Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Opening Ceremony
Each training session will usually begin and end with a short ceremony to show respect for your instructor, the dojo and your fellow students. There will be some variation between dojos and instructors, but it will go something like this:
Head student announces:
Shugo (shoo-go) – Line up
Ki O Tsuke (key-oht-skay) – Attention (Lit: Gather your ki)
Seiza (say-zah) – Kneel (This is known as Zarei (Za-ray) kneeling bow)
Mokuso (mok-so) – close eyes/meditate
Mokuso Yame (mok-so yah-may) – Open eyes
Shomen Ni (or Shin-zen Ni)(sho-men nee) – Face forward (towards shrine)
Rei (ray) – Bow
Head student announces:
Sensei Ni Rei
Everybody announces:
Onegaishimasu (on-e-guy-shim-ass) – please teach me or please show me
Closing Ceremony
Head student announces:
Shugo (shoo-go) – Line up
Ki O Tsuke (key-oht-skay) – Attention (Lit Gather your ki)
Seiza (say-zah) – Kneel
Mokuso (mok-so) – close eyes/meditate
Mokuso Yame (mok-so yah-may) – Open eyes
Shomen Ni (or Shin-ze Ni)(sho-men nee) – Face forward (towards shrine)
Rei (ray) – Bow
Head student announces:
Sensei Ni Rei
Everybody announces:
Arigato Gozaimashita (ary-gato-goz-aye-mass)- Thank you very much
Head student announces:
Otogai Ni Rei (Turn toward the person to your left starting from the highest grade)
Everybody announces:
Arigato Gozaimashita – Thank you very much
Head student announces:
Shomen (sho-men) Face forward
Kiritsu (Kir-it-zu) Stand
How to perform Seiza correctly
1. From Musubi Dachi (Formal attention stance) draw the left foot to the rear
2. Kneel down on the left knee, the knee should be placed next to the heel of the right foot, keeping the toes of the left foot bent
3. Now kneel down with the right knee parallel to the left, the knees should be two fists apart
4. Place the big toe of the right foot on the big toe of the left foot and sit naturally
5. Release all tension from the body, keep the back straight, close the mouth lightly, look forwards and place the hands toward the tops of the thighs
6. Slide the hands down the thighs to the floor, the hands should be pointing in slightly with the tips of the index fingers slightly apart
7. Lean forwards naturally, the hands and forearms touch the floor lightly. When bowing try not to lift the buttocks from the heels
8. All the above should be done in one breath
9. After the bow, return to the natural position beginning with the head looking at your partner if one is present
10. To stand, first raise your bottom and bend the toes. Raise the right knee first and stand returning to Musubi Dachi.
Above instructions sourced from Traditional Karate-do Vol-1, Higaonna Sensei