Symbolistic Ritual

For those of you who have never been to Washington DC, I would strongly recommend viewing the Changing of the Guard, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The dedication and precision of these people who guard the tomb day and night and in all forms of weather in awe inspiring. The movements themselves are nothing special. For anyone who sees military rituals, this falls directly in line with all of them. However, it is the dedication to an idea that no one is left behind or forgotten that commands inspiration. There isn’t someone actually buried there, it is the idea that someone should be (a soldier whose body was blasted beyond recognition by an artillery piece; a sailor drowned in the Pacific ocean) and that that person deserved the protection of his or her fellow patriots.

Symbolist ritual like this is very powerful. It helps people believe in an idea, instead of themselves. It is educational without being preachy. The best of them are timeless and applicable in all environments.

In the martial arts world we have plenty of them. The most obvious being the many variations of the bow. In the dojo, the bow has its very obvious and, in some ways, utilitarian uses. Outside the dojo, the bow is a symbol of courtesy, respected, understanding and even compliance - all of which has its applications in various settings.

Of course, all of those can be view with skepticism. And for good reason, there are plenty of examples where old rituals were used for nefarious ends. Adolf Hitler used parts of the Holy Bible to justify genocide and book burning.

This is where a good teacher, instructor or leader has his or her value. Ritualistic symbolism, taught correctly, inspires students to work hard and selflessly. It promotes the idea of something, as well as the utilitarian parts.

Of course, nothing teaches better than example setting. A father who comes home drunk every night is hardly inspiring his family to develop the concept of moderation. Likewise, students not seeing us take our time with the bow every single time, will have a hard time understanding why they should take it seriously.

In closing, take the rituals we use every day seriously, especially when in front of students. They will learn from our example and be empowered by our conviction and strength we have as a result of hard work.