The opening ceremony to a traditional karate class is based on courtesy and respect. The specific procedure may vary from dojo to dojo, but the meaning behind it is generally similar.
| Surretsu | Line Up. | ||
| Seiza | Kneel in meditation posture. | ||
| Mokuso | Begin Meditation (Close Eyes) | ||
| Mokuso Yamae | End Meditation (Open Eyes) | ||
| Shomen Ni Rei | Bow to the Founder. | ||
| [Sensei] Ni Rei | Bow to the Ranking Instructor. | ||
| Students: [Sensei] Onegai Shimasu | “[Sensei], please teach me.” | ||
| Instructor: Hai | “Yes.” | ||
| Otagi Ni Rei | Bow to Fellow Students. | ||
| Musubi Dachi | Stand at Attention. | ||
A similar ceremony is performed at the end of each class. Note the differences in what is said.
| Surretsu | Line Up. | ||
| Seiza | Kneel in meditation posture. | ||
| Mokuso | Begin Meditation (Close Eyes) | ||
| Mokuso Yamae | End Meditation (Open Eyes) | ||
| Shomen Ni Rei | Bow to the Founder. | ||
| [Sensei] Ni Rei | Bow to the Ranking Instructor. | ||
| Students: [Sensei] Domo Arigato Guizaimasu | “[Sensei], thank you for teaching me.” | ||
| Instructor: Gokaru Sama Deshita | “Thank you for your efforts.” | ||
| Otagi Ni Rei | Bow to Fellow Students. | ||
| Musubi Dachi | Stand at Attention. | ||
A couple of details which may vary…
- “Sensei”, in the second bow, may be changed to a different title to reflect the level of instructor being addressed. Thus, at RSMA, we would change “Sensei” to “Kyoshi” when Kyoshi Baker is teaching. This would not generally be done for any instructor below the level of Sensei. If there is not an instructor of Sensei level or above on the floor at that time, then the bow would revert to the title of the head instructor of that dojo.
- The Dojo Kun is often recited during meditation. This may be done at either the beginning or the end of class, depending on the preference on the instructor.
- Sometimes “Standing Bows” are substituted for the full ceremony. In this case, the students perform the three bows from standing – meditation may or may not be omitted. Standing bows may be used if the class is running late. They may also be used by students who have injuries or conditions that make kneeling difficult.