Rei
Rei
– A Bow Of Respect
The
Japanese word for bowing is called “rei” and is the method
of greeting one another throughout Asia. Many Americans
are confused about when, where and how to bow in and around
the dojo, but seem to pick it up pretty quick. I guess it’s
like the military, when in doubt – bow.
I
once read a story that covered respect and the premise was
that the rice stalk that carried the most grain bent the
lowest. I find that in the martial arts, there seems to
be a similar truth. It has been my experience that the most
senior and respected teachers are the most humble and respectful
beings around. They understand that respect is not something
one can demand, but earns by showing respect to others.
The very act of taking time to recognize another and showing
that you recognize them and appreciate their being is an
act in humility all in itself.
There
is a natural law that I call the law of the farm. This law
specifies that in order to get, you must first give. In
order to get respect from others, you must first give respect.
On a farm you plant seed in the spring, work the crop during
the summer, and harvest in the fall. You can’t skip the
first part and expect results in the fall, nor can you rush
this process by pulling on the stalk during the summer.
There are those that sit in front of a stove and think that
once it heats up, then they will add wood to the fire. That
process just doesn’t work, and yet everyday, products are
sold and bought that promise instant gratification with
no effort needed.
Even
in the martial arts world, there are those that promise
instant security, a six-month black belt, or deadly abilities
in only a few lessons. Anyone that understands natural laws,
must realize that quality martial arts takes many years,
a lot of hard work and dedication to a good organization
and teacher. Every time you bow in the dojo, you should
understand that you have identified this process and are
earning your proficiency the old fashion way – through hard
work, discipline and respect.
Many
senior teachers have identified that simply teaching fighting
tactics or strategies, without including the philosophical
and spiritual attributes of respect, humility and self-discipline
is doing nothing more than creating street-fighters. In
classical martial arts, the training of the entire person,
mentally, spiritually and physically is the goal of the
teacher. One of the major first steps towards becoming a
great warrior is learning how to bow properly.
