Part 3 of the series on dojo traditions. Check parts 1 & 2.
One tradition that we rarely practice because the situation does not occur often is that if the senior instructor enters the dojo during a training session, the other instructor will stop the class, face the doorway and bow to the senior sensei. This rarely happens because many of our classes are run by a single instructor, and the other classes usually have all the instructors there early.
One thing that we do in the dojo that you may not even realize is a tradition is the act of practicing on your own or in small groups while you are waiting for the class to start. In Okinawan dojos this is how much of the class is organized. Students work on their own or with a small group and the sensei goes from group to group, guiding the students along with whatever aspect of their karate they are working on. Due to time constraints in classes and the fact that many classes have younger students we have a more regimented program, but think of your time when you're early to class as a glimpse into that type of dojo experience.
My name is John Opalenik. My students know me as Sensei O. I am a Sandan in Shobayashi-Ryu and have been training for over 20 years.
I am a teacher and a writer in addition to my responsibilities as a Sensei.
Be sure to check previous articles even if you've already read them. I edit the articles to add and include information newly discovered by the author.
*Note* Karate is an art that for many reasons has a lot of information and misinformation out there. While I don't post anything on here unless I get it from a credible source, don't feel argumentative if you have heard information different from what's on here. I in no way consider myself to be anything close to the end-all, be-all of karate knowledge.