(Summary of paper by Sensei Phillip J. Brain)

Etiquette and Hygiene is beneficial to any person in everyday life, because it is basically respect for your own being and for another. Etiquette and hygiene were observed in everyday life by the Japanese people. They continued to observe etiquette and hygiene in their practice and study within the martial arts. By having an open and flexible mind we learn by observing actions of people around us, in particular the teacher (Sensei) and those “old hands” (sempai) as well as from listening and reading. These are the first etiquette of the martial arts, look and listen, listen and learn, read and learn. As a learner, one entrusts him or herself to be shown “the way” (do) and because the practice of the martial arts is one of free choice, whatever the motive, then the instructor imagines beforehand that he or she will have an attentive class. It is because of this trust which a student shows in engaging an instructor that obligates the instructor to their student.
An experience of the body must effect the mind. The atmosphere in a Dojo is important and should be one of peace, which is generated by the instructor and in the general surroundings.
A part of this respect is the bow (rei), an often misunderstood act to the uninitiated. It is a bow out of respect on entering or leaving a Dojo to the past masters and to the other students that all endeavour to grow and learn from the same spirit of the martial arts, together in harmony.
In a formal class after you have come onto the mat, when the Sensei/s are lined up facing the students the Dojo steward or sempai (highest rank) calls seiza (everyone sits for a zarei, a sitting bow) to signal to the class to be silent and reverent. Then the sempai will call KIOTSUKE (attention) SENSEI- NI REI (bow to teacher), or as to say “attention class as we thank our teacher/s for what we are about to learn”. The class students and teacher/s all bow simultaneously, a bow out of respect for the person to which they mutually trust. The teacher, to teach you to the best of their ability, and the student to learn to the best of their ability. They also do this at the end of class.
Of course during the training session if one wishes to practice with another, the customary way is to bow in to the person asking them “may I have the pleasure” (O NEGAI SHIMASU) and then when the person replies in the affirmative which is usually the case, unless one in suffering a temporary injury or restricting their training for some reason. Then when they both come onto the mat they bow simultaneously again, after their practice is over saying “thank you” or “DOMO ARIGATO”.
Other etiquette includes being punctual to the class, but if for some reason, one is late you should bow yourself onto the mat and then attract the attention of the Sensei discreetly and bow to him/her which they will acknowledge (this is like a hand shake or a salute).
As most schools have various levels of students and the examination syllabus for ranks is based on this situation you will find that an orange belt can be taught, say a hold down by a green belt, from which the green belt has to learn to escape for their examination. Likewise a green belt could help a blue belt to learn their counters for throwing techniques, one improving the other.
Etiquette also requires a person to obtain a training uniform (gi), to be worn and fitted correctly. It is considered bad etiquette if one allows his/her belt to become untied or allows their jacket to be continually outside the belt. It is important that the uniform is not torn and is in a clean state.
If you have a temporary injury or cannot train or compete in a tournament due to some restriction then you should offer to help. If a class member suffers injury prior to or during a session, this must be reported to the instructor in charge.
As well as your uniform being clean, so your body should be clean. Clean and short fingernails and toe nails. Any sores and/or cuts should be bandaged and fastened with strapping tape so that they will not cause further injury. Hair of both males and females should be clean (not greasy) and if hair is long it should be tied back or up in such a manner that it does not interfere with any grip your opponent or partner wishes to take. Females should wear either a t-shirt or leotards. Males do not wear singlets or t-shirts. Clean teeth and care of your breath is also a necessity and, of course alcohol should not be consumed prior to training or during training.
Tournaments mean winners and losers, but remember, no one, neither Sensei nor parents, can expect more from a person than that they have done their best. All matters of hygiene involve etiquette and good manners to your fellow class members. The instructor should see that the hall (dojo) and the mat (tatami) are clean, the ventilation is good, and that there is no one smoking in the training area (that also means smoke on their breath during training), no eating of food and drink within the dojo, and that shoes are worn to the edge of the mat so it is kept clean.
Remember also that although it is considered unethical for a higher ranked person to ask a person of lower rank to practice with him/her, in practice in our small clubs in Australia this is not always practicable. However, the Sensei must ensure that higher grades do not unnecessarily “pick on” lower grades. There is no excuse for bullies in any contact sport, and not withstanding, care should also be taken when large and heavier opponents choose smaller or lighter opponents. Some injuries occur in this situation. Statistically proven, is that most injuries occur through using bad training surfaces. Attempting difficult throws, in particular maki-komi and sacrifice throws. If you wish to practice or develop another skill at which you are not skilled or with which you are unfamiliar, tell your partner and ask for help if you are unsure.
Remember, you can not gain the respect of a fellow class member unless you show him/her good etiquette and treat them with the respect that he/she shows you. Irrespective of the rank of the opponent or training partner, these simple but necessary guidelines should be adhered to.You might think if you are not a practitioner of the martial arts, or even if you are, that we set ourselves a high standard of ethics. “Yes it is hard to accomplish all of these ethics on the mat, and it is much harder to accomplish them in every day life. So I challenge you to uphold these rules of etiquette and hygiene”.

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