A good Aikido student will always conduct him, or herself, in a dignified, respectful and courteous manner. Treat your Teacher, Coach, Instructor, Senior grades, Junior grades and fellow students with respect at all times. Be aware of the needs of others as well as your own needs. Develop a caring attitude towards others. At all times in the Dojo, you should train with your body and mind giving 100% effort and concentration.

You should always keep your body clean and well groomed, finger, nails and toenails should be kept short. No jewelry or metal items of any kind should be worn during training.

No food or drink should be taken into the dojo at any time. Liquid refreshment should be restricted only to water and this should only be allowed at the teachers discretion and only under special conditions or circumstances.

All graded students should wear a clean Gi when training. In this way, all students are equal, it is not possible to judge the station in life, profession, or ability by uniform. The only means to evaluate the person as an Aikido student is to watch his or her techniques and evaluate them against other of equal experience, grade or standing. This is as it should be.

The Aikido student's Gi (Uniform) should be white. The Gi should always be kept clean, neat and in good repair. It should be worn closed left over right for both sexes. Usually men and boys wear nothing under their Gi top. Ladies and girls should wear a plain white t-shirt under their top.

Rei (Bow)
In the Dojo there is a formalised etiquette. Covering how to greet people, how to enter and leave the Dojo, how to tidy your Gi and how to tie your belt. These formalities are observed by all Aikido students, regardless of grade.

Etiquette is not a question of rank
Courtesy is based on respect; for oneself, for others and for the Dojo (Training Hall). The basic expression of respect and courtesy, which comes from Japanese culture, is the bow or Rei but can also mean courtesy. These are two positions from which to bow - standing and kneeling.

The Standing Bow or Rei
Is performed with the feet close together and the hands, palm open and held close to the side (against the side seam of the trousers). In Japan ladies and girls place their hands flat against their thighs. The bow or Rei is performed from the hips. Not just a nod of the head, dip of the shoulders or bending at the waist.

The Kneeling Bow or Rei
This is performed in what is known as "Seiza" or Kneeling posture, you should your left knee first, followed by the right knee. This originates from the days when the Samurai wore their Katana or long sword (usually on their left side). When sitting the feet should be crossed at the toes, with the knees about six to eight inches apart (two fists width). The hands should rest, palms open and down on the thighs.

When bowing from this position the head should never touch the ground. You should look about 6 to 8 feet in front of you and bow from the hips. Your hands should be placed palm down. First left then the right. Once again this comes from the days of the Samurai. By placing the left hand down first it showed that you meant no harm, because you could not draw your sword from this position. The bow is complete when you return to the upright position.

When entering or leaving the Dojo, you should stop just inside the doorway, face the shrine or joseki (the place where the Teacher and or VIP sit) and perform a standing Rei. Should a student arrive when a class is in progress he or she should enter the Dojo make a standing Rei, then kneel down in "Seiza" and wait to be invited to join the class, either by the Teacher or by his senior assistant. Once invited stand up make a standing bow to the shrine or joseki and join the class.

Before a lesson begins the class will line up, in grade order with the senior grade nearest the door. The senior student will say "Seiza" followed by "Kamiza" or "Shomen-ni-Rei" followed by "Sensei-ni-Rei". When the lesson ends the class will line up as as the beginning. The senior grade will call "Seiza" then "Mokuso", which means silent meditation. You should sit with your eyes half closed thinking about what you have been taught during the lesson.

This period of meditation will stop when the senior grade calls "Yame" (this means stop). The next command will be "Sensei-ni-Rei". The class bow to the teacher and he or she returns the bow. The next command is "Kamiza-ni-Rei". The class turn to the Kamiza or Joseki and bow again.

The class remain seated until the Teacher and senior grades stand up. Here again when you leave the Dojo you should face the shrine or joseki and bow.
This bowing, is not a sign of subservience but a sign of respect shown to the whole aspect of, the Dojo, your Teacher, your fellow students, training with you and for the privilege of being allowed to study the activity.

After Yamada Sensei returned home to Japan, I continued to teach Judo and Aikido and was a founder member of the British Aikido Association.

For several years I held the post of National Coach for the BAA. I am currently, a Senior Coach and Senior Examiner for the association.

As I mentioned earlier, over the years I have travelled to Japan many time, in an effort to improve my knowledge of Martial Arts and Japanese culture and to take part in seminars and competitions.

We are also very fortunate that over these years Yamada Sensei has kindly taken the time to visit this and others through out the world to teach and help to develop Tomiki Aikido. I am very happy that my contact with my original teacher still continues to be very strong.