The debt we owe to our masters
In most karate schools it is common for students to bow not only to the teacher and each other - but also to the shomen (front) where pictures of the dojo's founders are displayed. Karate students will be familiar with the expression "shomen ni rei" (or "shinzen ni rei") - ie. "bow to front/tradition". We used to do this but discontinued the practise in the mid '90s - partly because we did not want to associate our dojo with Shinto practices. We are, after all, a secular school and have no intention of promoting (or discouraging) religious faith of any kind. But lately we have reintroduced a practice of bowing, at least symbolically, to our teachers - both recent and ancestral. Why? Because we view it as a solemn acknowledgment of their contribution. We would not be standing where we are but for this contribution. As a tradition, our ritual bow is both contemplative and meditative: it makes us pause to appreciate those who gave us the kno...