure the band fits well around your waist. The belt must not be twisted and must not cross anywhere.
	6. Now cross the right end over the left.
	7. Now push the right end under the left end and the part of the band that was already around your stomach upwards.
	8. Now tighten this first knot.
	9. Now take the top end of the band (on the left side) and bend it down over the right end. 10. It is not visible in the drawing, but to make the next step easier, it is best to bend the right part to the left, below through the left part, so that a cross is formed with the left end over the right…
	11. Now get the left end (so the end that lies on top of the cross) under the right end through the hole (that by step 10 originated) up to make the second knot, in the drawing (step 10 you should skip it!) becomes just the other end (the right) first under- and then inserted along the raised end to be inserted through the hole created thereby. Just follow the arrows…Also pull this one (second) now tie tightly and make sure both ends are the same length.
	12. If the directions are followed and the knot is properly tied, then the (outer) knot have an arrow shape with the point pointing to the right and both ends are now the same length.