bowing etiquette for testing?

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[Sue Trinidad]

I keep meaning to ask this at the dojo, but I keep forgetting.

When you're testing, and the examiner says you're through, what's the order for bowing?

It feels to me like I should be bowing to my uke and also to the examiner, but I can't figure out who to bow to first, and I end up doing this weird diagonal compromise bow, which can't be right. . .can it? :confused:

Thanks!

[akiy]

Hi Sue,

I'm sure it depends on the dojo and the traditions therein. Best to ask your instructor about things like this.

Just as a data point, though, folks testing at our dojo when they begin their test go up with their partner (sometimes assigned, sometimes random) to the middle of the mat, bow to the shomen, then to the people conducting the test, and then to each other. At the conclusion, the process is reversed -- bow to each other, then to the people conducting the test, and then to the shomen.

-- Jun

[Pauliina Lievonen]

Well it could be different at your dojo...we do: portrait of Ueshiba-examiners-partner in the beginning of the test and reverse order at the end, except when the examiners get confused, which they frequently do, lol. The great thing is namely that usually one of them calls out which way you're supposed to bow so we don't have to worry about the order. :)

I'm sure there are all kinds of variations on this though so it's really safest to ask at your own dojo.

kvaak
Pauliina

[Sue Trinidad]

Oooh, I feel bad for forgetting O Sensei . . .

Thanks,

Sue

[stern9631]

My guess is that for safety reasons alone you should acknowledge the end of training first and bow to your partner.
This is just a guess that takes into account the martial nature of our art.

[kocakb]

hi;
we go (shikko) with our partner to the center of the mat, bow to the flag (and o'sensei picture),then to instructors (examiners) and to each other. They say suwari waza or tachi waza and we do the techniques. After they think that it is enough, they say mate and bowing is done from the end to the beginning (first uke, then instructors and flag at the end this time)...and go back to our places in shikko again...

[kironin]

Hi Sue,

I'm sure it depends on the dojo and the traditions therein. Best to ask your instructor about things like this.

Just as a data point, though, folks testing at our dojo when they begin their test go up with their partner (sometimes assigned, sometimes random) to the middle of the mat, bow to the shomen, then to the people conducting the test, and then to each other. At the conclusion, the process is reversed -- bow to each other, then to the people conducting the test, and then to the shomen.

-- Jun



Exactly same for us through out the organization.

Craig

[Yokaze]

Our dojo has us bow to O'sensei, to the examiner, then to the uke, both at the beginning and the end of the test.

In addition, we add "Doomo Arigato Gozaimasu" to the examiner and the uke when the test is over.

I hope my humble post has been a help.

[Lyle Laizure]

Best to ask your sensei.

In my school we bow to O'Sensei then to the examiner then to a board if there is one then to the uke then in reverse order when the test is over.

[Sue Trinidad]

Thanks to all for taking the time to respond to yet another newbie question.

I've since learned that in our dojo, we bow to O Sensei first, then the examining sensei, then any yudansha who are present, then our partner. . . and then the same thing, only in reverse, when the testing is over.

Gee, I like typing that part: "when the test is over" . . . !

Sue

[Steve Mullen]

okay, so this is loosely related to the topic but we recently attended a course where my two sensei graded for their 3rd Dan. when one of them got up he bowed to the kamaza, then to the examining sensei, then to his uke, then (for some strange reason which even he doesn't know) to the rest of the organisation, who in turn returned his bow. None of us realised until we watched the video of his grading how mucgh this looked like an episode of Tenko :p

[Nick Simpson]

Ill tell Sean you refferenced him as a tyranical facist dictator prison camp running guy...oh wait, never mind.