Dojo Etiquette

All students should strive to be on time for classes, be changed quickly, pay fees prior to training commencing where possible and in the case of junior students, ensure that they have paid a visit to the toilet before the class starts

All students should bring an old towel or cloth for the traditional floor cleaning pre-class warm up at clubs where this activity is a requirement. This not only ensures that the training hall (dojo) is clean and safe for use but also warms the students up quickly, keeps the younger students out of mischief before supervised classes begin and shows respect for the dojo and those that use it

All Karate suits (Gi) should be white, clean, of the proper size and free from rips. Gi should also be free of all badges except the recognised Shitokai Association badge or any other approved by the club Sensei.

Girls may wear a white T-shirt below their Gi, please do not wear coloured T-shirts.

Hands and feet should be clean and fingernails and toenails kept short.
Medical conditions such as athlete’s foot and verrucas should be treated immediately and the student should wear suitable footwear until the condition has been eradicated.

No jewellery should be worn eg finger (toe) rings, bracelets, watches, necklaces, earrings and any other body piercing jewellery. In the case of recently pierced earrings which cannot be removed for a few weeks, the student must apply tape to cover the earring both front and back in an effort to avoid injury to themselves or others through accidental contact.

Discipline is paramount in any Karate class and student’s behaviour should reflect this at all times. Talking should be kept to an absolute minimum during the class instruction.

On entering or leaving the Dojo when no class is in progress, a standing bow (Rei) should be performed at the door to show respect for the Dojo and those who train in it.

On entering or leaving the Dojo when a class is in progress the student should immediately sit in Seiza position at the door and await recognition from the Sensei before performing a full seated bow (Rei) and entering or leaving the Dojo. In the case of entering the Dojo this should be done before putting personal belongings to the back of the Dojo.

Students should try to take part in as many of the Associations events as possible to further their knowledge, mix with other clubs/students and enhance the reputation of the Club/Association both locally and abroad.

Regular training is the key to Karate success. Students who only train once a week as opposed to twice a week or more, will naturally take at least twice as long to reach the same standard. Students must be aware of this and not expect to be ready to attempt gradings as often as other students who have trained more frequently.

Depending on the Club gradings are possible 2 or 3 times a year. The fact that a grading is taking place does not mean that all students will be ready to attempt to move up a grade. Apart from the early grades it is more difficult for younger students to grade successfully at each and every grading. Please speak to your Sensei before assuming that you are ready for a grading. Some students however may show exceptional progress and maturity of technique for their age and cognisance will be taken of this and possible exceptions made at the Sensei’s discretion.

A Shitokai Licence/Membership should be applied for on the 2nd training session and no later than 14 days after commencing training. This should be renewed annually and timeously, as without a current licence students are not members of the Association/Scottish Karate Governing Body and are therefore not entitled to grade, take part in any Shitokai event or represent Shitokai at any Scottish Karate Governing Body/other approved event.

All new (and existing) students will require to sign a legal disclaimer before being allowed to train at any Shitokai Scotland dojo. This is a once only requirement and is now mandatory on the advice of our legal representative, following the increase in spurious accident litigation which is unfortunately becoming more prevalent in the UK. It should be noted that Shitokai Scotland’s instructors have never had any such claims made against them. The sole purpose of the disclaimer is merely to draw attention to the fact that accidents may happen when training in a martial art such as Karate and that Shitokai Scotland and its instructors cannot be held responsible, should such an accident occur following voluntary participation in our activities.