Hello in budo

In all the martial arts, the hello has an particular importance: it marks a respect between the partners/adversaries. In the Budo (martial arts Japan board), safety, or rei , obeys particular rules.

One distinguishes safety upright, or ritsurei , and safety sitting, or zarei - sat meaning with knees in the position known as “ seiza ”.

Hello upright ( ritsurei )

Safety is done by inclining the bust forwards, the right back. The depth of the hello depends on the occasion. In all the cases, it is advisable to keep the right back, in particular on the level of the nape of the neck. The direction of the glance plays a great part to differentiate the type of hello. It is in general advisable to keep the glance with horizontal, towards the partner or the teacher, except in the case of a safety with the kamiza where with a person whom one makes a point of honouring particularly. Traditionally, the position of the hands differs according to the sexes. The women greet by letting the hands slip towards their knees, whereas the men greet the hands along the body.

Sitted hello ( zarei )

In the case of safety with knees, one advances initially the left hand, which arises for the ground ten centimetres ahead, then the right hand. The two hands then form a a little round triangle. The right hand returns then the first. As for the order of the knees, the order of the hands corresponds to the possibility of decladding a saber.

Various safeties with the length of the course

Each safety has a clean significance, below detailed.

Before the course:
1. Hello with the dōjō : it is done while entering the room of practice, in direction of the kamiza . It is a safety upright normal, the bust inclining about 30 degrees. One in general avoids much marking it, in order not to block the passage too a long time. By this safety, the practitioner marks the idea that it enters a space governs by rules different from that of outside (the hierarchy in the dōjō is different from the usual social hierarchy), and that it agrees to conform to these rules.
2. Hello with the tatami . It is carried out at the time of the entry on the tatami . It is usually a major safety with knees, the back being inclined with the horizontal one. One should not then forget to arrange its zori suitably (flip-flops). This safety again underlines the entry in a space with the particular rules. On the tatami , the practitioner indeed will authorize things (attacks, physical contact, projection) which he would not allow others out of the framework of tatami .
Beginning of the course: the professor announces the beginning of the course by two safeties:
1. Hello with the kamiza : usually the major safety of the course, one can do it by lowering the glance, the back having nevertheless to remain right. It expresses the gratitude of the practitioner with regard to the founder of the aikido as with regard to the whole of the teachers who allowed the dissemination of the aikido in the world.
2. Hello with the instructors: so of the instructors are present to assist the teacher, this last then will greet them. The pupils are not supposed to take part in this safety.
3. Hello with the teacher: always a safety with knees, it is done by inclining the bust of 75°. They are normally the pupils who initiate safety. By respect, it is possible to lower the glance slightly. This safety expresses gratitude with respect to the work of the teacher as well as a recognition of his particular position of authority within the framework of the course.
Course of the course:
1. Beginning of a practice: when the teacher gives the signal to practice with a partner, the practitioner will greet one of his partners. This safety is done upright if the technique is practiced upright, with knees in the other cases. In all the cases, safeties must be symmetrical (if the partner greets with knees, it is appropriate to put at knees to return safety). If it is about a safety upright, he is identical to the hello at the entry in the dōjō . With knees, it is less deep than that with the teacher. In both cases, the glance does not leave the partner. The difference in seniority can be possibly marked by a difference in depth in safety. According to the dōjō , the habit can be that the most recent practitioners must go to ask oldest to work with them, or wait until the latter propose themselves. This initial safety, just as that with the teacher, is sometimes accompanied by a “onegaishimasu” or one “please”, the Anglo-Saxons using the Japanese expression more readily.
2. Intervention of the teacher: it is not rare that the teacher stops two partners to éclaicir a point. It will generally do it by accompanying its interruption by a small safety, which will be returned to him by the pupils. The end of its intervention in the same way will be marked by an exchange of hello; it is sometimes accompanied by a ouss or “thank you”.
3. Fine of a practice: when the teacher announces the end of a sequence of practice, the partners greet themselves just as at the beginning. In some dōjō , the partners greet themselves with each change of role between tori and uke . This safety is sometimes marked of a “domo arigato gozaimashita” or of a “thank you very much”.
Fine of the course: the end of the course is marked by same safeties as the beginning:
1. Hello with the kamiza ,
2. Hello of the teacher to the instructors,
3. Hello with the teacher , it to thank for its sorrow,
4. In some dōjō , one then individually will thank all the partners aves which one practiced at the time of the course,
After the course
1. Salut with the tatami at the time to leave
2. Salut it to the dōjō when one leaves there, marking the exit of this space and the return to the usual social rules.

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