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The Signifigance Of A Bow
by Stephen Logan

Every martial art practiced today has some formal way to convey personal qualities such as respect, gratitude, and a humble willingness to learn. Blind of rank and seniority, bowing acts as an equalizer for everyone from the senior most instructors to the newest members. It unites them in a single show of both reverence for the art, each other, and an earnest commitment to learning.

Despite great differences in both culture and era, the simple act of a bow (or a similar show of respect) between teachers, students, and combatants exist. More so, such acts exist to promote a sense of camaraderie between partners.

Prior to any Muay Thai bout in Thailand, the Thai Boxer performs a dance-like ceremony called the Wai Khruu. By performing the ceremony, the boxer conveys three main messages. 1. The Wai Khruu is designed "to pay homage and tribute to teachers and those whom gratitude is due. 2. To consecrate a blessing on the performer, a morale booster, and a shield against nervousness and fear, and 3. To show the origin of the boxer, what camp he belongs to." (Kraitus 82)

In Japan, practitioners of Kendo perform a formal 'bow in' ceremony from the seiza posture. "Pupils line up in rank order facing their instructor. At the close of the ceremony, the class says 'onegaishimasu' meaning 'please practice with me.' "(Donohue 42)

In Bare knuckle boxing, John L. Sullivan writes that "it was customary before and after a bout to shake hands as a token of friendship." Afterwards, boxers would "step back and assume the position on guard before again getting within distance." (Sullivan 6)

Muay Thai, Kendo, and Pugilism illustrate the unity that arises from a simple show of respect prior to training or sparring. Although the technical aspects of each art represent different ends of a spectrum, the personal qualities that they promote and nurture through bowing are identical.

In his book "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind," Shunryu Suzuki writes that "to bow means to pay our respects to something which is more worthy of respect than ourselves." (Suzuki 44) In the context of martial arts, Suzukis' words reflect our respect for the history and culture of our combative art as well as the men and women who have devoted themselves to furthering it. More so it acknowledges that when training each individual student contributed to a wider community of training partners, the martial arts, and human endeavors in general.

Suzuki also suggests that "bowing helps to eliminate our self centered ideas." (Suzuki 45) When entering a space for training, be it a dojo, gym, or backyard, a bow signifies a change in mindset. It represents a moment when the practitioner makes a conscious decision to leave behind his or her anger, fear, and anxiety from the outside world, and solely focus their energy on master the skills and lessons of their art.

Bowing at MMAC

As members of the O.U. Mixed Martial Arts Club there are three main situations in which we bow.

First, we bow when entering and exiting the Combative Arts room. This follows Suzuki’s second definition of a bow. We are shedding our worries from daily activities and clearing our minds for training. Although our hand gestures or preferences in how we bow vary from person to person, the mental process is the same. It represents a genuine will to learn and participate with a clear mind.

Second, we bow formally at the beginning and end of club times. This directly follows Suzuki’s first definition of a bow. We are showing respect for the culture and history of our art and for each other in the spirit of friendship and sharing.

Lastly, we bow before committing ourselves to a live sparring or grappling match. It is a show that we are equals with our partner and we have come to them without aggression and anger, but with confidence and an openness to learn.

The MMAC Opening Bow

At MMAC our bow that opens and closes training comes in two parts. The first part is a simple bow at the waist while holding hands in prayer position. It is taken from Muay Thai and as well as showing our respect to each other, it shows our reverence to the particular art form and its influence in club.

The second part involves three motions. First we place our left hand on our heart acknowledging our spirit and our right hand over our head acknowledging our own mind and ability to fight. Second we step back and kneel down with our right foot as a show of nonaggression while opening our hands (if holding a weapon, placing the tip down), our left hand extending palm up with our eyes looking up signifying an acceptance of knowledge and camaraderie of student/student and student/instructor relationship. Our eyes look to higher power in respect and for guidance. Lastly we step back with our left foot and place a hand on our hearts to close the bowing process.

Whether bowing informally while entering a place of training or formally with a group, the bowing process is something to take seriously. It’s a living breathing tradition meant to show respect for ourselves, our peers, and our ancestors. It is an opportunity for us to center ourselves and be genuine about learning and helping others, and it is an acknowledgement that we are contributing members to a greater whole. Each bow is not simply an action but is rather a profound show of humility and respect. Next time you bow, spend a moment and reflect on why.

Bibliography

1. Donohue, John J. Complete Kendo. Boston. Tuttle Publishing, 1999.

2. Kraitus, Panya. Muay Thai: The most Distinguished Art of Fighting. Thailand. Mr. Panya Kraitus, 1988.

3. Sullivan, John L. Boxing: A Manual Devoted to the Art of Self-Defence. New York. American Sports Publishing Company, 1904.

4. Suzuki, Shunryu. Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice. New York. Weatherhill Inc, 2000.



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