Behavior in the dojo, training course and grades

Entrance to the dojo

A dojo is a place for the common practice of martial arts. When entering the room, we bow. It is a simple gesture of respect towards the place, the instructor and the people with whom we will soon practice. It also helps you leave the daily rush at the door and focus on your training.

Flip-flops they serve as a passage between the cloakroom and the hall. We exercise mainly barefoot on the mat, without socks - the material slides on its surface. If you are on first classes, introduce yourself to the instructor and ask for your place in the group.

Lateness and leaving the room

If you are late for training, enter calmly and take a bow. Sit in seiza on the short edge of the mat or outside it, on the side of the entrance to the room, and wait for your sensei's instructions. When he allows you to join, stand up, bow, and take your seat in the last row. Do not push between the exercisers and do not change their positioning.

If you need to leave the mat or the room, report it to the instructor and wait for permission. From your seat, step sideways out of the row, to the left or right, bowing towards the leader. Thanks to this, the instructor knows who is participating in the exercises and who needs a break.

When leaving the dojo, bow while facing the interior of the room.

Behavior during explanations and exercises

When the instructor talks or demonstrates a technique, stop talking and focus on the demonstration. Maintain an upright, calm posture during explanations and breaks between sets. Do not perform additional exercises or movements unrelated to the command during this time.

Being mindful of the shared pace helps the entire group benefit from the demonstration and directions.

Respect and safety go hand in hand

Bow before and after exercising with a partner. It is an expression of readiness to cooperate and a thank you for common practice.

Take into account the other person's level, experience and capabilities. Control your strength and pace, especially during throws and more casual practice. A more experienced participant helps the beginner learn the technique rather than taking advantage of his advantage.

Respond to the signal to stop the exercise and the instructor's instructions. Your partner's safety is a shared responsibility, regardless of belt color.

Hygiene, clothing and shared equipment

Before training, remove jewelry, watches and straps. Keep your fingernails and toenails clean and short to reduce the risk of scratching your partner while exercising.

Keep your training clothes clean, undamaged and neat. After class, carefully fold your gi and belt. It is a daily way of caring for equipment and expressing respect for a shared practice.

Use the equipment as intended and according to the instructor's instructions. Take care of the mat and room equipment, and report any damage you notice to the teacher.

Seiza and positioning at the beginning of training

We start and end the training at seiza, i.e. the traditional sitting on the heels. The main instructor takes a seat in the middle of the mat, and the other masters or instructors helping with classes sit at the side of the room. Participants stand on the edge of the mat opposite the leader.

Looking from the perspective of the participants sitting opposite the instructor, we line up from left to right: people without training clothes, then lower ranks, then higher ones. The order in the row reflects the degrees and experience acquired. A place in a row helps you find your way around the organization of classes. At the beginning, the instructor will show you the right page and place.

We bow together. Then we stand up one by one, starting with the highest level people and ending with beginners. Observing the group and calmly waiting your turn are part of learning mindfulness. If you find it difficult to sit seiza, let your instructor know so that the correct position can be determined.

Warm-up: preparation of the whole body

The movement part of the class begins with a warm-up. First, there are dynamic exercises that are supposed to raise the body temperature and prepare it for exercise. Then it's time for more focused exercises to prepare for the movements needed later in training, including learning levers and throws.

The warm-up is often also conducted by more experienced participants, who act as uke during the exercises. For the group, it is an opportunity to observe older colleagues, and for the leaders - to learn responsibility, clearly demonstrate movement and ensure a common pace.

Pads, or learning to accept a fall

After warming up, we often exercise pads, called ukemi. It is learning how to take a fall and contact the mat in a controlled manner. Instead of treating a fall as an accidental end to a movement, we learn about it as a skill that is gradually developed under the supervision of an instructor.

Pads are one of the most important foundations of Jiu Jitsu, especially in techniques ending with a throw. Uke is the partner receiving the technique. During some throws, his body temporarily loses contact with the ground. Although it may look like a dead fall, the uke actively cooperates and uses the learned skills of taking a fall.

An effective throw requires preparation by both people. Safety depends on mastery of the pads, control of the partner performing the technique, appropriate mat and difficulty adapted to the practitioners. That's why we learn the pads from the beginning and come back to them also at higher levels. This preparation opens the way to further learning how to throw, not a guarantee that every throw will be risk-free.

More efficient reaction when losing balance

Repeating ukemi helps to tame the loss of balance and consolidate the movement response. In an emergency situation, there is little time to analyze the next steps, so the practiced way the body responds is important. This does not automatically mean making all decisions faster - it is primarily about reacting to a fall.

These skills can also be useful outside the dojo. In the event of a trip, appropriate reaction can reduce the force of impact and the risk of injury, including fractures. However, it does not guarantee the avoidance of injury: the ground, speed and circumstances of the event are important. We practice pads on the mat with an instructor, gradually, without reproducing spectacular throws on our own.

More about the practical importance of ukemi: Safe Fall program of the European Judo Union and discussion of Anglia Ruskin University research.

Techniques and learning by observation

After the pads, we move on to the main part of the training. Depending on the topic of the lesson, there may be throws, punches, kicks, randori or preparation for exams. Randori is a freer practice within the rules set by the instructor, allowing you to use the learned skills in changing situations.

A common practice is for two people to demonstrate the exercise in the middle of the room. In a pair, one person performs the technique and the other takes it as uke; roles may change. The instructor indicates elements that require improvement and shows the entire group how to deal with a given difficulty.

Such a display is for positive learning, not embarrassment. We observe the setting, direction of movement, moment of action and cooperation of partners. We learn to notice details, compare the execution with the instructions and transfer the noticed corrections to our own practice. This is developing the ability to learn through observation.

End of training and thanks

After the main part of the class, the instructor gives a command ending the exercises. Everyone returns to the position at the beginning of the training and sits in seiza, maintaining the order of steps. It's a time to calm down and gather your attention after working together.

The instructor will often then pass on announcements or important information about subsequent training sessions. We listen to them calmly, leaving space for the leader's statement.

The training ends with a joint bow and thanks. The instructor says "Domo arigato", and participants respond "Domo arigato sensei". This is our way of thanking you for your learning, time and joint effort.

A hierarchy that teaches mutual respect

Bowing, arranging the ranks and waiting for one's turn order the life of the dojo. Children and adults learn to recognize roles, listen to directions and notice the experience of others. The belt is a visible sign of the stage of learning, but it does not indicate the value of a person.

Respect goes both ways. The beginner listens carefully, and the more experienced partner adapts the exercise and helps him understand the task. A higher level comes with greater responsibility for the example set by the group and for the person who entrusts us with their safety during the technique.

Common practice also teaches you to accept correction without treating it as a personal judgment. For a child it may be learning patience and cooperation, and for an adult - readiness to being a beginner again. Questions, reporting difficulties and signaling the need for a break are mutually respectful.

The order of belts and ranks in RAIMEI

We start with white belt, no rank. Degrees Kyu denote student stages. As they progress, their number decreases: from 10 kyu to 1 kyu. Then the path of master degrees begins dan, the first stage of which is 1st dan. Below we present the RAIMEI system.

The 10-6 kyu range includes the children's grades. The 10 kyu designation and the numbering of the first degree for adults are confirmed by the instructor; a white belt alone does not mean a degree has been earned. At steps 9-6 kyu, a colored beam runs in the middle of the belt. From 5th kyu the color covers the entire belt. Color is an easily recognizable marking of degree; We also learn skills by working together on the mat.

1st dan is the first master's degree, marked with a full black belt. It is the next stage of development and responsibility, not the end of learning. Ask the instructor about the requirements for individual grades and preparation for the exam.