Judo Moral Code – Encouraging Courtesy in the Dojo

Koka Kids Judo Resources on Encouraging Courtesy

Go here to download five resources to use around your dojo to create an environment that encourages and fosters courage.

What is the judo moral code?

The judo moral code is an eight-part set of values, invented by judo’s founder Jigoro Kano. In this series we look at how we can encourage these values in a dojo through every-day examples. There are coaching resources for coaches to use, including digital templates to print posters for courage, courtesy, honour, honesty, modesty, respect, self-control and friendship.

Courtesy

So what is courtesy? Saying ‘please and thank you’ is a part of it, but being courteous goes beyond the basics to a deeper form of respect and thoughtfulness of others. In what other ways does courtesy appear in a dojo? What does the word really mean and how can teach that to children?

Maybe we can do so by providing real examples, and getting judoka to consider their behaviour and when they are being courteous and when they are not…

Six examples of Courtesy in the Dojo

1. Bowing when you enter and leave the dojo (and also to our partner before and after each practice)
2. Listening and paying attention to what someone is saying is being courteous. 
3. Treating club mates with kindness and respect.
4. Saying ‘please and thank you, hello and good-bye’ creates a polite environment to train in.
5. Arriving to class punctually on time. If you are late, then stand by the edge of the tatami until your instructor signals that you can come onto the mat.
6. Wearing footwear until the edge of the mat, then removing shoes before you step on the tatami. 

Getting the judoka to think about their behaviour

1. Can they think of an example when they have acted courteously at the dojo? What about at school? Or at home?
2. Can they think of an example when someone has acted discourteously in those environments? How did that make them feel, and how would they have acted differently?
3. Can they colour in this judo moral code courtesy Kanji page? (available through our Coaching Resource newsletter – sign up here!)
4. Which of the examples on the ‘Courtesy in the Dojo’ poster do they use the most?