Martial Arts Etiquette

Within Chinese martial arts, every school and teacher has their way of teaching etiquette. Some are more traditional and others more casual.

If you visit another school, you should know a few things that will not offend the other instructor. If the other school has an altar honoring the system’s past masters, make sure you bow or salute toward the altar as a sign of respect for those who led that style.

Do not touch or handle another school’s weapons or training equipment without permission from the instructor or senior students.

When observing a class or workout, do not carry on a conversation with someone sitting next to you. Although you might have something to talk about that doesn’t relate to the class, people who don’t know you may think you are making jokes or criticizing them. So, talk later. Remember, those people working out have no idea what you are saying and may react defensively to your laugh or smile.

Now, what about your own school?

If your entire school has a dinner out, with more than one table, arrange with the waiter to serve food to the instructor or VIP table first.

Since they usually sit at round tables, Chinese table manners dictate that you don’t have to pass the food around by picking up plates. Most large round tables in Chinese restaurants have lazy Susan turning wheels. Just rotate the wheel to bring food to you.

Again, make sure your teacher or seniors get first choice as you rotate the Susan. If the table doesn’t have a lazy Susan and there are three or four courses on the table, it’s all right to stand up and reach over to the other side of the table to get the food. If someone reaches for the same plate, don’t clash chopsticks; let the other person go first.

When eating in a Chinese restaurant, it’s appropriate to hold the bowl in one hand and the chopsticks in the other hand. Scooping the rice directly from bowl to mouth with the chopsticks is also acceptable. Use the serving spoon to pick up food from its plate and place it directly into your bowl- only one course at a time. The plate in front of you normally is used only for bones and leftovers. It is not good Chinese table manners to take a little of everything to put on a plate in advance, Western style.

When taking pictures with instructors and senior students, always let the master sit down in the front row, with you standing behind. If the occasion is a big get-to-gether, always invite your teacher or the highest seniority person to sit in the middle of the front row. Other VIPs with high seniority can sit on either side of the middle.

Although you might be the event’s host, you should still stand in the second row in the middle, behind your teacher. Even if there are celebrities or movie stars present, if they are very young or lower seniority martial artists than your teacher and other instructors, invite them to stand next to you in the second row - not sit in the front row.

Some instructors might like you to call them by their first name; in that case you may do it in the school, but outside the school address your teacher and other instructors by their title and last name only. Remember, not all teachers want to be called by the first name. In general, most Chinese do not like to be called by their first name, unless you are the same generation, level or ranking - and then still no in public.

I see people, unknowing correct martial art etiquette, at tournaments salute with the right fist while their left hand holds a weapon. The correct salute is with the right hand in a palm position, rather than a fist. Although the normal bow is left palm over a right fist, since in this case the left hand is holding something (the weapon), there is nothing to cover your fist. The fist is covered only because it is the punching weapon.

Remember these etiquette tips and you won’t offend your own or a visiting instructor.