Bowing – The Polite Greeting
In martial arts we teach our students to bow. The bow is used as a salute and a greeting which usually also denotes seniority by way of the junior first bowing to the senior with the senior returning the courtesy. Sometimes we get so formal in our teachings and ways that we lose sight of the fact that it is a personal connection with another person. It is a connection from the teacher to the student and from the student to the teacher. It’s not an ego booster for the teacher! Nor is it teach the student to be submissive.
Here is a great short clip of Master Tom Callos teaching a youth class on polite greeting.
Tags: bow, courtesy, Polite Greeting, respect, Self defense, Tom Callos, Troy White
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Troy, thank you for talking about and including my teaching video on your site. From my perspective, it is the teacher who first bows to the student —-as the teacher should know how important his or her role is (or could be) –and so the bow is to honor that idea. The teacher is the servant, not the boss, the leader, or the “one who knows.” Truth be told, it’s this group of kids who are working with me –to remind me to be patient, to be compassionate, and to practice what I preach. I am lucky that I have the opportunity to engage with them. FAR too many teachers, present company excluded, think they know something –when in reality most know little –and have done less. There is an exchange that goes on between kids and their teachers –and the contribution weighs heavier on the kid’s side.
Tom