Little Rituals

Here is a fun topic.
Does anyone have any little rituals they do? Something special you do before, during or after training and/or class? Maybe a spiritual/ religious thing?

Here is an example of what I mean:
I have recently built myself a belt rack (maybe a sign that I am in this for the long run). It currently has 16 spaces for belts, but I will probably have to build a new one depending on my sense moving me slowly threw the ranks or having me skip a stripe here or there. Everyday after training at home or class, I kneel in front of the belt rack and place my belt on a small shelf I built on top of it. The belt is wrapped in a pattern that causes a ying-yang shape in the middle.


I also wear my belt during home exercises and training out of respect for it.

Rituals...

I shower after I train. And I wash my uniform. Usually promptly, as both I and my clothing tend to smell something like bad cheese if I don't. Most certainly a ritual. I am honoring the gods of soap and water and calling down their blessing.

I talk to my teachers and ask them lots of quite probably annoying questions that they answer politely. I usually do this both before and after practice. I guess that's a ritual.

I wake up every morning, look in the mirror and say "Ugh...ever growing beer gut. Gotta train more." That's kind of like a ritual.

I'm suprised that after you've been out for a run you don't hang your shorts up and kneel in front of them to honor them.

They must be feeling left out!


I think you're going a bit OTT.

i think its everyone to their own really. i see what elm city slim does as a similar thing to the samurai honoring their katana and armour which i think there are a few Iaido practicioners on here who refuse to do tameshigiri to aviod dishonouring their weapons and the sword-smith.

yeah i definately bow to my toothbrush every morning before i use it...

the thing with iadoka/samurai bowing to their weapons is a little diff to bowing to something like a belt.

you bow to a belt because it might be important to you, it signifies a fair amount of effort, i don't do it, but hey, i can maybe see the motivation.

bowing to a sword on the other hand isn't because it's important to you personally but because it is an object that deserves respect in its own right and for a number of reasons; it's dangerous if you are careless with it, it is (for a samurai) your means of defending yourself and it has been crafted with a huge amount of care and hard work. (the list could go on)

a simple belt is none of these things which is why i don't afford it such respect.

oh and you buy a new belt for every stripe? hmm we just use electrical tape..

My ritual:

At the end of every lesson, our sensei calls "Rei" and we all bow.
Doing the bow, I quietly mumble to myself "Well at least I should be able to do a bow correctly without being told off" I am hopeless at MA and find myself corrected at almost everything I do I mumble this each and every time ...
Gary

elmcity,
That is a little weird to me. Bowing to your belt rack and all.No,that's alot weird. I don't bow to objects or idolize any belts,swords or anything inanimate,but to each his own.

I agree, I don't see a purpose in showing respect to something that you've either earned through your own hard work or doesn't work unless being used by yourself. A belt is earned, I don't see why you would idolize it, a sword is doesn't work unless the person uses it, again, why idolize it. It is useless on its own.

*feints*

Christie and I agree on something!

'Question everything'. As a child of the '60's, I have always been anti-ritual. Actually looking at rituals as quaint social markers upheld by those who prefer to slide through life without thinking about anything.

So, I thought that the MA I started, with its lack of 'official' ritual, was the perfect fit. However, to my surprise, I find that I do like a little ritual. Even if it is just bowing in and out.

When I practice during the week at work, I use the school's wrestling gym. A huge room, with mats, and blank walls except for an old black and white photo of a long-dead wrestling coach. And darn it, if I don't find myself bowing in and out to Homer.

Quote:

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*feints*

Christie and I agree on something!

---

I must be sick, I will be very cautious as to not let this happen again. I just can't go around agreeing with you. It'll disrupt the entire order of the universe. Ocean currents will reverse, our orbit will change directions, we will orbit the moon and the world will become overly populated by lemmings.

I cannot allow this to happen.