Bowing

Bowing is on the 6^th Kyu test requirements for the USAF.  I would like to talk about the specific bow described in the USAF literature, as well as some variations that I was taught.  As an oncology nurse, I find when my patients understand why I ask for something, they are more likely to remember it and more likely to follow the precautions they are asked for.  When you understand the why of bowing, you can figure out how to deal with new situations on your own.

A disclaimer:  Aikido formal etiquette goes back to feudal times and is a part of Japanese heritage.  The culture that gave us strict rules for how many lines and syllables in a poem, the classes in flower arranging, the deep ritual for how to make and drink tea – there are many things in the West that we gloss over and consider beneath notice that formal Japanese culture does not.  There are many layers and etiquette is much, much more complicated than anything I am going to write about here.

A second disclaimer:  The rules change in how they are understood and how they are enforced everywhere you go.  When in doubt, it is always good to bow.  Other people are going to have their own rules for their own dojo.  If a person of rank and respect in the dojo you are at is showing something different than you are used to, follow them.  When in Rome…

At our dojo, a standing bow at the doorway to the dojo, in the direction of O Sensei to start with.  Actually try to make eye contact with O Sensei, then lower your eyes.  Bow from the waist, about 30-45 degrees.  You should not need to throw your hips backward to stay upright.  When leaving the dojo, turn and face O Sensei again and bow in the same fashion.  If there is no picture, bow to the room.  Do not obstruct the flow of people to and from the dojo, and if they are blocking your view of O Sensei do not draw attention to this nor demand that they move out of your way.  You have already started to practice! 

Leave your shoes at the door.  Some dojo will request you wear a second set of indoor only shoes from the doorway to the mat.  These shoes should be left at the edge of the mat facing outwards with the heel against the mat and the shoes set neatly side by side.  If you are at such a dojo, never block the oncoming traffic with your shoes especially if it is the Sensei.  Do not take the spot right between the mat and the change rooms or the main exit or the Sensei’s change room.  If you are later than the other students and the mat edge is full of footwear, unobtrusively get your shoes set up in a second row.

Whether or not you have shoes, I was taught a standing bow off the mat facing O Sensei, then a kneeling bow once on the mat.  The standing bow is to the training space.  The second bow is to O Sensei and both hands go down together.  Your index fingers and thumbs touch.  You make eye contact before you bow, you lower your head and lose eye contact but not to the point that you need to put weight on your hands.  Bow in this same fashion when leaving the mat.  What you do with your shoes is also true of what you do with yourself – never stand where you are blocking other people’s practice or their ability to get on and off the mat. 

There is a bow where you put both hands together in a prayer formation in front of your third eye and then proceed.  Kawahara Sensei saw me do this once, and told me if I was not a practicing Shinto worshipper, I should not do this.  I respected his correction and I still do.

After lining up, the instructor bows to O Sensei with you, and this is the same bow as before with both hands going down together.  Then the instructor turns to face you.  In the past, your sword was on your left side and would be drawn by your right hand.  There were tricks around this, but this was the convention.  You make eye contact.  Your left hand lowers first, releasing your mental scabbard.  Then, the right hand leaves your waist and lowers to the ground after the left has touched.  You lower your head, but don’t put weight on your hands if you can help it.  You should not need to stick your butt up in the air to bow.  You keep a straight spine, and keep your connection to your root.  You start to bow before your instructor, and you finish you bow after he is finished.  Your right hand returns to your side first, with your head down, then the head comes up then the left hand hand returns.

To make eye contact is to identify whom you are showing respect to (make it personal and real), but you do not want to make this a challenging stare.  You are the junior, and it is not your place to demand eye contact if the instructor does not give it to you.  You are putting yourself in a more vulnerable position when you bow first and hold your bow longer, and that is a sign of trust.  In acting as though you have a sword, you are remembering you are asking to be part of a lineage and a history of a martial arts system.  Your instructor is teaching you this art; this is one way you show respect for what he has taught you.  To show too much deference, especially to a stranger is to show you are nonchalant and completely unconcerned about their abilities or that you aren’t paying attention and your mind has drifted somewhere else. 

The straight spine and rooted seiza is a position that you can do martial techniques from.  This is another sign that you remember that you are part of a martial lineage now and a sign of respect to your teacher.  To let your structure go when you bow shows that you didn’t pay attention in class, your practice is not mindful and that you don’t value what you are being taught.

You pause when your head is lowered.  The pause should be present, but not too long.  This is also a sign of trust and respect.

Between equals, bow at the same time.  Each piece of the bow is done at the same time.  Don’t interfere with the larger class or hold the class up! 

There is a common mistake to lower the hands one at a time, then lift them both together.  Kawahara Sensei once saw this and told us this was never a correct variation in any circumstance.  I assume the same goes for lowering hands together then bringing them back one at a time (usually seen when the student can’t handle their own body weight).

Be aware of Ma-ai!  Do not bow so close that the other person might bump heads with you.  If you both have weapons, bow from even further away so that the weapons will only make slight contact at the tip if drawn, or no contact at all. 

When your practice involves a line technique, you are finished being thrown when you have gotten right out of the way of other people throwing and falling.  This also shows awareness of Ma-ai, as well as concern and respect for the rest of the students.

An overly abbreviated bow that makes no attempt to pay attention to the person you are bowing to shows you really aren’t present or ready for practice.  In the past, this was an insult.

When the instructor calls for your attention, you need to briefly conclude practice with your partner (bow) and then watch the instructor (bow in gratitude for the instruction) and then bow to your partner again to resume practice.  If you just switch your attention to the instructor immediately, you could end up getting hit.

To test, you have bowed at the door and coming on the mat.  When you are called up, you come to the front of the dojo and you bow again to O Sensei.  Get in line, and bow at the same time as your uke. 

Kawahara Sensei did not demand we bow to him, but he was grateful when we did.  Here, it is convention that you bow to the examiner as you would an instructor.  Your instructor will be in a different place in the dojo, so you will have to move.  Do not stick your buttocks in the direction of O Sensei.  Again, get side by side or in a line and bow at the same time, moving at the same speed.  This will get you in the right frame of mind for your test with your uke.  Nage is not following Uke, nor is Uke following Nage.  You are together, moving as one.

Then, bow facing each other far enough apart that you cannot touch.  Take the time to line up cleanly before you bow, but line up quickly.

You can see each bow is like entering a new room:  The Dojo, the practice area, O Sensei, your instructor, your partner.  With each bow, you are entering deeper into practice.  To finish practice with your partner, you need to leave that room (bow to your partner).  To leave the test, you leave your partner, your instructor, O Sensei, the Tatami and then the Dojo.  You bow in the reverse order to how you entered your test.  If you have to leave class early, or you have an emergency, you follow this order.

When you know etiquette, it is tempting to use this as a means of judging someone else.  Etiquette should not be used as a substitute form of violence.  It is possible to show contempt for a person while following etiquette exactly, but this defeats the true purpose of Aikido in my opinion.  It is possible to communication respect and concern while making mistakes.  It starts with what is in your heart and mind, and I believe this is as important to Aikido practice as the external form. 

Once, I was driving Kawahara Sensei to the dojo to teach a class.  An elderly man had slipped on some ice and fallen and I apologized to Sensei, stopped the car and made sure the man was alright.  It was wrong for me to make Sensei late for class, but he seemed happy that I had stopped.

We have had Muslim students at our dojo recently.  O Sensei wrote, “The Art of Peace is not a religion.  It perfects and completes religions…The world has eight millions gods and I cooperate with them all.”  The Prophet wrote in the Quran that his followers should not bow to any man, and this is a centuries old practice followed by Islam.  They bow to God alone.  I respect this.  I can see if a person feels genuine respect, trust and concern no matter what their external body is doing.  Communication before class is important, and polite.

It is important to never be late, but it can happen.  Usually, it is accepted that we wait until being acknowledged.  One school had a very involved ritual around coming late, but I never learned it.  Another school let everyone come and go as they pleased in the middle of practice, and being late was no problem.  This is rare, and not to be counted on.  In a seminar situation in the CAF, it was expected that you would not interrupt the larger class and would quietly come on when the local instructor waived you on – different instructors will have different rules and waiting is always safer.  I was told in Hombu Dojo once that by waiting for the instructor to bow to me so that I could bow on, I was distracting the whole class and the instructor and that this was rude, selfish behavior.  The only sure-fire correct thing to do – be on time.

I was taught a standing bow with a weapon.  Some people like to do kneeling bows, of which there seem to be several variations and I am not an expert.  There seems to be a lot of confusion over Tachi-dori bowing.  I am of the opinion there never was a traditional, respectful method of a samurai taking someone else's sword away and then handing it back saying, "Best 2 out of 3?"  It would probably be an insult and a fatal mistake.  There are several ways.  I was taught to back up, put the weapon on the ground and then back up some more.  In the USAF, I was told this would slow the test down and draw things out.  The weapon gets handed back, without the blade or the point facing uke.