"Yes, sir!" "Wha?"

[IMP]

Of the three classes I've experienced, two of them say "Yes, sir" and one the teacher is known as Mr. The latter was the same outside of class, one of the 'Yes, sir" ones is first name basis outside of class, and one is Mr. outside of class. And, like many, I have bowed in other buildings than my dojang. People give you a funny look, but when I wore my dobok to a restaurant...

 

[JT_the_Ninja]

I am still a bit up in the air about some of the other observations. I believe in a difference between an excuse and a reason. When asked a direct question or given a correction, "yes sir" is the only acceptable response. I believe in taking responsibility for your actions, but I don't always believe in simply cutting the student off. It depends a lot on the student, some students ALWAYS have an excuse or a rebuttal to what you say and need to be cut off. But example...last night while doing Ill Soo Sik, a student was told to extend their kick further and said "Yes sir, my distance was off." This is a reason, not an excuse and there's no reason to cut them off or not allow it. Every other time, the technique was right. I think that is very situational.

What I mean is that I don't want to see that the student is sorry so much as I just want to see him/her doing it right. It stems from a Biblical principle of "obedience, not sacrifice." If you mess up and I tell you what you were doing wrong, I don't want to hear how sorry you are that you messed up. I want to hear, "Yes, sir!" and see you correct it next time. It all comes down to attitude and how you respond to criticism and your own mistakes. If you focus on being sorry, you lose focus on fixing your mistakes. Mess up once, fine. Mess up a thousand times, fine. But mess up without learning from it and trying to correct yourself the next time, wrong.

 

[Lynne]

Of the three classes I've experienced, two of them say "Yes, sir" and one the teacher is known as Mr. The latter was the same outside of class, one of the 'Yes, sir" ones is first name basis outside of class, and one is Mr. outside of class. And, like many, I have bowed in other buildings than my dojang. People give you a funny look, but when I wore my dobok to a restaurant...

Since we are talking about etiquette...do you wear you dobok outside of the dojang? We are not to wear our doboks outside of the dojang unless we are going to and from a competition. Well, there is an exception - you can wear your dobok if the dobok top is hidden by a coat. That is our association rules which may not be the same for everyone of course!

 

[IMP]

No, not normally. Tf the place class is doesn't have a place to change, I change at home. So I do wear my dobok other places. That restaurant thing was an accident. We practiced in a park and we had to get dinner, so I couldn't really change. I don't wear my dobok to and from competitions, just when I'm there.

 

[JWLuiza]

We don't do it inside or outside of the class.

It isn't part of our culture. respect is, but a formal protocol is not.

 

[SamT]

My instructors reinforce it by correcting students, and higher gup students lead by example. It's been great so far. I generally address others by their proper title (Sir, Ma'am, Master, et cetera) in and out of the dojang. Heck, someone who tested for 1st dan with my instructor was my Motorcycle Safety Foundation teacher, I always said "Yes sir, thank you sir." when he'd give me advice or tell me what to do.

 

[foggymorning162]

Yes Sir and Yes Ma'am are inforced in class and although we have a fairly informal relationship outside of class it is still Sir for instructors and Master belts, we do not call our instructors by title when speaking directly to them usually even the GM is Sir. I do call even my 3 and 4's Ma'am and Sir. People outside if class usually are ok with it sometimes people will correct me and say something like "My father is Sir" or "I'm too young to be a Ma'am" Like a few others yes I have bowed in or out of stores etc. but the best is, and I know it is mean but I can't help myself sometimes.... If I hold the door for my son while walking out of a store sometimes I "remind" him too bow... he does it everytime :angel:

 

[clfsean]

Eh I'm Southern... yes or no isn't complete without Sir or M'am. The words just aren't right with out them.

Too bad the old school Southern is being pushed out by non-native speakers. That means I'm lucky if yes or no is even polite now-a-days.

 

[Montecarlodrag]

We don't use the "sir" or "Ma'am"
Instead, we enforce the use of "Yes/no Sa Bom Nim!" when a question was asked, and "Yes Sa Bom Nim! (then Bow)" when an order was given (to stand or doing something).

The "Yes Sa Bom Nim" is used regardless of rank, age or gender, but only to Blackbelts, or sometimes to seniors teaching (cho dan bo's or even red belts).

Regards.

 

[MBuzzy]

We don't use the "sir" or "Ma'am"
Instead, we enforce the use of "Yes/no Sa Bom Nim!" when a question was asked, and "Yes Sa Bom Nim! (then Bow)" when an order was given (to stand or doing something).

The "Yes Sa Bom Nim" is used regardless of rank, age or gender, but only to Blackbelts, or sometimes to seniors teaching (cho dan bo's or even red belts).

Regards.

So at your Dojang, ALL instructors or Dans are known as Sabomnim?

 

[zohran]

In our Dojang the norm is "Yes Sir", "Yes Maam" and "Mr./Ms./Mrs. Lastname." While we do not enforce saying Sa Bom/Sa Bom Nim it is taught as part of the required terminology. My instructor prefers being referred to as Mr. instead of Master.

We stress not wearing our uniforms outside of the Dojang. But some students come straight to class from home and are already in uniform. There are times where we do see them running a quick errand in their uniform before or after class.

We bow when :

we enter the Dojang
we are about to walk onto the actual work out floor
to the instructors
to any guest instructors
when receiving intructions/corrections from instructors
when we leave the same areas as listed above

I do find myself bowing outside of class when meeting other persons that hold a higher position then i do in the workplace and when talking with persons that are older then i am. I also bow during special events to include funerals.

We bow out of respect not submission.

 

[Montecarlodrag]

So at your Dojang, ALL instructors or Dans are known as Sabomnim?

All DAN instructors are called "Sa bom Nim" instead of "Yes Sir/Ma'am"

Of course, all students know the difference in rank between a Kyo Sa Nim, Bo Kyo Sa Nim, Sa Bom Nim and Kwang Chang Nim.

We always have done this way, i don't know why, but it's kind of cool.

Regards.

 

[L4WM4N]

It is stressed in our Dojang that Tang Soo Do is a Moo Do or military art and respect is expected and enforced. I recently visited a TKD school and a MMA school and noticed the Masters appeared puzzled when I bowed as I shook their hands.

I am especially appreciative as it's really teaching my 2 youngest about respect and discipline. If only my oldest wasn't a dancer ...

 

[Montecarlodrag]

It is stressed in our Dojang that Tang Soo Do is a Moo Do or military art and respect is expected and enforced. I recently visited a TKD school and a MMA school and noticed the Masters appeared puzzled when I bowed as I shook their hands.

I am especially appreciative as it's really teaching my 2 youngest about respect and discipline. If only my oldest wasn't a dancer ...

Yes, we too bow when we shake hands with somebody with MA rank.
The person with lower rank bows first and with more emphasis, the higher rank vows slightly after the other vows to him.

Between color belts the bow is at the same time with same emphasis.

In all cases, we shake hands with right hand of course, and left hand is placed below the elbow (palm facing downwards) with the arm flexed 90 degrees.

I find it good to show recpect and humility

 

[MrBigglesworth]

We enfore the "yes Sir" inside the dojang. Things are more casual outside. I'll tell you what gets me is when I slip into MA mode in civilian society. two prime examples, for some reason at work I had to step backwards through a doorway...I performed a half bow as I left the room. In another case, at work again, we were participating in a training class. the presenter called me up to demonstrate some stuff. When I finished he went to shake my hand. As I returned the hand shake I bowed. Thankfully,, most of my co-workers know about my after hours activities or accept the fact that I'm "eccentric" and don't think much of it.

Peace,
Erik

lol, it's so easy to do. I started in Yoshinkan Aikido and they used the word "osu" (pronounced more like "oos") a _lot_. I don't really do it any more, but I've lost count of the number of times I've "oosed" some guy at the 7-11, petrol station, etc.

 

[granfire]

Well, living in the South using polite phrases is much easier and pretty much the norm.

Though, I have to admit, I have been wanting to snatch kids up and get in their faces "DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO BEHAVE IN PUBLIC?!!!!"

On the same token, my aunt, living 'up North' has used aboe mentioned polite phrases to get back at her younger superiors. Nothing like a nice crisp 'Yes Ma'am' to make a young person squirm I suppose.

 

[Jenny_in_Chico]

I'm from Texas so I was raised to say "Yes, ma'am" and "No, sir". I use titles of respect in every social situation, whether I'm in the dojo or at the grocery store. However, I don't call very young people sir or ma'am, because such a title is one of the perks of being an adult (other perks are getting to stay up late and eating as many cookies as we want).

I ran with some bad people when I was young, had a funny-looking haircut, and got into some very sticky situations. Yet I've never been arrested, detained, or searched by the police. This is because I've always been polite, calm and well-spoken. I think also that my instinctive trust and respect for LEOs comes from this early experience, where my strange appearance and unsavory associates could have prejudiced police against me and gotten me in trouble. Yet I was always treated with courtesy.

The use of courtesy titles is one of the ways in which we oil the machinery of social living. The importance of courtesy cannot be overstressed, in my opinion.