礼に始まり礼に終わる
Rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru
Everything begins and ends with respect
A good martial artist always behaves carefully. For the most part, traditional Japanese martial arts were born out of Japan’s Feudal era where even the smallest infraction or act of impoliteness could result in a fight or death. This is no more apparent than in the ill-fated tale of the 47 Ronin where events are set in motion because of a breach of etiquette. Understanding that one’s life could be lost because of some rudeness or carelessness, a samurai was always supposed to err on the side of decorum. Understanding this, decorum and etiquette were put into place to keep warriors safe rather than to oppress them. In modern martial arts, it is the same way. When I was a little kid, my older brother studied Kendo. Every Friday night, we had to go watch him train and it was so boring, and I hated it. The reason why I hated it was because if my younger brother and I were going to be inside the dojo, we were supposed to pay attention and maintain some level of decorum. My mother would never allow us to misbehave or slouch while the class was going on. This was in the 70s before smartphones and so we just had to sit there. Most of the time, we had to be inside because the dojo was in a bad neighborhood. Local gang kids would jump the fence and try to beat us up and so we were constantly seeking refuge inside the dojo. One night, a group of high school aged kids jumped the fence. It was like a scene out of the Karate Kid or something as they chased us into a corner. They were yelling some racial slurs and pushing us around. Just as they were about to beat us up, one of the Kendo teachers came out of nowhere and subdued the biggest kid with a choke and joint lock. As he wrenched the kid’s body, he said, “This is a dojo, show some respect.” Writhing in pain, the kid nodded. The Sensei gave him one last hard squeeze and said, “Good. Never come back here.” I’ll never forget the wide eyed and scared look on their faces as they ran out. He then looked at us and said, “You guys are making too much noise out here. Go inside and don’t forget to bow before you enter the dojo.” I remember that when he said that to us, I got scared. By those kids misbehaving and not adhering to the proper etiquette, it actually saved us. In the dojo and in life, our behavior dictates how others will treat us. Therefore, our actions have consequences and that is why a good martial artist always behaves carefully.
Today’s goal: Mind your manners. You never know who’s watching or what could happen.
Watch this video to better understand what it means to have manners