How formal is your school in terms of terms of address, uniforms and the way training is conducted? And, how do you feel the atmosphere of formaliy or informality affects your training?
How formal is your school?
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jkembry
Black Belt
My dojo is somewhat formal....which I like. That being said, there are times in training when the formality fades into the background for the sake of learning.
During testing we are extremely formal.
During testing we are extremely formal.
bowser666
2nd Black Belt
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During private instruction the formality is toned down a bit. However when in group class it is formal. Instructor is always addressed as yes sir/ma'am. Proper uniform must be worn at all times, and everyone is address by their last name i.e. Mr/ Mrs so and so , or Miss so and so. It is not super uptight however and it is not uncommon to hear a laugh or to see many smiles while in class or training. All in all it is a great environment.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Taiji
On a scale form 1 to 10..... 2 (or at least it use to be) everyone is polite that is all. No sir, ma'am or bowing and no uniform
There are those that are trying to make it more formal but Sifu does not want it more formal. However against his wishes they are still pushing for this. However these same people still want to have social hour while sifu tries to teach...go figure.
Before this group appeared it was a rather friendly informal group and we trained and listened to sifu and it was rather good.
This group although they are nice people are not really training at all they are just doing the taiji dance and social hour but yet they want the image of formality to (IMO) make up for thier lack of actual training and to fool themselves into thinkng they actually are.
Sanda
Not formal at all. No sir, ma'am, uniform or bowing.... a lot of training but no formalities at all. And I really like this approach, besides how formal can you be doing tuishou in a torrential downpour :EG:
Xingyiquan
Was not all that formal either - No sir, ma'am or bowing and no uniform. However my Xingyi sifu will not tolerate talking while he is teaching. And I have no problem with this approach to training either.
On a scale form 1 to 10..... 2 (or at least it use to be) everyone is polite that is all. No sir, ma'am or bowing and no uniform
There are those that are trying to make it more formal but Sifu does not want it more formal. However against his wishes they are still pushing for this. However these same people still want to have social hour while sifu tries to teach...go figure.
Before this group appeared it was a rather friendly informal group and we trained and listened to sifu and it was rather good.
This group although they are nice people are not really training at all they are just doing the taiji dance and social hour but yet they want the image of formality to (IMO) make up for thier lack of actual training and to fool themselves into thinkng they actually are.
Sanda
Not formal at all. No sir, ma'am, uniform or bowing.... a lot of training but no formalities at all. And I really like this approach, besides how formal can you be doing tuishou in a torrential downpour :EG:
Xingyiquan
Was not all that formal either - No sir, ma'am or bowing and no uniform. However my Xingyi sifu will not tolerate talking while he is teaching. And I have no problem with this approach to training either.
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Not at all. Well, we bow in and out, but thats about it.
Steve
Mostly Harmless
My school is actually on the formal side for a BJJ school, although that would be very informal for many traditional schools. We bow before and after each class, and... well, that's about it. 
Most people call our instructor "Coach" or James. Some BJJ instructors prefer to be addressed as "Professor" but that's, I think, a legacy from the Portugeuse term for coach or teacher.
Uniforms need to be clean, but that's a very pragmatic requirement as we're all a bit on the germaphobic side.
Things need to be formal enough that there is an atmosphere conducive to learning. People pay attention during technique, and are serious when drilling. We goof off a little during warm-ups and have fun during sparring, too.
Most people call our instructor "Coach" or James. Some BJJ instructors prefer to be addressed as "Professor" but that's, I think, a legacy from the Portugeuse term for coach or teacher.Uniforms need to be clean, but that's a very pragmatic requirement as we're all a bit on the germaphobic side.
Things need to be formal enough that there is an atmosphere conducive to learning. People pay attention during technique, and are serious when drilling. We goof off a little during warm-ups and have fun during sparring, too.
We're semi-formal. We've moved away from full uniform; a t-shirt and appropriate sweats are fine, but belts are still required, as is tucking shirts in. (Silly, but it bugs me for the students to leave their shirts untucked...) We bow at the beginning and end of class, and it's clear who the instructor is -- or it should be. But I let students ask questions, etc., though I expect students to listen and follow directions.
shihansmurf
Black Belt
I only have two students a the moment and I teach in my backyard son, pretty lax. I'd say about a 3 or 4. I perfer Mr., but I get a lot of shihans when being addressed.
Now when I go home and work out with my senior students at his dojo things are a lot different. He is very formal with his students and in turn they are with me. I find it to be a bit much but it works for them and he produces good students so I forbear.
As to how it effects, I'm pretty ambivalently about the formality thing. I'd rather get a good workout and sweat my butt off, but to some the atmosphere is inextricably linked to the training experience and their training would suffer for the lack of it. You have to find your comfort level and work with it.
Mark
Now when I go home and work out with my senior students at his dojo things are a lot different. He is very formal with his students and in turn they are with me. I find it to be a bit much but it works for them and he produces good students so I forbear.
As to how it effects, I'm pretty ambivalently about the formality thing. I'd rather get a good workout and sweat my butt off, but to some the atmosphere is inextricably linked to the training experience and their training would suffer for the lack of it. You have to find your comfort level and work with it.
Mark
We're reasonably formal - uniforms and belts (but t-shirts in the summer - the AC isn't too good, and some schools don't have it at all), and also formal address - Sir/Ma'am, Mr./Ms., no swearing, etc. Teaching a martial art, to me, includes teaching responsible use - and if you don't have the discipline to control what you wear and say, it's going to be really hard to teach you discipline in what you do with what you've learned - that's why my Sahbum does it that way, and I agree with him. But I also understand that different situations work for different people - if you do something else and it works for you - cool!
We conduct structured classes and use some of the formal etiquette however we also have some fun and try not to take ourselves too seriously (although we do take the quality of our training seriously). I think this fosters a positive environment which also makes a good learning environment.
Very formal, which I like and encourage. To me, being formal is a sign of professionalism. We wear uniforms in class, as well as for workshops and tournaments. We always bow when addressing each other, and use Mr/Mrs when addressing each other as instructor to instructor. Students are always formal when adressing instructors.
Even if I'm teaching a student one on one, I still keep it formal.
Even if I'm teaching a student one on one, I still keep it formal.
Tomu
Orange Belt
I guess I would say we are somewhat formal. Gi and obi required unless you are a noob. Obi must be tied correctly. Bow on and off tatami. Always come to attention and bow to Shihan or Sensei when they first enter room. I'm ok with all of this. Kind of reminds me of the Army.
kamishinkan
Green Belt
Very Formal. On a scale from 1-10, I would say a 9. We have a formal bow in at the beginning of class, bow to each other at the beginning of paired exercises, always use proper titles (sensei, etc). We also have a formal kneeling bow out at the end of each class. The only reason I would not give it a 10 is that SOME fun/interaction during class is allowed.
Lynne
Master of Arts
We are very formal but allowed to wear t-shirts with the school logo (black belts must wear full uniform) during July and August - it gets hot, really hot sometimes. (I've chosen to wear my full dobok though as a matter of discipline. Besides it breathes.)
We bow to one another. We bow entering the dojang and leaving. We also bow entering and leaving the building itself. Everyone is addressed as Mr., Mrs., Ms., Master, etc.
Generally, talking during class is discouraged except to ask questions, say yes sir, Kihap of course, and so on.
And we do have fun. We may not be smiling during forms because we are so focused but we smile at other times
We bow to one another. We bow entering the dojang and leaving. We also bow entering and leaving the building itself. Everyone is addressed as Mr., Mrs., Ms., Master, etc.
Generally, talking during class is discouraged except to ask questions, say yes sir, Kihap of course, and so on.
And we do have fun. We may not be smiling during forms because we are so focused but we smile at other times
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We are very formal during regular classes. Instructors in the dojo are always referred to by their title, and never just by first name, if you're one of the students. Even instructors call each other by their titles.
Opening and closing ceremonies at the beginning and ending of classes.
Everyone trains in gi. Ladies may wear t-shirts underneath the gi.
If it's a private lesson, or if there are a very small number of students in the class, then it's a bit less formal, and the instructors aren't going to be using their "instructor" tone nearly as much.
Outside the dojo? We're about as relaxed as anyone.
Opening and closing ceremonies at the beginning and ending of classes.
Everyone trains in gi. Ladies may wear t-shirts underneath the gi.
If it's a private lesson, or if there are a very small number of students in the class, then it's a bit less formal, and the instructors aren't going to be using their "instructor" tone nearly as much.
Outside the dojo? We're about as relaxed as anyone.
JadeDragon3
Black Belt
My school was somewhat formal. We bowed before class and recited a student creed. We also had to call the teacher Mr. or Sifu. If we were addressing someone of higher rank we were to call them Mr. or Mrs.. At the end of class we would bow out. During class time it wasn't as formal. We could ask questions if we didn't get some concept or technique. My sifu made class fun but yet expected respect for him and each other.
At one time I insisted that all be in uniform unless they had just joined. I amended that to uniform bottoms with belts and plain tee shirts ( no markings) unless you had been there less than a month. Later I said lets practice the way we dress a couple of times a week.
The informal street dress seems more practical to me as I know I will not be attacked on the street while in uniform ( no I do not wear one outside of the school or school events).
The informal street dress seems more practical to me as I know I will not be attacked on the street while in uniform ( no I do not wear one outside of the school or school events).
jim777
Master Black Belt
My Seido school is a bit out of the ordinary in that it is actually the Honbu (world headquarters) of the organization, so it is pretty old school Japanese formal. I have to say I like it great deal, and don't see a downside to it.
OP
- Thread Starter
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Well, I study Wing Tsun and Eskrima. The public WT classes are moderately formal with uniforms and formal terms of adress, etc., but the advanced workouts are much less formal. I usually wear the school T-shirt and sweats or shorts. Of course, these are semi-private sessions and I am technically my instructor's elder or si-hing in the system.
The Eskrima classes are distinctly informal, and yet every student shows great respect for the teacher even though he goes by his first name in class. I really like the honesty and lack of pretense.
If I ever start teaching in a truly public setting, I probably would be moderately formal, but as far as my own training goes...as the years pass, I feel less need for all the "trappings" of the martial arts and a greater desire to get down to the "real thing"...however it is packaged.
The Eskrima classes are distinctly informal, and yet every student shows great respect for the teacher even though he goes by his first name in class. I really like the honesty and lack of pretense.
If I ever start teaching in a truly public setting, I probably would be moderately formal, but as far as my own training goes...as the years pass, I feel less need for all the "trappings" of the martial arts and a greater desire to get down to the "real thing"...however it is packaged.
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