O.k. so now you’re ready to step onto the Judo mat, so you’ll leave the changing rooms and go to the Judo mat and take off your flip flops and step onto the mat. It’s customary at this stage to turn and face the mat and bow. At the start of the class the instructor will normally call everyone together and the instructor will stand at the front of the class with a line of players, ready for instruction, in front of them. The highest grade will be on the left and the lowest grade on the right of the instructor facing them. This bow would normally be a kneeling bow, so the class will kneel down and they will perform a kneeling bow. This bow is usually quite a bit slower than the bows that people would do at the door or at the edge of the mat. Over time this bow will become quite important in the practice of Judo, this is the point at which the outside world ceases to exist and your thoughts are complete and 100% on the practice and the study of Judo. This is important because as people get older and perhaps go to work they need to leave the day behind them – they need to have clear head as when they’re on the mat practising they’re not thinking about problems at work, what a difficult journey they had to get there, and other such issues. So this bow over time becomes very important because this is the point at which people switch off the outside world and switch on the Dojo – the Judo world.

Aylwin Judo Club South East London SE16