Bowing in BJJ

[Uchi Mata]

So this has popped up in a number of threads recently, and I'm curious to hear opinions and figure out how prevalent it is. So:

1. Does your club/team/gym/dojo bow on and off the mat, or to a picture of anyone before and/or after class?

2. Whether you do or not, how do you feel about it?

As for me, my first two clubs did not, my current one does bow on and off the mat but it's pretty perfunctory, not a huge deal. I don't care a whole lot either way, but if it's big formal thing then I think it starts to detract from the laid back, reality oriented essence of BJJ training. I also don't like bowing to pictures of people, living or dead.

I don't have a problem with it at all in Judo and did it for many years, but bowing is a Japanese cultural tradition and as far as I know not one in Brazil. I do slap hands and fist bump before rolls, respecting the Brazilian heritage of the art :wink:

If BJJ is distinct from Judo, which I believe it is, then why retain the cultural trappings of the parent art? Karate guys don't bow Chinese style despite the fact that most karate almost certainly came from Chinese long fist. I think we can let bowing go too.

 

[Rod1]

Besides the terminology being japanese a lot of judo clubs are not more japanese than BJJ clubs. So i dont see it wrong in doing it or not.

 

[GBKJitsu]

Honestly the lack of bowing and formality was one of the main reasons I joined BJJ in the first place, its really sad to see it going down this lane.

In Brazilian and American culture, shaking hands is what is considered respectful, not bowing down to a picture of a dude who convinced his business partner that a Purivian Spirit told him to sleep with his wife...

 

[Mad Sweeps]

we bow when stepping on/off the mat, but my coach wouldnt flip on someone for not doing it. however, at the end of class, we line, get some info from our coach and then shake hands, bowing with each person. I like it. brings a further bonding element to the situation.

 

[pheonix5]

I always found bowing to be an exercise in pointless redundancy.To the instructor and fellow teammates yeah,but the pointless bowing to an inanimate object such as a mat is unnecessary.Some people use it as a trigger to get set,but that's the only feasible reason I could see for doing it.

 

[Leify]

I started in Judo, so I'll bow on and off the mat out of habit more often than not when I go to my BJJ classes, but it's not mandatory or even taught. Other than that, we line up and bow to the instructor and to Helio at the beginning and end of class as would be typical at Saulo's academy, in case we ever visit.

Personally, bowing to Helio or Kano doesn't mean much to me. They created the arts, but I like to think of it more in the line of giving respect to all those who have paved the way for BJJ/Judo such that I can learn and practice it.

 

[indulf]

we bow in/out, but to the US flag. i don't mind it.

 

[Joaozinho]

I train in Iowa with an American running the school, and in St. Louis with a Brazilian running it. No one bows in either.

I trained in Brazil where they did before and after every class to the instructor. I like it, I love the traditions of martial arts carrying on.

 

[Nomad Nemesis**]

Honestly the lack of bowing and formality was one of the main reasons I joined BJJ in the first place,.

no offense, but this is easily the dumbest shit i have read all day.

there is no bowing in Curling either, you should give that a shot.

 

[King Creatine]

At the end of gi class, we line up, bow to Helio, then to our instructor, and then shake hands with everybody.

In nogi class, we shake hands/fist bump before each roll. After class our formality is laying around on the mats bullshitting.

I prefer the latter.

 

[Makhno]

We kinda sorta bow at the beginning and end of class, but not to anyone in particular. We're facing our instructor, but he bows too, so i guess it's just a mutual respect thing. And it tends to be something between a head nod and a full bow.

We don't even have a Helio picture, or a Brazilian flag, just a class photo from a belting ceremony. I would feel weird bowing to a picture, personally. On and off the mats, hardly anyone does, mostly just guys who trained at a more traditional place before. I usually half bow before stepping onto the mats, but I don't know why.

Also, in before SilverD "don't fucking bow to no fucking body."

 

[KGB256]

1. Does your club/team/gym/dojo bow on and off the mat, or to a picture of anyone before and/or after class?

We bow to start and end class, and when stepping on/off the mats. We do not bow to any pictures. It has been suggested by some of our instructors that when Johnny passes on, we will honor him by bowing to his picture at the beginning of class.

2. Whether you do or not, how do you feel about it?

I don't have a problem with it at all. Johnny articulates his position on this point quite well. He did it just last week, in fact.

He doesn't bow to the mat. He doesn't bow to any kind of mystical spirits or anything like that. It's not about religion. It's not about servitude or worshipping anybody, or even declaring yourself beneath them. He doesn't bow if he's the only one there.

It's a simple gesture to the other people on the mats. It's a statement that this is a place of mutual respect and cooperative learning. It's saying that I will behave humbly and respectfully when I step onto these mats. Our guys do it at competitions, our MMA guys even do it before they enter the ring.

In class, the on/off the mats part is pretty much rote. The beginning/end of class aren't quite so automatic, but they serve as a good start/end point for class and are a nice reminder to put yourself in the right mindset for training.

 

[TriangleMan]

no offense, but this is easily the dumbest shit i have read all day.

there is no bowing in Curling either, you should give that a shot.

Butthurt, much? Wow.

 

[Jmcq]

We bow on/off the mat but it's mostly self-regulated; I've never seen any of the instructors reprimand someone for forgetting.

We bow to the instructor (and he/them to us) at the beginning and end of class. At the end of class we shake hands. We do bow to a picture of Carlos Sr. and Carlos Jr. at the end of class; this I find a bit weird but it's all of 2 seconds of class so it doesn't matter.

We do the shake hands/fist bump before rolling and shake hands after.

The bowing doesn't bother me. It's such a minute aspect of the class and mostly just a gesture of mutual respect. Seems a waste of time for someone to get their knickers in a knot over it.

 

[Feria]

1. Does your club/team/gym/dojo bow on and off the mat, or to a picture of anyone before and/or after class?

No, some people randomly decide to bow on/off the mat, but most don't. It's not enforced

2. Whether you do or not, how do you feel about it?

I dislike it and would feel uncomfortable doing it if it was forced. I do however shake hands/ hug training partners after class.

 

[GBKJitsu]

no offense, but this is easily the dumbest shit i have read all day.

there is no bowing in Curling either, you should give that a shot.

I'm not going to be as rude to you as you are to me, I meant in comparison to other martial arts.

I'm sorry I hurt your feelings bro, I didn't realize Japanese culture was so important to you

 

[TerrorSherrer]

if other people are bowing to the center of the mat then ill do it occasionally but the way ive seen people bow to pictures of carlinhos or helio i find ridiculous. id never bow to a picture of another man

 

[_Tyler]

no offense, but this is easily the dumbest shit i have read all day.

there is no bowing in Curling either, you should give that a shot.

I thought it was just pretty obviously implied that he meant it's one reason why he chose Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu over one of the many other martial arts available. After all, the whole basis of this thread seemed to be the laid back atmosphere of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu vs the traditional values of a lot of other martial arts.

No need to be a complete dick just because you misunderstood something. But hey, that's the internet for you. When people are anonymous, they seem to forget how to be cordial.

 

[Mad Sweeps]

Butthurt, much? Wow.

no, hes right.

 

[crazyjames1233]

my school does at the beginning and end.