The Buntingford Karate Club Dojo Kun (Oath)

At the end of each and every training session all the members of the Buntingford Karate Club (including the Sensei) kneel and face the same direction. Sensei then gives the command “Mokso” which means that the members breathe deeply and try to empty their minds. This gives our bodies time to calm down from training and enables us to leave the Dojo peaceably.

At the end of Mokso the Sensei says “Mokso Yamae” whereupon the members open their eyes and relax whilst still kneeling. Sensei then calls out the lines of the Dojo Kun. This is the Dojo Oath and it is repeated line by line and must be shouted back with Spirit in Japanese by all the members.

After the Kun the Dojo Captain calls out “Shomen! Ni Rae!”. Shomen are those Sensei who have both gone before us and who are still with us whom we must respect. The whole club then bows and then the Sensei in charge of the night’s training turns in the kneeling position and faces the members. The Dojo Captain then calls “Sensei! Ni Rae!” and the whole club bows to the Sensei who then returns the bow and the training session is then finished.

To help members the Dojo Kun is given here:

THE BUNTINGFORD KARATE CLUB DOJO KUN  (OATH).

Translated phonetically into English

“KARATE  DOE,

COE  CORE-EE-OH  TAR-DAH  SHAKE,

NITCH  NITCHEE  NO  CAKE-OH,

RAY-TOE  SETS”

These words were given to all practitioners (Karate-Ka) of Karate by Sensei Gichin Funakoshi the founder of modern karate and mean: “We must Acknowledge, Consider and Dedicate ourselves to the True Way of Karate, and practice with Good Heart, Mind and Spirit on All Occasions”.

Sensei Bill.