Welcome to WORLD KANREIKAI KARATE and congratulations to following your path as a student!

The following is intended to introduce you to some of the culture and terminology at our dojo and welcome you into the family...

World Kanreikai Karate is a traditional Japanese full contact karate. Our karate practice is a direct descendant of the great traditions of Kyokushin Karate  and Oyama Karate. We have dojos in countries all over the world.

In all WORLD KANREIKAI KARATE dojos, when we enter or leave the training area, we bow and say “Osu”. And when we greet each other, we bow, shake hands, and say “Osu”.

Osu means patience, respect, and appreciation.

In order to develop a strong body and strong spirit, it is necessary to undergo rigorous training. This is demanding and difficult because you push yourself beyond what you believe to be your limit. To do this you must learn to persevere, but, above all, you must learn to be patient. This is Osu.

The reason you subject yourself to hard training is because you care about yourself, and to care about yourself is to respect yourself. This self-respect evolves and expands to become respect for your instructor and fellow students. When you enter the dojo, you bow and say, “Osu!” This means you respect your dojo and the time you spend training there. This feeling of respect is Osu.

During training you push yourself as hard as possible because you respect yourself. When you finish your practice you bow to your instructor and fellow students and say “Osu!” Then as you leave the dojo you stop at the door, bow and say “Osu” once more. You do this out of appreciation. This feeling of appreciation is Osu.

Dojo Etiquette

These rules are designed to help with the smooth running of the dojo. Many of these procedures are common sense, many are plain good manners, and most are modeled on the traditions of Japan. In the Kanreikai dojos around the world, there is a strict adherence to tradition, yet there is also compromise where it is more suitable. Attitudes vary from nation to nation, so rule variations also exist.

Respect and appreciate the place where you train and your fellow students and teachers  (kohais, sempais, senseis and shihans). While a senior student is always to be approached with respect, Do not be afraid to ask for guidance or explanation- when you have questions about a technique or procedure, ask.

The dojo should be revered. It is not merely a gym or ordinary training hall. KARATE-DO HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH LARGE MUSCLES AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE PERFECTION OF THE CHARACTER. Take care of and pride in your dojo and treat it as you would any place of reverence.

1.   When entering or leaving the dojo, always face the front, bow and say Osu, then face the general direction of the other students in the class, bow and say Osu again.

2.   When late to class, kneel at the back of the class (at the door) in SEIZA (kneeling with your fists on your thighs) Wait with your eyes closed in MOKUSO (meditation). When acknowledged, stand and bow once again with a strong Osu, and quickly take your position on line. Students who are late for class should try harder to be on time.

3.   Do not remove any part of your DOGI (uniform) during training without being told to do so.

4.   When you have to adjust your dogi or retie your belt turn to the right, away from the front of the class, or from your partner if you are working with someone. Learn to respect your belt as a symbol of your efforts in training.

5.   Your dogi must be washed clean and neat at all times. Your belt should be aired dry but never washed, as it symbolically contains the spirit of your hard training.

6.   For the sake of safety and neatness, do not wear jewellery during training, or when you are wearing your dogi.

7.   Keep your toenails and fingernails clean and cut short at all times. Always be sure your feet, nails and hands are washed clean for training. In training you often work closely with others. Nobody likes to train with someone who is dirty.

8.   When asked to proceed to a position, or when lining up at the beginning of training or for some reason during training, always move as quickly as possible - do not stroll.

9.   Never practice kumite unless an instructor is present. When practicing kumite with a black belt, do your very best, but show respect for the rank. If you think you can go harder then do so, but remember that they have your lower rank in mind whilst they are sparring, and so will not be fighting their hardest.

10. Do not ask a higher grade for kumite. You should not refuse however, if you are asked by a senior grade.

11. Do not break rank for any reason without permission from the instructor. Never walk between rows, or between the instructor and those training.

12. Address your instructor as SEMPAI, SENSEI or SHIHAN, as the case may be. Do not address an instructor by their first name in class.

13. Do not swear, laugh, giggle, talk, lounge or act inattentively during training. Treat your training seriously; it is not a laughing matter. A karate-ka is always alert and well-behaved. Possession of a senior grade is not your ticket to relaxation and familiarity in the dojo. Do not waste your time and everyone else’s if you are not prepared to treat your training and your fellow karate-ka with respect and the seriousness deserved. This includes leaving before the end of training. Unless directed by the instructor, a student should remain in the class until completion of the final bow-out.

14. Listen carefully to the instructor’s directions. Acknowledge all instructions with a strong Osu. The instructor, whoever it may be, should be treated with the respect that you yourself would expect as common courtesy. If you cannot find it in you to show respect to a person who is taking their time to teach you, then you do not belong in a karate dojo. Never question his/her direction; never speak in class unless asked by the instructor. Such obedience develops a bond of trust between the instructor and student, which improves mutual receptivity, simplifying and speeding the learning process.

Always remember that all Karate-ka, whether black belt or beginner, train in the same dojo on the same floor. All practice the same techniques and aspire toward the same ideals. Therefore, all are governed by the same requirements of etiquette...