RESPECTING THE DOJO
Anko Itosu, the father of modern Karate, once said “Martial Arts begins and ends with respect.”
Respect is at the heart of everything we do at RSMA — respect for your fellow students, instructors, the equipment, and the dojo itself. The ways we show this respect are grouped into two main areas: Dojo Etiquette and Club Rules.
🥋 Dojo Etiquette
Arrive on time, bow in and out, acknowledge instructors and training partners.
Keep uniforms clean, maintain personal hygiene, and remove jewellery before training.
Train with control and respect — safety first, ego last.
🏛 Club Rules
Look after the dojo and equipment.
Listen to instructors and follow directions promptly.
No bullying, bad language, or disruptive behaviour.
Etiquette isn’t just about tradition — it creates an environment of trust, safety, and respect. By following these protocols, you demonstrate integrity and contribute to the RSMA family culture. As a bit of a history nerd, I’ve always been fascinated by how etiquette is formed. They usually follow a stable pattern.
A rule or law is created to enforce a behaviour. Once that behaviour becomes natural and consistent, the rule is no longer needed — but the behaviour remains. Over time, the behaviour becomes tradition, and tradition evolves into etiquette, enforced at a societal level, not a legal one.
For example, in our club, we have a rule that students must see an instructor to sign in to class. This rule encourages the habit of saying hello when arriving. Eventually, instructors no longer need to check — they already know who’s there because everyone greets them.
The rule fades, the behaviour continues, and before long it becomes tradition to greet an instructor on arrival. Lastly, the tradition becomes etiquette after enough people conform, and the etiquette emerges. Now it’s culturally enforced by students instead of being punitively enforced by instructors.
