Rei
礼
The bow and respect in general in Japanese martial arts. One bows standing (ritsurei) and kneeling (zarei) on entering the dojo, to a partner and to the teacher.
Quick Facts
Word breakdown
Definition
Rei (礼) means respect, politeness and a bow. In Japanese martial arts the bow is the basic gesture of etiquette and accompanies the whole training: on entering and leaving the dojo, at the start and end of training toward the teacher and the front wall, before and after practice with a partner. There are two kinds of bow. Ritsurei is a standing bow, zarei a kneeling bow in seiza, where the practitioner places the hands on the floor in front. The bow is usually done on the command “rei”. The words reiho and reigi, the rules of politeness in the dojo, come from the same character.
Relations to other terms
Equivalent in another art
See also
Formal Japanese kneeling on the heels, literally “correct sitting”. In the dojo one bows, meditates and practises iaido and part of aikido from it.
Gassho合掌A greeting with palms pressed together in front of the chest, taken over from Buddhism. In Shorinji Kempo it replaces the usual bow.
Osu押忍An exclamation that, in Kyokushin, part of karate, and in BJJ, replaces both a greeting and the reply “understood”. The characters 押忍 mean to push and to endure.
Reiho礼法A set of rules of proper conduct, literally “law of respect”. In the martial arts it governs bowing, sitting, dressing and the handling of weapons.
Dojo道場Hall where Japanese martial arts are practised. Literally “place of the way”, with its own etiquette, cleaning and a fixed arrangement of the space.