Going up to the Sensei After Class

[Pokie]

Not sure about the proper way, but I go up to anyone who hav free practice with me on the day -- even the kids who try to escape from me as I learn from everybody.

Just wish by very rare chance there will be some verbal advice from sensei/senpai... Sometimes it is annoying when you walk out of the dojo keep wondering what you have done wrong (er I know I should know better by myself but...)

Cheers.

yeh that's right...sometimes you think a sensei wud not take notice of you cos you think there's too many kendokas and sensei will polly not pick up your mistakes even if he/she only sparred with you once...but you have to ask wen you sit infront of your sensei...like "so..any comments sensei ?"

normally sensei's eyes open wide and tell you things you never knew...especially bad habits...iv learnt so many things from sitting infront of sensei everytime after kendo..and most of the time..or 100% of the time it's sensei's comments that I work on..and 100% of the time it has a big impact on my kendo

im only 4th kyu by the way..sooo maybe that's why sensei can pick out things about me like the bright moon in the sky

[tanueirin]

Sorry for going off on a tangent, guys, but this is sort of related to what's been discussed in this thread ...

I did 4 years of karate before starting kendo, and we would say "ous":
- while bowing,
- when being given instructions by a senpai, we would do this to show that we acknowledged and understood what s/he meant us to do,
- if our name was called (eg. during a grading) to show we were ready.

At the moment in kendo, I feel a bit disrespectful if I stand there and say nothing while our enthusiastic senpai tells us to do men cuts up and down the hall, or when he corrects our technique.

It's like when the poor teachers in school ask for students to volunteer answers and are met with deafening silence. So - I say "ous" - and I'm usually the lone voice in the wilderness (cue crickets chirping).

Would anyone be able to tell me the proper etiquette for kendo in these circumstances?

Thanks!

[aru-ma]

you really don't have to say anything when your sensei/sempai instructs you to do something, just do it. however when they ask if you understand what he/she was explaining say "Hai".

[Yowai]

When an athlete greets another athlete while exercising in the morning, ohayogozaimasu is too wordy.
Ohayogozaimasu->ohayo-su->osu

If you have to ask/look-up the proper time and way to say osu, you shoudn't be saying osu.

- while bowing,
- when being given instructions by a senpai, we would do this to show that we acknowledged and understood what s/he meant us to do,
- if our name was called (eg. during a grading) to show we were ready.

-Bowing to each other -> Onegaishimasu
-Receiving instructions -> hai (Saying osu here is a gross activity in ANY sport. Especially when osu is said more than once) If you want to be exceptionally masculine, say 'ha/hau' out of the depth of your lungs.
-Name is called -> hai

[Jagaimo]

#1: Figure out for yourself WHY you bow to people.
#2: Act acording to #1

Thats deep man, real deep. I dont think I could have said it better myself.

[Bane]

Each time I have gone up to the sensei he dismisses me pretty quickly, in fact, during training he gets us to line up against the one wall and lines take it in turns to go to the other end, we do it quickly, and he keeps shouting, don't be last. Surely it is more important to get the form right, footwork and the strike correct before applying speed to it. I am very new to Kendo and the Sensei's lack of interest in me is quite disheartening. Perhaps, because I am new, he does not know if he should spend time with me because he thinks I might quit. There are quite a lot of new people who have started and they ask him questions as well sp maybe he is just trying to answer all the questions flying at him.

Perhaps I should be more patient

[KeijockMuniz]

Never listened that Ossss, or Osu, or anything like that here... But yoshi is very common with our sensei, he says that when we finally do the things as he wanna us to do... like "yes, that´s right, now you are understanding".

We do the normal seiza, and usually he speaks of the entire class, not just one kenshi. The kenshis that want some personal advice, just go and bows to him, and he never refuses to speak with anyone. I do that only when I´ve got a new doubt, what is not common, since I´m trying to correct my older mistakes to move to my new mistakes and doubts

[xvikingx]

Each time I have gone up to the sensei he dismisses me pretty quickly, in fact, during training he gets us to line up against the one wall and lines take it in turns to go to the other end, we do it quickly, and he keeps shouting, don't be last. Surely it is more important to get the form right, footwork and the strike correct before applying speed to it. I am very new to Kendo and the Sensei's lack of interest in me is quite disheartening. Perhaps, because I am new, he does not know if he should spend time with me because he thinks I might quit. There are quite a lot of new people who have started and they ask him questions as well sp maybe he is just trying to answer all the questions flying at him.

Perhaps I should be more patient

Bane, don't be discouraged. When I first started kendo, I thought my sensei and his two sons (sounds like a sitcom) hated my guts. That actually made want to work harder, because I hate quitting. It wasn't untill a couple of months afterwards when sensei finally recognized my existence. Now I think he is a great man and I look forward to training with him and his sons again is the future. Bane, ganbatte!

[Sbres]

I've never hesitated to go up to my Sensei and ask him questions or listen to his after training 'chat'. Furthurmore, we all thank each other at the same time regardless of who we did keiko with (isn't 'fought' the wrong word to use?).
My dojo in Japan has only about 10 members and despite being different levels (i'm level 'crap') we do keiko with each other so it makes sense to thank each other.
Also, I have no experience of martial arts at home but it would seem that non-Japanese do tend to concentrate too much on the formalities of martial arts. I've never said 'Osu' in my life and don't intend to (except for getting a taxi in Nagoya) and although my wife apparently says it at her Karate dojo I have never heard it said at the school Kendo clubs that I go to or at my dojo. The people I train with concentrate more on enjoying the sport as opposed to the strict formalities that non-Japanese (or Korean) may wish to concentrate on. Although they are Japanese so maybe they don't need to concentrate on the formalities unlike non-Japanese.
But what do I know?

[Keith]

There seems to be one other element here which no one has yet addressed. Depending on your club's structure, there may be opportunities to speak with or learn from the Sensei and senior students in a more social setting. For instance, our club not only has formal structure inside the dojo, but encourages group interaction after class. I have been very lucky in this regard in past years as well with various clubs around the world which had big social networks, beer garden festivities and the like as well.

[cazoo]

ur supposed to go up to the teacher and "bow" if the sensei's this high ranked teahcer from some other club.

[Craig Jones]

Each time I have gone up to the sensei he dismisses me pretty quickly, in fact, during training he gets us to line up against the one wall and lines take it in turns to go to the other end, we do it quickly, and he keeps shouting, don't be last. Surely it is more important to get the form right, footwork and the strike correct before applying speed to it. I am very new to Kendo and the Sensei's lack of interest in me is quite disheartening. Perhaps, because I am new, he does not know if he should spend time with me because he thinks I might quit. There are quite a lot of new people who have started and they ask him questions as well sp maybe he is just trying to answer all the questions flying at him.

Perhaps I should be more patient

Dont worry about it. I had the same experience and then one day sensei called me over and had me do uchikomi with all the 'seniors' (people in bogu) one after the other, and from that day forward he would always talk with me. I think part of it is that you need to prove your seriousness and willingness to learn. MANY newbies come into our club and if we are lucky 1 in 20 will stay on past the first month, and of those maybe 1 in 5 will stay 6 months. It seems that it is almost equally disheartening for them to put their time and effort into someone who is likely to not continue, but once you prove to them you are serious the flood gates open. :P

[Yowai]

...I think part of it is that you need to prove your seriousness and willingness to learn. MANY newbies come into our club and if we are lucky 1 in 20 will stay on past the first month, and of those maybe 1 in 5 will stay 6 months. It seems that it is almost equally disheartening for them to put their time and effort into someone who is likely to not continue, but once you prove to them you are serious the flood gates open. :P

図星
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[Lill Murveln]

I've never hesitated to go up to my Sensei and ask him questions or listen to his after training 'chat'. Furthurmore, we all thank each other at the same time regardless of who we did keiko with (isn't 'fought' the wrong word to use?).
My dojo in Japan has only about 10 members and despite being different levels (i'm level 'crap') we do keiko with each other so it makes sense to thank each other.
Also, I have no experience of martial arts at home but it would seem that non-Japanese do tend to concentrate too much on the formalities of martial arts. I've never said 'Osu' in my life and don't intend to (except for getting a taxi in Nagoya) and although my wife apparently says it at her Karate dojo I have never heard it said at the school Kendo clubs that I go to or at my dojo. The people I train with concentrate more on enjoying the sport as opposed to the strict formalities that non-Japanese (or Korean) may wish to concentrate on. Although they are Japanese so maybe they don't need to concentrate on the formalities unlike non-Japanese.
But what do I know?

Nothing to do with the subject but I couldnt help to notice the place Nagoya in your post. I also live in Nagoya (or rather a bit outside, but I work in Nagoya), where do you practise? If you dont mind me asking.

/martin

[Relic]

BTW, Charlie, you should probably say "Domo arigato gozaimasu" vs. just "Domo arigato". That could be a bit more formal/respectful.

My teacher (who is Japanese) once let me know that the full "domo arigato gozaimasu" should be reserved for when something really, truly had a tremendous importance. His example - although he exaggerated it to make the point - was to use it when someone saved your life.

In informal Japanese company I mostly use "arigato".
In a formal setting I most often use "domo arigato".
I reserve the full array for those special occasions where I had a really good session, received a gift, or perhaps if the person in question is a visitor from far away (Japan springs to mind).

Also, if you thank a person for something after it has happened (e.g. thank you for the training we shared) you use "gozaimashita" which is past form of "gozaimasu".