Bowing: eyes up or down?

[Danny T]

For those firm hand shakers and haters of the soft hand. Most of my life I was one of you. With arthritis in my hands I am quickly becoming a two hand shaker. With two hands I can control the amount of pressure being applied by the other person. It is not just uncomfortable to shake hands it is down right painful. Take a hammer and smash your knuckles like you are driving a nail a couple of times and then shake hands. That is the closest I can come to explaining the feeling. Painful. Wedging your hand completely into the others and with your index and middle finger extended to the others wrist as Tez describes does help but is still quite painful for me so I have gone to using both hands to control the grip pressure.

 

[Rough Rider]

I strongly dislike it when people offer their hand palm down, forcing me to go palm up.

I didn't even know that was something people did.

 

[Gnarlie]

I didn't even know that was something people did.

I get it quite often. Depending on the offerer, I've even taken to just looking at their hand for an extended period and then just walking off without a word. I find that to be no less respectful than the palm down thing.

 

[geezer]

Th shoulder grab is how I ensure you don't try to move in for an unwelcome hug.

Ah, the wisdom of a BJJ practitioner. I like it. Now I'm going to steal the idea and use it as WC anti-grappling!

 

[geezer]

I get it quite often. Depending on the offerer, I've even taken to just looking at their hand for an extended period and then just walking off without a word. I find that to be no less respectful than the palm down thing.

How rude. When they do that, you are supposed to kiss their ring!

http://www.timeslive.co.za/Feeds/Re..._630x400/MDF58513-05-03-2013-02-03-07-935.jpg

 

[Kenpoguy123]

Always look in the eyes. In any style they always say never take your eyes off your opponent so why would they contradict that rule. Screw trust you always need to know what the other person is doing.

Also Bruce lee even said always look when you bow

 

[Gnarlie]

Always look in the eyes. In any style they always say never take your eyes off your opponent so why would they contradict that rule. Screw trust you always need to know what the other person is doing.

Also Bruce lee even said always look when you bow

Not true, at least for Taekwondo, the Korean norm is used, and that is eyes down. In fact, I am not aware of any East - Asian country that doesn't bow eyes down. China is different in that the bow is more from the shoulders than the waist, but the eyes are still down.

Just because Bruce said it in Enter The Dragon, doesn't make it true. Kicks and punches make lovely melon-slap noises in that movie, but that doesn't happen in real life.

People do things differently, and that's OK. But why adopt cultural aspects like bowing along with a traditional art, if you are not going to perform them in the way they are performed in the native country?

Some people here have given specific reasons in answer to this, and that's fine too. But why bother with a bow at all if you are not using an authentic one? Why not throw it out and use a high five or a fist bump instead?

 

[Tez3]

Just because Bruce said it in Enter The Dragon, doesn't make it true.

But but but he's the man

I may stop shaking hands altogether after a meme turned up on my FB timeline the other day about handshakes. It basically said to remember every hand you've ever shaken has held a certain part of men's anatomy........... I'd post it here but of course it didn't phrase it that way roflmao.

 

[Buka]

People do things differently, and that's OK. But why adopt cultural aspects like bowing along with a traditional art, if you are not going to perform them in the way they are performed in the native country?

Some people here have given specific reasons in answer to this, and that's fine too. But why bother with a bow at all if you are not using an authentic one? Why not throw it out and use a high five or a fist bump instead?

The "native country" my style comes from is the USA. Our "authentic" bow is one with eyes up at all times.
Actually, as I just wrote this - I completely agree with you!

 

[Gnarlie]

The "native country" my style comes from is the USA. Our "authentic" bow is one with eyes up at all times.
Actually, as I just wrote this - I completely agree with you!

Do you consider the bowing that your group does to be part of US culture? That's an interesting point.

 

[Buka]

Do you consider the bowing that your group does to be part of US culture? That's an interesting point.

I don't know. Never actually thought about that before. (There you go again, Gnarlie, making me think. Basta!)

We've been doing it that way for 45 years now. Just the way our Art has done it. I could no more bow with my eyes down than I could shut my eyes while driving a car down the freeway in traffic. Just could not.