Etiquette

The observance of etiquette in Aikido is essential to training. It draws us towards a cultural understanding of Japan and the principles of Japanese teaching methodology. For the most part, it is a system of respect and courtesy, something not to be taken lightly in Aikido training. At first, etiquette will seem strange and somewhat complex. It is best to develop your sense of etiquette as you train. While some of the procedures of etiquette may not make sense at first, it is important to realize they are part of a highly developed social system of values and samurai traditions. As you train, you will come to understand etiquette in a much larger sense. Many students, in fact, eventually adopt the principles and precepts of etiquette into their everyday lives.

In short, our practice of correct etiquette may be thought of as courtesy or kindness, and an extension of our Aikido training not to be overlooked.

 

Etiquette Guides

Various forms of etiquette are observed for different classes and during tests.  For more details, the following etiquette documents are available to download for further reading:

Dojo Etiquette

Test Etiquette

Iaido Etiquette

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