礼儀怠るなかれ (Reigi okotaru nakare): Never neglect courtesy and etiquette.

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on AUG 21, 2025

礼儀怠るなかれ (Reigi okotaru nakare): Never neglect courtesy and etiquette.

Personally I believe being polite is the way to go.

I receive many personal messages on social-media and email with just a couple of words. As an example: “where are you?”, “who taught you?”, “how can I learn karate?”, “what is your style?”, “what black-belt do you have?”, “what makes you such an expert on violence anyway?”. And many, many more.

Nothing promotes silence from me more than this type of contact. I’m not trying to be arrogant, I would just prefer some politeness.

Would you address someone this way off social media?

While the primary goal of learning martial arts may be self-defense, competition or fitness, the importance of etiquette, for me, is really important.

If you are teaching martial arts, you must understand that students look up to you. You have the opportunity to really make some meaningful changes in their lives. The question is, are you prepared to do so? Are you living a life of honor and integrity, are you trustworthy and truthful yourself?

These things matter, and if you can’t be bothered what does it say about you?

I am often asked to give people answers to questions without knowing who these people are, or what they are doing. There are no introductions, or any form of politeness, it’s just… give me the information, NOW!

The way we communicate says a lot about who we are. A simple “Hello, my name is…” or “I hope you don’t mind me asking…” shows respect and makes all the difference. The martial arts without respect is hollow, and so is life.

So here it is: if you can’t show basic courtesy, don’t expect my time or attention. Politeness costs nothing – but without it, everything else loses value.

Courtesy is not a formality in the martial arts – it is the foundation of respect, character, and practice.

Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo