The BOW

"The bow to the martial arts is what the sunrise and sunset are to the day

It marks the beginning and the end

the waxing and the waning

the splendour of youth, and the wisdom of experience.


Prior to training, the formal bow dictates the ability and energy of the performer to the work in hand.

It is a request for help from the myriad powers of the universe, a sign of respect and serious intent as well as a request to the sword not to harm its user.

Just as the swordsmith in making a sword combines the elements of iron, fire, water, wood and clay, so the performer seeks to combine his strength and skill in the performance of his chosen art.

Yet, Just as the swordsman before forging a fine sword, bathes himself, and calls upon the spirits to aid him in his work, so the preformer must seek to add to his physical prowness and determination that intangible but powerful quality called spirit, that can turn a bar of crude iron, into a fine sword, or an untrained youth, into a manly warrior.


When training is done, comes the time for thanks and reflection.

As we pause, tired, and hopefully full of contentment after hard training, we should think as the old day dies, and the sun sets, of those that have gone before.

Just as one day precedes another, they built the foundations upon which we now stand,
and constructed the path that we now follow.

It is with thanks that we bow to them

To the powers of the universe, too immense for man yet to understand, and to our teachers and fellow students who help us along the difficult path of Budo


Those of us who follow the old ways do so in the certain knowledge, that what we study are effective methods of combat aquired at great cost in pain and suffering by generations of fighting men and women that have gone before.

What they learned by repeatedly risking their lives has been passed down to us to do with what we will

We are grateful for all these things.

We are grateful for our existance.

that is why we bow."

from a page found by GrandMaster Rick Lenchus