“Karate begins and ends with respect.” ~ Master Anko Itos
When, Why, and How We Bow
When we bow, we maintain eye contact with our opponent or instructor as a way of showing honor, we are not bowing as a way to show submission and students and instructors of all belt levels bow to one another to show honor. Some of the reasons we bow include:
- mark our entry into our “martial arts world” – as we bow in, we leave all else behind.
- show respect to our studio and our flags – we show appreciation for our school’s presence and acceptance of us.
- show respect to one another – we show honor to all who train with us.
- indicate a willingness to learn … humility.
- mark our return to our “ordinary world” – as we enter the “ordinary world” we remain martial artists in all we do.
Korean
An-yong-ha-shim-nikka
In our studio, we use this honorable, Korean greeting as a way of showing respect to the roots of the Korean arts as we greet each other at the beginning of each class. It basically translates to “How are you doing?”.
Kam-sa-ham-ni-da
In our studio, we use this Korean expression of gratitude as a way of showing respect to the roots of the Korean arts as we depart, offering gratitude to our instructors. It translates to “Thank you”.
Other Korean words we use during classes and their English translations
- Chah-ryut – Attention
- Joon-bee – Ready
- Shee-uh – At Ease
- Gyung-yeh – Bow
- See-jahk – Begin
- Bah-roh – Back to Ready
Counting and numbering in Korean
We count in Korean during our stretching routine and our forms are numbered.
Counting
- Hana – One
- Duhl – Two
- Seht – Three
- Neht – Four
- Daseot – Five
- Yeoseot – Six
- Ilgop – Seven
- Yuhdeol – Eight
- Ahhop – Nine
- Yeol – Ten
Numbering
- Il – 1
- Ee – 2
- Sam – 3
- Sa – 4
- Oh – 5
- Yuk – 6
- Chil – 7
- Pal – 8
Forms
We teach eight Palgwe forms which represent eight trigrams from I-Ching. While the TaeGuks practiced and recognized by Kukkiwon, today, are simpler and easier to learn and master, we find the challenge and art of the Palgwe forms more in alignment with our intention to honor the true grit, functionality, and purpose of our self-defense arts. In doing so, we have joined a great number who agree that certification is not proof of a true martial artist. We invite you to experience our training so you can judge for yourself.