Dojo Rules & Guidelines
In this section you will find our rules of conduct along with the Morality of Karate and Manners and Directions for Trainees of ShorinKan. It is often very hard for people to adjust, both students and parents alike, to the strict adherence a Karate school will have to how students are to behave. Our rules and ethics are here to help outline clear expectations of students and visitors to the dojo.
1. Entering the Dojo
A. A bow is executed as soon as you have entered the dojo.
B. After changing clothes you should be ready for training without interruptions unless
it is an emergency.
C. Pull your attendance card and mark it in the appropriate place.
D. A bow will be made before stepping onto the mat.
E. Cross the mat being mindful never to walk in front of a senior rank or black belt.
F. The instructor will NOT be disturbed while you are crossing the mat.
2. How to address the Instructor
A. You will call the Chief Instructor "Sensei" at all times.
B. Student instructors and black belts will be addressed as Mr., Mrs. or Ms. and last name.
C. When responding to a Sensei / Instructor it is required that the student respond with "Yes, Sir/Mam',
"No Sir/Mam" or Hai (which is the Okinawa dialect for Yes).
3. Daily Greeting of Instructors and Classmates
A. There will be an exchange of the bow between students and instructors upon their first greetings
for the day.
B. When students are called to the mat there will be an exchange of the bow before beginning
the training.
C. We must never fail to recognize our friends, family or other Karate-ka and it is very for us to humble
ourselves with a bow. The bow is not necessary for friends and family who are not in Karate and
would not understand the culture of the tradition.
4. The bow for our dojo
A. How it is done (Standing position)
1. Feet should be drawn together moving left to right.
2. Hands will be placed at the sides and on the thighs.
3. Lower ranks will bow looking down.
4. The back should be bent at the lower back, never slouch.
5. The bow should be brief but not too quickly done.
B. How it is done (Kneeling Position)
1. The left hand will be brought to a position that is open and facing the front of the class.
2. The right foot is stepped backward to assume a kneeling position.
3. The left foot is them moved to a kneeling position where the toes come together and you are seated
on your heels.
4. The obi (belt) is spread neatly across the waist. The hands are placed on the upper thighs with the
fingers together and facing inner thigh.
5. When executing the bow the thumb and index fingers will form a bell and placed on floor.
6. The head would be bowed with the nose moved towards the center of the bell.
7. The bow is executed in a manner so as not to raise the hips from the heels.
5. Class Procedures
A. Students who wish to ask questions or make comments should raise their hands.
B. The dojo is a facility for training in Karate and must be used exclusively for that purpose.
NO HORSEPLAY at any time is tolerated.
C. Extensive conversations not relative to class or Karate should not be carried on during the training.
D. Training sessions will begin promptly at their assigned times. Every effort MUST be made to be in
class when the sessions begins. Don't be tardy as it shows disrespect for your Sensei and
classmates.
E. Should you arrive after class has began you should get dressed and join the class without delay.
F. Late arrivals should stand at the entrance to the mat and wait to be invited onto the mat by the Sensei.
G. When the class is called to line up students must go to the proper position and stand at attention.
Students are lined up with Seniors in the back row and Juniors in the front row. Highest rank will be to
the left of each line.
H. Never cross in front of another student training or between two students working together,
always cross behind them.
I. If it is necessary to leave the mat during class the chief instructor should be made aware of the
situation before leaving.
J. The Senior Student to recognize that the Chief Instructor has entered the dojo will call the class to
attention and they will bow. The Chief Instructor will return the courtesy.
6. CARE OF THE GI (Karate Uniform)
A. The Gi should be washed before every single class. Never wear a dirty Gi to the dojo.
B. The Gi should be kept as white as possible at all times.
C. The Obi (belt) is NEVER to be washed at anytime.
D. When your Gi needs maintenance during classes you will turn away from the from the front of
the class and kneel with only the right knee down to perform the required item.
E. The Obi will not be worn outside of the dojo unless you are participating in a Karate function.
F. When it becomes necessary to wear the gi outside of the dojo the obi will be carried neatly around
the neck and tucked inside the gi if not carried in a bag.
G. Only authorized patches may be worn on the Gi. For more information see your Sensei.
7. Visitors and Proper Behavior of Guests to the Dojo.
A. All visitors must be signed in unless they are a parent of a students of the dojo.
B. All visitors will turn off their cell phones or set them to vibrate. There is no talking on cell phones in the
dojo during classes at anytime. You may feel free to take photos during classes but no videos.
C. Small children must be sitting with their parents at all times. No unsupervised child will be in the dojo.
Violators of this rule will get one warning then asked to leave. This is a safety precaution.
D. ANY visitor to the dojo that behaves in a disrespectful manner towards a student or teacher will be
escorted directly out of the building with any force deemed necessary at the time.
E. There is to be no eating in the dojo unless the food was provided by the dojo at a special function.
F. Our dojo is to be respected at all times. Everyone is to pick up after themselves and we will not tolerate
and destructive conduct to our property. If you break it you will buy it.
8. Purchasing of equipment, weapons or other items for use in training.
A. All items to be used for training will be purchased through our Pro Shop at all times.
B. We will not allow any item bought outside of the dojo to be used in the dojo unless Sherman Sensei has
authorized it as being allowed.
C. This policy is to remind our students to support their dojo. A dojo is not a free building and we have to
pay rent, utilities and other items to keep the doors open.
9. Visiting other dojo or attending tournaments / seminars / workshops.
A. While encourage our students to experience all they can from martial arts training care must be
taken to request permission from your Sensei before attending events or classes outside of the dojo.
B. A student wishing to attend an event / class outside of the dojo must behave in a manner consistent
with our rules and guidelines for conduct.
C. Sherman Sensei has been in martial arts in this area for many years. While he has many friends who
teach there are certain schools, instructors and art forms that he doesn't permit his students to
attend. This is done because of the unethical conduct of the instructors or because it is not an
authentic martial art.
D. Always request permission from Sensei before going to another school, tournament or event. This is
respectful to your Sensei and a big part of what we do is RESPECTING our Seniors
A. A bow is executed as soon as you have entered the dojo.
B. After changing clothes you should be ready for training without interruptions unless
it is an emergency.
C. Pull your attendance card and mark it in the appropriate place.
D. A bow will be made before stepping onto the mat.
E. Cross the mat being mindful never to walk in front of a senior rank or black belt.
F. The instructor will NOT be disturbed while you are crossing the mat.
2. How to address the Instructor
A. You will call the Chief Instructor "Sensei" at all times.
B. Student instructors and black belts will be addressed as Mr., Mrs. or Ms. and last name.
C. When responding to a Sensei / Instructor it is required that the student respond with "Yes, Sir/Mam',
"No Sir/Mam" or Hai (which is the Okinawa dialect for Yes).
3. Daily Greeting of Instructors and Classmates
A. There will be an exchange of the bow between students and instructors upon their first greetings
for the day.
B. When students are called to the mat there will be an exchange of the bow before beginning
the training.
C. We must never fail to recognize our friends, family or other Karate-ka and it is very for us to humble
ourselves with a bow. The bow is not necessary for friends and family who are not in Karate and
would not understand the culture of the tradition.
4. The bow for our dojo
A. How it is done (Standing position)
1. Feet should be drawn together moving left to right.
2. Hands will be placed at the sides and on the thighs.
3. Lower ranks will bow looking down.
4. The back should be bent at the lower back, never slouch.
5. The bow should be brief but not too quickly done.
B. How it is done (Kneeling Position)
1. The left hand will be brought to a position that is open and facing the front of the class.
2. The right foot is stepped backward to assume a kneeling position.
3. The left foot is them moved to a kneeling position where the toes come together and you are seated
on your heels.
4. The obi (belt) is spread neatly across the waist. The hands are placed on the upper thighs with the
fingers together and facing inner thigh.
5. When executing the bow the thumb and index fingers will form a bell and placed on floor.
6. The head would be bowed with the nose moved towards the center of the bell.
7. The bow is executed in a manner so as not to raise the hips from the heels.
5. Class Procedures
A. Students who wish to ask questions or make comments should raise their hands.
B. The dojo is a facility for training in Karate and must be used exclusively for that purpose.
NO HORSEPLAY at any time is tolerated.
C. Extensive conversations not relative to class or Karate should not be carried on during the training.
D. Training sessions will begin promptly at their assigned times. Every effort MUST be made to be in
class when the sessions begins. Don't be tardy as it shows disrespect for your Sensei and
classmates.
E. Should you arrive after class has began you should get dressed and join the class without delay.
F. Late arrivals should stand at the entrance to the mat and wait to be invited onto the mat by the Sensei.
G. When the class is called to line up students must go to the proper position and stand at attention.
Students are lined up with Seniors in the back row and Juniors in the front row. Highest rank will be to
the left of each line.
H. Never cross in front of another student training or between two students working together,
always cross behind them.
I. If it is necessary to leave the mat during class the chief instructor should be made aware of the
situation before leaving.
J. The Senior Student to recognize that the Chief Instructor has entered the dojo will call the class to
attention and they will bow. The Chief Instructor will return the courtesy.
6. CARE OF THE GI (Karate Uniform)
A. The Gi should be washed before every single class. Never wear a dirty Gi to the dojo.
B. The Gi should be kept as white as possible at all times.
C. The Obi (belt) is NEVER to be washed at anytime.
D. When your Gi needs maintenance during classes you will turn away from the from the front of
the class and kneel with only the right knee down to perform the required item.
E. The Obi will not be worn outside of the dojo unless you are participating in a Karate function.
F. When it becomes necessary to wear the gi outside of the dojo the obi will be carried neatly around
the neck and tucked inside the gi if not carried in a bag.
G. Only authorized patches may be worn on the Gi. For more information see your Sensei.
7. Visitors and Proper Behavior of Guests to the Dojo.
A. All visitors must be signed in unless they are a parent of a students of the dojo.
B. All visitors will turn off their cell phones or set them to vibrate. There is no talking on cell phones in the
dojo during classes at anytime. You may feel free to take photos during classes but no videos.
C. Small children must be sitting with their parents at all times. No unsupervised child will be in the dojo.
Violators of this rule will get one warning then asked to leave. This is a safety precaution.
D. ANY visitor to the dojo that behaves in a disrespectful manner towards a student or teacher will be
escorted directly out of the building with any force deemed necessary at the time.
E. There is to be no eating in the dojo unless the food was provided by the dojo at a special function.
F. Our dojo is to be respected at all times. Everyone is to pick up after themselves and we will not tolerate
and destructive conduct to our property. If you break it you will buy it.
8. Purchasing of equipment, weapons or other items for use in training.
A. All items to be used for training will be purchased through our Pro Shop at all times.
B. We will not allow any item bought outside of the dojo to be used in the dojo unless Sherman Sensei has
authorized it as being allowed.
C. This policy is to remind our students to support their dojo. A dojo is not a free building and we have to
pay rent, utilities and other items to keep the doors open.
9. Visiting other dojo or attending tournaments / seminars / workshops.
A. While encourage our students to experience all they can from martial arts training care must be
taken to request permission from your Sensei before attending events or classes outside of the dojo.
B. A student wishing to attend an event / class outside of the dojo must behave in a manner consistent
with our rules and guidelines for conduct.
C. Sherman Sensei has been in martial arts in this area for many years. While he has many friends who
teach there are certain schools, instructors and art forms that he doesn't permit his students to
attend. This is done because of the unethical conduct of the instructors or because it is not an
authentic martial art.
D. Always request permission from Sensei before going to another school, tournament or event. This is
respectful to your Sensei and a big part of what we do is RESPECTING our Seniors
KARATE BEGINS AND ENDS WITH COURTESY.
EACH STUDENT SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE RULES OF ETIQUETTE FOR OUR DOJO.
EACH STUDENT SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE RULES OF ETIQUETTE FOR OUR DOJO.