Dojo Etiquette
General conduct in the Dojo
Observance of proper etiquette is a fundamental part of the discipline of karate.
Failure to comply with the rules of etiquette is not only rude, but is shows a lack of respect for karate, other karate-ka and the instructor.
On entering the dojo, a karate-ka must:
Remove his or her shoes.
Bow, facing the dojo.
A karate-ka may not enter the dojo without the permission of the instructor.
On leaving the dojo:
On leaving the dojo, the karate-ka must face the dojo and bow.
A karate-ka may not leave the dojo without the permission of the instructor.
Late arrival at the dojo:
If a student is delayed and arrives late, it is bad etiquette to join in the session without permission from the instructor.
The student should then:
Bow before entering the dojo,
Sit in seiza (kneeling position) at the back of the class until the instructor signals for him to join the session.
Upon being so signalled, the student should rise, bow to the instructor, and join the session.
At an appropriate moment the student should apologise to the instructor for being late and explain the reason.
Of course you should always try to arrive punctually. This is a mark of respect for your instructor and fellow karate-ka.
Whilst in the dojo
Under no circumstances should you:
Eat in the Dojo.
Use bad language.
Drink fizzy drinks.
The utmost respect should be shown towards an Instructor. In particular:
Behave with proper respect towards your instructor and other grades.
Obedience must be shown to the instructions given by an instructor;
Under no circumstances is talking permitted during kata and kihon;
During pairs and kumite it is permissible to discuss aspects of the techniques being practised;
If an instructor indicates to a student that he is required to assist the instructor in demonstrating a technique, he should bow, and then approach the instructor and follow the latter’s requests;
At the end of the demonstration, he should wait for the instructor to dismiss him, bow, and return to his place in the class;
An instructor in charge of a class, if a black belt, should be addressed as Sensei. If that instructor is a Senior Kyu grade he should be addressed as Sempai. A junior grade is a Kohai;
Where a student has a question, he should attract the instructors attention before asking it.
General behaviour towards other grades
A karate-ka should show respect to all other grades.
A senior grade must be referred to as “Sempai”, A Black Belt instructing a class is referred to as Sensei.
A black belt instructor of grade 3rd Dan or above is termed “Sensei” in all circumstances even though he is not instructing a class.
Any occasion involving an ‘interaction’ between two karate-ka each will start and end with a bow. Thus a junior grade asking a senior grade for help will bow before asking his question, and both will bow once the point has been dealt with before the junior grade leaves. All pair techniques will begin and end with both karate-ka bowing to each other;
Senior grades have a duty to help lower grades when asked for help, unless they are unable to assist. It is therefore not open to a senior grade to refuse to help a junior grade. Such a course of action would be a breach of etiquette.
Execution of Technique
Washinkai is not a full contact style. All techniques, whether in pairs or free fighting, must be executed with control, 
snapping or pulling back the technique, so as not to injure the other party.
Particular care must be taken with techniques to the following areas:
The head, especially the temple, eyes, ears and neck;
The groin;
Joints. Techniques designed to break or damage joints are prohibited from free fighting;
The chest and lower abdomen in women.
Kihon, Kata, Kumite
These three together make up karate, and all three are usually practised in any one training session. Pre-arranged pair techniques fall under the heading of Kumite, but have been dealt with below as a separate section.
The following points relate specifically to each area:
Kihon
Whilst sessions vary enormously in their content, a typical section of kihon will follow the same basic structure:
Students form lines facing the instructor, lowest grades in the front row and highest in the back;
The session starts with all students in informal attention stance (musubi dachi);
The instructor issues the command “Rei”, or “Bow”, which the class duly does;
The following command will usually be “Yoi”, whereupon the class adopts ready stance. However some techniques do start from a different stance; The instructor will then describe the techniques to be performed;
The instruction to return to ready stance after the kihon has been performed will be Yame;
The instruction to return to informal attention stance will be “Norai”;
That section of the kihon is ended by a bow.
Kata
Students will usually be instructed to find their own space when training kata, rather than training in lines;
The session starts with all students in informal attention stance (musubi dachi);
The instructor will announce the name of the kata to be performed;On the command Yoi, the students adopt the yoi stance for the particular kata; Kata will be performed:
Ippon Waza one technique at a time;
Renraku Waza in combinations; or
Godanashi, all the way through.
The instruction to return to ready stance after the kata has been performed will be Yame;
The instruction to return to informal attention stance will be “Norai”;
The kata is ended by a bow.
Pre arranged Pair techniques (Yakusoku Kumite & Ohyo Gumite)
Technically, pair techniques are part of Kumite. The more elementary pair techniques are termed “Yakusoku Kumite” and more advanced pairs “Ohyo Gumite”. Pre arranged pair techniques are an important part of the BTKA’s syllabus. They all have the same basic etiquette to them, which must be strictly observed at all times.
– The two karate-ka face each other at a suitable distance, and bow;
– The attacker steps forward into whatever stance is prescribed for the pair technique;
– The defender steps backwards into whatever stance is prescribed for the pair technique;
– Upon completion of the technique both attacker and defender face each other in fighting stance and, with zanshin, draw back into informal attention stance;
– Both karate-ka bow to each other.
Pre arranged pairs have many functions, including improvement of distance and timing. It is essential, once full speed is developed, that the techniques are performed with full realism and commitment, otherwise their value is lost.
Jiyu Kumite
Jiyu Kumite is free fighting. It affords a chance for karate-ka to put into practice techniques they have learned and honed during kihon, kata and pairs training.
In jiyu kumite sessions the student should listen carefully to and comply with any directions given by the instructor on the conduct of the kumite, and techniques to be practised.
Jiyu kumite is practised in many different ways, but it is important to remember above all that control must be exercised at all times.
Techniques must be snapped back so as to avoid injury. Any student who uses uncontrolled techniques will be dealt with in the most severe manner, with disciplinary proceedings and expulsion a likely consequence for persistent or wilful infringement of this rule.
It must also be remembered that any student injured by deliberate or reckless technique would be justified in taking legal action against his opponent, which may not be covered by the accidental injury insurance provided by a current licence.