Thread: Bowing
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Old 01-14-2002, 05:27 PM   #19
deepsoup
Dojo: Sheffield Shodokan Dojo
Location: Sheffield, UK
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 524
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Quote:
Originally posted by ca
Bowing in class is not religious in your view, but that does not make it not religious in anothers...
As usual, I agree pretty much entirely with Colleen, but I'd just like to add one comment:
In the case of some ( a smallish minority, I think ) muslims, bowing is a problem even if they appreciate that it has no religious significance whatsoever.

The way some people interpret the Koran, bowing is reserved solely for the purpose of prayer, and it is forbidden to bow for any other reason, regardless of whether it has religious implications or not.

I met such a gentleman at a judo dojo I visited a few years ago. While everyone else bowed, he shook hands with his partner before and after practicing, and after the end of the session he went over to sensei, shook his hand and thanked him sincerely for teaching the class.

This gentleman practiced hard and laughed often, in short he was an absolute joy to train with.

I believe the instructor would have been within his rights to refuse to teach someone who didn't bow, but I was very glad he had a more open mind than that. If he had done so, his dojo would have been a much poorer place.

Sean
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