Oxford School of Martial Arts

Presentation

A few thoughts from the chief instructor…

One Wednesday night, 20 years ago my Sensei was teaching us how to tie our belts and the traditional way to fold our gi (uniforms).

"I came 'ere to learn 'ow to fight, not dress meself!" said the burly beginner in the front row.

"Oh dear" said Sensei, "you've obviously come to the wrong place" and he promptly showed him to the door.

I often explain that we practice "martial arts".  

Martial:  Pertaining to the military/the army - where everything is spic and span, ordered and disciplined, neat and tidy.  Clean and smart are vigorously encouraged:  disorder, mess and untidiness are frowned upon.  There is a system which we depend on because it has been proven to work over hundreds of years.

When training in the martial arts we are participating in a cultural experience.  How much one absorbs this culture into one's own life is up to the individual, but in order for it to have a significant impact on anyone, the experience has to be thorough and consistent within the dojo.

An important part of our job is to teach students how to avoid confrontation.  A number of recent studies have concluded that the way a child is presented has a significant bearing on the way s/he is perceived and treated by his/her peers.  Large sections of society are not very PC and none less so than the school playground.  This is sad, but our task is to help prepare your children for the real world where appearance counts.

For all the above reasons we insist that students in the dojo are well presented.  Tidy presentation is all part of the bigger picture.  This is a delicate and sensitive issue and we do not enjoy raising it with parents, so please help us to help your child. When all parents help us with the presentation of their children, we will truly be working as a team.  When the children line up, they will demonstrate our philosophy simply by standing and they will be an inspiration to behold!

Presentation checklist:

-White gi, clean and ironed (add glo white to the wash if necessary).

-If a t-shirt is needed under the gi it must be white and collarless; no coloured shirts please.  Older female students may choose to wear a white t-shirt or white sports top.

-Club badge on left side of jacket high up, red sun to top right corner with Japanese writing running downwards.

-Merit badges on left arm below the horizontal seam.

-Trouser drawstrings neatly tucked away.

-Hair brushed, and either tidied or tied back.

-Finger and toe nails clean and short.

-If martial arts shoes are appropriate to the venue they must be for indoor use only.  They should be white martial arts specific shoes, (plimsoles or trainers are not suitable). They need to be wiped frequently to remain presentable.

-No pen marks or face paints.

-Belt correctly tied (see website or ask for handout on this).

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Oxford School of Martial Arts: To train for excellence, to help people and to have fun

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