Kendo. Geoff Salmon

      In order to understand kendo etiquette, it is necessary to acknowledge two principles: first is the concept of sempai and kohai (senior and junior). Sempai is responsible for the safety and well being of kohai and kohai defers to sempai by sitting in a lower position in the dojo. The relationship is one of mutual respect that must be earned.

      Second is the premise that the dojo itself is a sacred place. In the past, a dojo may have been attached to a daimyos’ castle or a religious shrine; in some cases they were extensions to the home of the head of the fencing school. In Japan, many of these traditional dojo still exist, although some have been replaced by halls in sports-centers or floors of high rise buildings. In all cases they retain the spirit and the trappings of a traditional dojo. Most have a small kamidana (Shinto shrine) and many have a taiko drum to signal the beginning and end of practice. For western kendoka, it is sometimes difficult to treat an unadorned school or civic hall with the same level of respect, but floors should be swept and ideally washed before each practice session.

      Dojo layout

      Dojo layout and the positions where people sit in the dojo can be quite complex. While kendo is practiced around the world in a variety of sports or civic halls, layout is based on traditional Japanese dojo rules where Kamiza faces south and is often located at the furthest point from the door. Members line up in level of seniority on the shimoza side, with the most senior students closest to joseki at the eastern end of the dojo. If there is more than one instructor present, they will also line up in the same pattern on the kamiza side or in some cases with the most senior person in the center and the next highest grade to his right and the next to his left and so on.

      Dojo terminology too can be confusing, with some people avoiding the use of the word “kamiza” in the belief that it means god seat. In most cases the meaning is high seat, the same as the translation of joseki. Nevertheless you will often hear the high side of the dojo referred to as shomen or shinzen, both terms refer to “straight ahead.”

      There are no rules for which grades sit on which side of the dojo. This depends on who teaches and the respective seniority of members and may change from session to session. For example, in my dojo individuals leading the adult practice change with those who taught the earlier children’s practice. Sometimes more senior students are placed in joseki. In the Shudokan dojo of Osaka Castle, 8^th dan and above only sit in kamiza with 7^th dan placed at the far end at a right angle.

      Kendo grades

      Like many other martial arts and martial sports, kendo uses a system of kyu and dan grades to measure progress. Kyu grades start at 6^th kyu and count-down to 1^st kyu. In the UK 6^th to 2^nd kyu are awarded by the students’ own dojo. 1^st kyu is a national grade and examinations take place under the national federation.

      Dan grades start at 1^st dan and rise to 8^th dan. Formerly kendo used a system of 1^st to 10^th dan which was then modified so that 9^th dan became the highest grade awarded, subsequently the ceiling stopped at 8th dan. While under the current system 9^th dan is no longer awarded, there are a number of surviving 9^th dan holders, although unfortunately most are reaching an age where keiko is not always possible.

      Internationally 1^st to 5^th dan is usually regulated by national federations or regional federations in Japan. 6^th , 7^th , and 8^th dan are referred to as kodansha grades and awarded by the All Japan Kendo Federation or one of the three zones of FIK (the International Kendo Federation).

      The kendo grading system has undergone a number of transformations. Originally there were 5 dan grades followed by the three shogo of Renshi, Kyoshi, and Hanshi. These are now supplementary to the dan-I system and are awarded by recommendation and examination respectively to 6^th , 7^th , and 8^th dan.

      Bowing

      We bow when we enter and leave the dojo, at the beginning and end of each session, and to each partner at the beginning and end of each keiko. When we enter the dojo or bow to each other we should make a standing bow, keeping our back straight and arms by our side, bending from the waist. We bow to shomen and to our instructors at an angle of 30 degrees and to our opponents at an angle of 15 degrees. For zarei to start and conclude each session, we begin from the seiza position, placing both hands in front on the floor to form a triangle with the thumb and forefinger of each hand. We then place our forehead directly over the center of the triangle, ensuring that we keep a straight back and that we do not raise our bottom. You should breathe in in the upright position and slowly exhale through the mouth as you lower your torso.

      When we bow we should remember that we are not only bowing to our opponent but to those who went before: those who taught us and those who taught them.

      Seiza

      Seiza may be initially uncomfortable but you get used to it. You should sit with your bottom in the triangle made by your feet. Big toes should be touching or overlapped. Knees should be about two fists distance apart, (together for women) and backs should be straight. Your head should be in a natural position with your chin down.

      Mokuso

      At the beginning and end of each session we should practice mokuso. We practice this in seiza position with eyes half closed and focussed on the floor about three feet (1 meter) in front of you. The back of one hand should be supported in the palm of the other. Which supports which, is open to debate, so it is basically a matter of choice.

      This is a form of meditation to clear our minds before keiko. Mokuso is not full blown zazen, but a way to forget the concerns of the day and ready our minds for training. Some people concentrate on mental images such as the “dark side of the moon” or “looking beyond the mountain.” Others concentrate on correct breathing—breathing in quickly through the nose, holding the breath for as long as possible; trying to hold it down with the diaphragm; then breathing out slowly through the mouth.

      I personally prefer this approach while thinking:

      Shisei wo tadasu – Correct your posture

      Kokyu wo tadasu – Correct your breathing

      Kokoro wo tadasu – Correct your heart.

      Sonkyo

      Before each keiko we bow while holding the shinai in our left hand. Our arm should be fully extended downwards holding the shinai below the tsuba at a 45 degree angle. After the bow, we raise the shinai to hip height placing our thumb on the tsuba. This replicates holding the catch mechanism on a katana to stop it being drawn by an opponent.