When you’re bowing, you can say “onegaishimasu,” which, roughly translated, means “Please,” i.e., please teach me, please help me, please hold class, etc. “Shoumen ni rei!”: Bow to the front of the room (this signifies bowing to the institution of karate and to the line of instructors who brought it to your instructor). “Mokusou!”: quite meditation – just lower your gaze, relax, and breathe. “Seiza!”: sit down in seiza, so that knees are aligned with the person on your left. If class size is big, the senior student may ask you to form more than one line, in which case, you should try to line up so that the lines are approximately of the same length. Try to line up so that the instructor is right in the middle of the line. When you hear “Line up!” or “One line!”, stand shoulder to shoulder facing the front of the dojo, in rank order. If you arrive just as everyone is kneeling at the beginning, don’t move, don’t make any noise, just wait until warming-up starts, and bow in as described above. Then bow kneeling, get up, and quickly join the group. Wait until the instructor acknowledges you. If you are late, bow in, then quietly kneel near the entrance. Slide your hands back up to their initial position on the thighs, this time with the left hand slightly behind the right hand.īow, standing at the entrance, facing the dojo or towards the front of the dojo, whether you are entering or exiting the dojo. Bow at the waist, taking a little longer than for a standing bow (forehead comes close to the floor, but does not touch it). Palms should touch the floor to show deep respect. Do the same with the right hand, so that the right hand motion is slightly behind (in time) the left hand motion. Slide the left hand from the thigh to the floor immediately in front of the left knee (not too far in front, i.e., left elbow shouldn’t touch the floor). For anatomical reasons, men should have about a fist or two’s width between their knees, women should have knees together. Rest left hand (hand open, fingers together) on left thigh and right hand on right thigh, so that fingers point inward. Keep back straight and shoulders relaxed. Big toes of left and right feet should overlap (either one on top). Place left knee on the floor then right knee.

The whole bow takes about a breath’s length. Bend at the waist, about 20 degrees forward. Keep knees straight elbows straight and relaxed hands open and at the seams of your pants (the outside of your legs) fingers together. Stand with heels together, feet pointing slightly outward (like a “V”).

Bow to your sensei