by Rachel HM
I was asked with the impending attendance of Europeans and who will be termed as gaijin (outside person, 外人 if you can read the Japanese kanji character) at the imminent INF seminar on the island of Shikoku, Japan – a remote place called Ehime, Matsuyama City in July. Good luck (‘Gambatte’), if you can afford to go, it’s quite a pilgrimage to visit Japan for any Budo study.
A few of you may know me from being everyone’s very amateur interpreter at European seminars whenever Japanese sensei visit. A natural introvert, for me it’s harder than you think, listening to impart what sensei is saying, rather than just understanding instruction for myself – especially then speaking clearly to a large group. Equally though, Japanese sensei over the years have asked me many questions about European players. I always state I am not the spokes-person for European
Naginata, only doing my best to interpret, and there are too many nationalities to say, what is European behaviour or reactions. Each country has a different understanding of both Naginata and etiquette. And what is perceived as rude or unkind, in any environment never mind a dojo one. Almost no student has the luxury of having learned Naginata every week from a Japanese sensei who will impart more than just Naginata technique and movement but also what is expected good behaviour in the dojo or seminar sports-hall.
I think the exam question is: how can you be a better student in this international environment ? Especially when many nationalities and cultures not to mention different understanding, come together to study a Budo discipline which for many, Naginata is a hobby – a past-time. It is not something many students live, breathe or earn a living from as a way of life, but it is for some but not Japanese teachers, a way of life.
Good behaviour, courtesy and respect is not rocket science but there are cultural differences that leave Japanese puzzled as much as Japanese expectations of a foreign student, leaving some foreign students puzzled too. How can we meet in the middle so to speak, to make learning Naginata enjoyable and positive for everyone ?
I don’t want to turn this article into a Japanese language lesson when there are many opportunities to learn some Japanese from the internet, a local language class or maybe make friends with Japanese living, working and or studying, in your local community in your home town.
Rather than plagiarise (copy, steal or lift…) I return many times if students ask to learn more terminology, to the excellent Not Official Naginata glossary PDF by Dr Chloe Bellec, a lovely French Naginata player I met many years ago when I was a lowly shodan, who moved to Japan and even dedicated her PhD thesis to the study of Naginata. Don’t worry about remembering 13 pages (!) of Japanese – but I recommend you look at just two pages, pages 4 + 5.
In a seminar situation, ideally greet the teaching sensei as a group (your dojo maybe, your country). If you really have come with no-one, then go up solo. But time will be limited to give salutations, and if everyone lined up solo, we’d never get started nor finish. So be sensible, a group, a polite bow, they won’t remember all your names, but you could say your country name, and maybe the most senior, your dojo leader, might say a few words, their name, the country and or group.
I’m respectful that others may have different advice in a seminar situation for greeting sensei, if its not done in the hall, or outside the dojo as an opportunity to introduce yourselves once. Next getting started !
Check your dress, ‘chakuso’ – dress, demeanor is really important, do you take pride in your appearance before you even move or hold a naginata ? Dressing badly is seen as bad in terms of having no sense of pride or investment in your readiness to learn. If you really don’t know how to get dressed, ask a senior student – get help, don’t turn up in dojo, incorrectly dressed.
When you hear the command of Shugo ! which means come together quickly around the sensei – be quick, without running of course and falling over your own hakama or worse into another student.
Even without a word of Japanese, look, watch, see – all different words in English, apologies if these words mean the same in your language. Be attentive. Culturally Japanese students are deferential, sensei’s word goes – questioning is not inherent in their school education. Looking and copying without understanding is part of learning Budo in Japan. It is only possibly at a much more advanced level, will depth of understanding mature, i.e why a movement is this or that. It’s a huge difference not to understand an instruction and being completely ignorant in ignoring an instruction, that appears both rude, or at worse, puts you and your partner at risk of injury oneself or others.
Remember your place, if you have to run to gather around sensei, then return to a place in the hall opposite a partner. Look quickly for a partner. Raise your hand if you cannot see a spare person for a partner. Be spatially aware of where sensei is, if they are walking around between players trying to help. Look out for each other. All basic manners and common sense and duty of care towards each other.
The most revealing time of cultural understanding and differences for me, is that word I dread “Shitsumon” which means Any Questions ?
When Japanese sensei ask if there are any questions – this for sensei is very revealing what gaijin students are really seeing or not seeing, or not understanding. Many Japanese sensei do actually have limited English, they are just too shy to speak or like you, limited by their confidence. I get it. I’m shy speaking too… so will start with movement and demonstration to answer.
My key advice is – think about the question you are asking, even if its going to be interpreted – is what you are asking making sense in your own language, even if we respect English is the international language for Naginata, and maybe not your first language either. My challenge is, a question with a
question. And everyone talking at once – don’t, please. Ask one question at a time, listen for an answer, don’t listen to respond. Listen to understand if you can. This shows you are paying attention and trying to understand and improve. This is rewarding enough to sensei, to see that you’re making an effort to understand and improve.
Lastly, do smile occasionally, language aside – it makes a huge difference to sensei. Japanese sensei can also find it intimidating to teach a huge sports hall or group of gaijin where there is a language barrier. Smiling speaks the volumes you cannot speak in each other’s language. Remember, good manners, courtesy and etiquette, count even outside the dojo – towards sensei and towards each other. ‘Gambatte’ being the best person you can while learning Naginata.