Seikido Philosophy: Dojo Etiquette

Classroom etiquette combines traditional East Asian customs and philosophy with the latest practical teaching methods. Teaching employs positive reinforcement as the most effective means of building self confidence and maximizing each student's potential, especially for children. Training will bring out the best in each student, so that each individual can achieve to the limits of their own abilities.

The practitioner must constantly be guided by a sincere respect for the school, the people in it, and for the purpose of the practice. Good manners, courteous behaviour, and maintenance of formal etiquette are part of a student's training, and are essential to developing a respectful attitude to the art. This is not only to prevent injuries, but also to promote harmony and a sense of mutual support among the practitioners. The goal is to develop in each student a sense of responsibility for their own actions wherever they are and whoever they are with. With time, self control should become an integral part of every practitioner' s character, allowing them to live within their capabilities, refrain from over indulgence, and avoid extremism. Students must learn to show respect if they want to receive respect, as a life lesson to be practised inside and outside the training.

Seikido class procedures follow customs of behaviour which are similar to those practised in most martial arts schools throughout the world. They are rooted in Asian cultural traditions of etiquette which are common practice and are expected of martial arts practitioner in almost every " Dojo" anywhere in the world that have their origins in Korean, Japanese, or Chinese martial arts. Seikido students can enter practically any "Dojo" or "Dojang" in the world and feel at home, confident in their knowledge of generally accepted rules of behaviour.

A formal dress code is maintained, and the uniform should be kept clean and complete at all times. Appearance is an essential element to portraying and projecting an image of competence and self confidence, especially when there is no opportunity for verbal communication. Everyone wearing the same uniform and functioning together under the same rules of etiquette is a silent but tangible and constant example of harmony.

Once inside the training area, all social and material distractions must be set aside. Personal prejudices, obedience to egotistical motives, and other self-serving attitudes are counter-productive to learning, slowing a student's development by closing his/her mind to new ideas and preventing the fusion of mind and body which is essential to mastering the art. A receptive and open minded attitude is essential to training. Meditation exercises help channel thoughts to be able to focus upon the task at hand. It can help warm the body, reduce pain, slow the heart rate, reduce blood pressure, help cure minor ailments, and speed healing of injuries, as well as reduce stress in daily life. With practice such meditation methods may teach practitioners how to help calm potentially stressful situations outside the gym, even when under duress. It can also help allay a confrontation or even a potentially dangerous situation, by allowing the mind to see things as they truly are, without fear or egotistical opinions interfering with a realistic appraisal of the situation. Negative thoughts must always be avoided, so when practising students must focus their minds on achieving their objectives. Positive reinforcement is the best learning aid, as well as the best teaching aid. Meditation methods can be learned so that they become an intrinsic part of everyday experience, allowing students to harness and channel positive energy into daily tasks.

The repetition of pre-set movements during a workout are a practical form of meditation, as it forces the mind to focus on the task at hand until the movements become almost unconscious.

It is self evident that great martial arts skills are of little value if the practitioner has not developed a stable inner foundation of emotional control over his/her actions. Past and present masters teach that no physical method of any self defence art has any real merit unless it helps to develop the practitioner's character. Seikido practitioners must develop a calm, stable, balanced, and centralized state of mind to permit a clarity of perception for understanding reality, not only in an encounter but for life in general. A stable state of mind permits the practitioner to clearly perceive the essence of a situation when faced with its often chaotic and confusing elements, and to act decisively when necessary without having his/her judgement clouded by emotions or egotistical motives.

The goal of every true martial artist must be to achieve this state of inner peace and harmony, which permits the mind to perceive, understand, and improve upon the reality inherent in life' s influences with clarity and independence of action. All other goals, including quests for material wealth, power, prestige, social status, and even love, could ultimately prove false and hollow without it, as a person can gain all of these things and still not have peace of mind.

In a combat situation, preoccupation with emotions, motives like vengeance, worries about self image, fear of failure or injury or even personal survival, are all paralysing obstacles to appropriate action. It is important to guard against the natural human tendency to fall victim to emotional suggestions, subjective impressions, and seeing things as you want them to be rather than as they are. Conversely, it is dangerous to focus your mind too much on the attitude your rival, or even a leader, may assume, for such posturing may be deliberately designed to be misleading. The goal is to train until it is possible to remain undisturbed by any situation, even one that may be life threatening, as if nothing critical is happening.

The School's traditions, customs, and rules of behaviour are deliberately designed to provide everyone with a functional code of conduct that must be maintained. Without it, the school can quickly degenerate into nothing more than a "coaching" venue, where the ethical basis of the "Do" can be lost. Students, particularly children, must be taught the importance of respect for others and for the property of others. Constant observance of the code of conduct is tangible evidence of the respect that is necessary to learning, and of being worthy of the skills being taught. It also demonstrates to the Instructor that the student understands and accepts the responsibility for their skills. Students who arrive at the school with an overactive ego or excessively aggressive attitude will not persevere in their training unless they learn to adopt an open minded, receptive, and respectful attitude.

There is an old Asian legend that tells of a robust young warrior that came to learn from an old martial arts master. The warrior went to great lengths to tell the master of his prowess, bragging about his strength and martial skills. The master listened politely and then suggested they have tea before the teaching begins. The tea was brought out and the master poured tea for himself and the warrior, and then poured more into the warrior' s cup until it overflowed.

" What are you doing?" asked the warrior as he jumped back from the table.

"Ah" replied the master, " the cup must be empty before it can be filled. You are so full of yourself that I can teach you nothing. You must empty your mind of preconceived ideas before more knowledge can be put in".