LESSON 2

KARATE ETIQUETTE
By: Ricky Veguillas

“Honor the Principle of Etiquette”

To be a true karateka, it is not enough to don a karate uniform (gi), or to be able to do all
the punches , kicks and strikes taught to you in your gym, karateka not only practice karate
techniques, but also observes the proper virtues, the foremost of these being humility and
respect. As karateka, you must pay respect to the art, to your dojo, to your instructors, to your
classmates and of course, to your self, for simple reason that they are all important to you in
learning the art.
Below are some rules on proper behavior inside and outside the dojo. Bowing, wearing
the proper uniform, maintaining a clean dojo and other things like that might seem trivial, but
they are part of karate-do too.

Upon arriving to Practice

1. Whenever you are practicing, whether it is basketball court or a classroom or ordinary
gym, this place is called the dojo-your dojo. Dojo means literally, “the place of play”. Never take
your dojo for granted. This where you learn the way of karate. Before entering into dojo, bow
facing to dojo, and whenever you leave, bow again, also facing the dojo. If you are carrying a
bag, put your bag down first before doing so. Do this also when bowing to black-belters.
2. Give proper respect to the place you learn karate not only by bowing but also be
looking after its cleanliness. Before practice, and also after practice, make sure the dojo is clean.
Take a mop or broom and clean away any dirt form the practice floor.
3. Don’t be late for practice. Always come before the time and dress up right away when
you arrive at the dojo. Try to be ahead of the black-belters, your sensei and sempais.
4. When the sensei arrives, give respect to him/her by bowing. It is also proper to perform
some token gesture such as helping the sensei with his bag or things.
5. As soon as you dress up, enter the dojo and wait for the sensei, do not have the sensei
wait for you.

Inside the Dojo

1. make sure you always sit up properly.
2. don’t run around. The dojo is not a playground.
When called to formation (seiritsul), observe proper order in line. The highest-rank colored
belter stays in front and on the left, and the lowest belt on the right and or the back.
3. always at the start and end of the practice, it is the highest ranked colored belter who
should give the commands for bowing.
4. Similarly, when a blackbelter arrives at the dojo, the highest belt should announce the
presence of the sensei/sempai by giving the command for the class.
5. if you come late, dress up right away and do the stretching exercise by yourself. After
limbering, join the rest of the class by first asking permission form the sensei, by bowing to him
before proceeding to your place in formation.
6. during practice, every time the sensei commands or ask a question, respond by
answering, “hai” meaning yes sir.
 7. The practice should be noisy, not form talk, but from responses to the commands and
instructions, counting and kias (shout) . our kiais should be loud enough so that the practice will
be alive.
8. when someone is performing kata, give due respect to the person doing kata by
assuming seiza kneeling position or crossing (Indian) sitting position outside of his practice are.
9. bosing before the lesson, you always say “Onegaishimasu” (do me favor), after the
lesson, say “arigato gozaimasu” “(thank you)”.. this a way of showing respect to the sensei or
sempai.
10. don’t make negative remarks about the practice.
11. when being dismissed, the highest belt leaves the dojo first, followed by the otherwise
in order of describing rank. Always bow first to the front (shomen) before leaving formation.

WARMING UP AND BODY CONDITIONING

A warm up generally consists of a gradual increase in intensity in physical activity (a
"pulse raiser"), joint mobility exercise, and stretching, followed by the activity. ... It is important
that warm ups be specific to the activity, so that the muscles to be used are activated.
Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase your breathing and heart rate. They keep your
heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy and improve your overall fitness. Examples include
brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and biking. Strength, or resistance training, exercises make
your muscles stronger.
When you first starting training, one thing that you will notice straight away is the time
taken by the instructor to give the class a thorough warm-up. The movements involved in karate
practice can be very demanding, so all muscle groups should be sufficiently warmed and ready to
work to their maximum. As a rule, the warm up will start at the head and neck, and work
it’s way down through the body. Don’t neglect any area. When stretching, start slowly and
gently increase the stretch. If at any time you feel pain or more than slight discomfort, release
always inform your instructor of any injuries you are carrying. At the end of the lesson the
instructor will bring the class back together and go through a warm-down. You should be nice
and warm by this point, so this is a perfect opportunity to stretch out. A bit of effort now and you
will miss out on a lot of aches and pains over the next few days.

What does warm up mean in fitness?

A period of time at the beginning of an exercise session when you perform a lower intensity
version of the same or similar exercise you plan to do during your workout. ... The purpose of
a warm-up is to gradually increase your heart rate, breathing, and body temperature to prepare
your body for more intense exercise.

What is the importance of a warm up?

The warm-up should gently prepare the body for exercises by gradually increasing the heart rate
and circulation; this will loosen the joints and increase blood flow to the muscles. Stretching
the muscles prepares them for physical activity and prevents injuries.

What are the benefits of a warm up?

Other benefits of a proper warm up include:
 Increased movement of blood through your tissues, making the muscles more pliable.
 Increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. ...
 Prepares your muscles for stretching.
 Prepares your heart for an increase in activity, preventing a rapid increase in blood
pressure.

Rules of Warm-Up

Here are the 5 golden rules to stick by when warming up:

Rule #1 – Don’t skip warm-ups! We all know they’re a good idea, yet so few actually follow
through with a warm-up.
Rule #2 – Includes exercises that offer large range of motion (Jumping jacks, lunges, etc)
Rule #3 – Incorporate both cardio moves and exercises that mimic those that you will be doing
during the workout.
Rule #4 – Don’t make your warm-up so hard that you can’t deliver on your actual workout. But,
also don’t make it too easy where you feel as if you did nothing.
Rule #5 – If you aren’t used to static stretching before a workout, don’t start. Studies show that
this can increase injuries. However, if you’re used to static stretching then there is no harm in
continuing on. In one study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning, researchers
found that people who stretch statically prior to weight training feel weaker and less balanced
than those who didn’t.
Rules of Cool-Down

Rule #1: Gradually bring your heart rate down. After a workout, walk or jog for 1-2 minutes to
slowly bring your heart rate down before stretching.
Rule #2: Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds to get the full benefit of the stretch.
Rule #3: Don’t over stretch… don’t “force” the stretch, go down to what feels comfortable to
you. It’s supposed to leave you feeling great, not feeling as if you’ve just done a split.
Rule #4: Grab a foam roller! I’ll be doing a whole separate post on this soon, but if you have a
foam roller, use it! If you don’t have one, get one!
Rule #5: Hydration is part of cool-down. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids after a workout to
help recovery and to help replace fluids lost during exercise.

What does conditioning mean in fitness?

Definition of conditioning. 1 : the process of training to become physically fit by a regimen of
exercise, diet, and rest; also : the resulting state of physical fitness. 2 : a simple form of learning
involving the formation, strengthening, or weakening of an association between a stimulus and a
response

Stretching - is a form of physical exercise in which a specific muscle or tendon is deliberately

flexed or stretched in order to improve the muscle's felt elasticity and achieve comfortable
muscle tone. Wikipedia

Stretching Tips
- don’t stretch too hard too soon.
- try to get the body warm before attempting the stretches- a short run or a bit of skipping
will to the trick.
- always stretch at the end of a class. This will help prevent the legs and hips stiffening up
in the following days.
- make sure you stretch both sides of the body equally- don’t just concentrate on one side.
-if you suffer any sudden sharp pain, stop immediately and relax, it must step by step.

Sequence of muscles’ stretching

Head and neck stretching

 head rotation (clockwise and reverse)

Arm stretching
 Arm- shoulder bend (left and right)

Body stretching
 Side bend- this stretch loosen the muscles down the side of the body. Take the left hand
and place it on your hip, then stretch your arm above your head and lean over. Keep your
knees bent and your back straight. Repeat on both sides. Don’t reach too far to start with:
as you get warmer, reach further.
 Front bent – here we stretch the main muscle groups in the backs of the legs, and you
will feel the stretch in your shoulder too. Start by placing your feet apart at a comfortable
distance. Keep your knees straight and slowly bend forward, placing your hands on the
floor. If you aren’t supple enough to reach the floor, don’t worry – just go as far as you
can without too much discomfort. You will feel the stretch down the back of the legs.
Hold the position for a few seconds, then slowly release and come up.
  Touching toes – keeping your feet together and your legs straight, bend forward from the
waist and slowly touch your toes. This one really stretches the muscles down the back of
the legs. If you find it a bit hard, bend the knees slightly. If, on the other than, you are
feeling quite loosened up, try placing the backs of your hands on the floor. As with all
stretches, don’t bounce, as this doesn’t assist the stretch and could lead to injury.
 Back stretch – this one does what is says! Stand with your feet apart and your hands
over your head (you might find it helpful to hold your right wrist with your left hand or
vice versa). Then lean back slowly to loosen your back, don’t go too far or hour may lose
your balance. Make sure you keep the neck relaxed so you don’t strain it.
Leg stretches
- front splits
- thigh stretch
- straight leg stretch
- side split
- floor splits
Balance stretches
- knee lift
- outside leg stretch
Strength training
- squat thrust (open palm or closed fist)
- push-ups (open palm and closed fist)

Note: at the end of the class the instructor often uses push-ups, sit ups and son on to heap
strengthen the students. It is very easy just to go through the motions at this point. You will
probably be tired and thinking of getting of the dojo. Fight this negative attitude: even now, at
the very end of the class, give everything you have. Treat it as a test of your mental strength.
Don’t give up- tell yourself “just one more”/ all around you people will be tire. Don’t be the first
to give in. as you get fitter, aim to last until the end. Treat all training as a game to harden the
mind and strengthen your resolve. As with all your training, there will be good days as well as
bad ones. Just remember: stick it out. (Shotokan Karate, Kevin Healy)

Six Full-Body Stretching Exercises

The Routine
When you can barely squeeze a workout into your day, taking time to focus on flexibility
may feel like, well, a stretch. But stretching is an important part of fitness: It can improve
your range of motion, increase circulation, and calm your mind—which may help fend off
injuries and illness, as well as bring on a better night’s sleep. To limber up, try the
following quick head-to-toe routine created by Dana Slamp, a senior yoga instructor at
Pure Yoga, in New York City. Do the complete series once daily. Deepen each stretch
with every exhalation, and stop if you feel any strain or pain.

Move 1: The Runner’s Stretch

(A) Step your right foot forward and lower into a lunge, placing your fingertips on the
floor or on two firm cushions if your hands don’t reach.
(B) Breathe in, then, in one motion, exhale as you straighten your right leg. Slowly return
to the lunge position. Repeat four times. Switch sides.
Move 2: The Standing Side Stretch
(A) Stand with your feet together and your arms straight overhead. Clasp your hands
together, with your fingers interlaced and pointer fingers extended. Inhale as you reach
upward.
(B) Breathe out as you bend your upper body to the right. Take five slow breaths. Slowly
return to the center. Repeat on the left side.

Move 3: The Forward Hang

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and your knees slightly bent.
(A) Interlace your fingers behind your back. (If your hands don’t touch, hold on to a dish
towel.) Breathe in and straighten your arms to expand your chest.
(B) Exhale and bend at your waist, letting your hands stretch toward your head. Hold for
five deep breaths.

Move 4: The Low Lunge Arch

Step your right foot forward into a lunge and lower your left knee onto the floor or a
folded towel or blanket.
(A) Bring your arms in front of your right leg and hook your thumbs together, palms
facing the floor.
(B) Breathe in as you sweep your arms overhead, stretching as far back as is comfortable.
Take five deep breaths. Switch sides.
Move 5: The Seated Back Twist
Sit on the floor with your legs straight.
(A) Bend your right knee and step your right foot over your left leg. Put your right hand
on the floor, fingers pointing outward, for support. Bend your left elbow and turn to the
right, placing the back of your arm against your right knee. Inhale as you sit tall.
(B) Breathe out as you twist, pressing your arm into your leg and looking over your right
shoulder. Hold for five breaths, then slowly return to the center. Switch sides

Move 6: The Bound Angle

Sit on the floor with your legs straight.
(A) Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together, letting your knees drop
toward the ground. Hold your shins as you inhale and stretch your chest upward.
(B) Exhale as you hinge forward from your hips (without rounding your back) and place
your palms on the ground. Hold for five slow breaths.

BODY CONDITIONING EXERCISES and STRETCHINGS (from head to foot)

Elongation stretch
Neck Extension
Neck Flexion
Side flexion (left first )
Neck rotation (clock and counter clockwise)
Shoulder shrug
Shoulder rotation with arms
Front elbow pull
Behind elbow pull
Arm swinging forming a small circle
Arm swinging forming a big circle
Finger and wrist stretch
Chest stretch
Hip rotation
Calf rotation
Knee half-bend
Front foot pull
Back foot pull (front foot pull with facing knee sideward)
Ankle rotation
Heel rising
Toe rising
Jumping Jack