School Culture, or, Why Do Martial Artists Act So Weird?
If you've never been exposed to the martial arts, the first thing you'll probably notice when you walk into a martial-arts school for the first time is a bizarre series of rituals, mannerisms, and behaviors. The strange behavior and unfamiliar actions lend the school an exotic, otherworldly atmosphere -- even if the classes are just being taught at the local Y or community college.
For eager explorers, this exotic quality can be very alluring - representing the promise of mysteries to be discovered, wisdom to be attained, and secrets to be learned. But that same quality can be off-putting, intimidating newcomers and making them feel like they're in the presence of a cult or just plain don't belong.
The level of formality varies from school to school. In some dojos, there is a prescribed code of behavior that covers everything from how you speak and dress to when and how to leave or enter the room. In others, the atmosphere might be so loose you might think you were just meeting to lift weights and eat pizza with a bunch of fraternity brothers.
Let's look at some of the unusual things you might be asked to do if you join a kwoon or dojang:
1: Take off your shoes. Students at a vast majority of schools train in bare feet. Training in bare feet is considered beneficial for several reasons. Students learning complex pivots, kicks and footwork find it easier to feel the floor and keep their balance in bare feet, and instructors can more easily discern mistakes if they can see the shape of their students' feet. For grapplers, street shoes can easily damage the expensive padded mats that cover the entire floor space. And once students move onto sparring, a hard street sole makes unintentional contact a lot more dangerous. (Some schools insist on their students training in street shoes, but that's a topic for another article.)
2: Bowing and/or saluting. This is almost universal in schools that teach East Asian styles. Bowing shows respect, signifies comprehension to instructions and/or readiness for training, and initiates a formal, serious mindset that prepares you to train. Here are some instances where you might be expected to bow:
• When entering or exiting the school. This bow shows respect for the school in which you're about to train, as well as the art you're about to train and possibly, the founder who invented the art. Customarily, this bow is directed toward the front of the room, where various national flags, an organizational emblem and/or a picture of some (deceased) master of your art might be placed.
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