Global Insights Report (April 2021) Exceptions to Bowing in Japanese Martial Arts
In 2014, I was voted onto the board of directors of the Canadian Kendo Federation, and was re-elected in 2017. As a volunteer director, I’ve frequently searched for ways to apply my professional experience to support our 1,000+ members nationally.
This study was right up my alley, and a lot of fun to connect with practitioners from over 25 countries. Not only were the insights I surfaced applicable to our community leaders in Canada, but also started a collaborative conversation internationally. This is exactly the kind of scale and enduring impact that I strive to achieve in my work.
Full report can be found HERE
Below is the Executive Summary:
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The Canadian Kendo Federation (CKF) is a registered Canadian amateur athletic association not-for-profit. It’s mandate is to support the promotion and development of Kendo, Iaido, and Jodo, and is governed by an elected board of directors. The eight current directors hold regular sync-ups and in the first quarter of 2021 were approached with the question: “Should the CKF include a religious exception to bowing within its written policies to accommodate practitioners with religious restrictions?”
While this issue isn’t new to most senior practitioners and instructors, there has rarely been a direct request to make such an exception in Canada. But with the state of the world as it is right now, with increasing calls for social equity and justice at all levels of society, the hardline, no compromise mindset which serves combat arts so well, needs to be tempered.
The CKF board must also recognize the potential legal implications for decisions with respect to individuals within the community, including dojo leaders, tournament referees, and examination panels. Various Human Rights Commissions and Civil Case Law continue to change the way issues are handled in Canada.
This study was launched to investigate three main questions: (1) How do current religious practitioners of budo manage conflicts with budo etiquette? (2) How do other budo organizations manage requests for accommodation? (3) How have local and international legal systems settled similar cases in recent history.
The research was conducted using a mixed method approach — primary and secondary research — to provide a diverse perspective. We held one-on-one conversations with local and international members of the budo community, including members and officers of national federations that oversee the arts of Kendo, Iaido, Jodo, Kyudo, and Naginata), and reviewed online publications from news media and government institutions.
Findings were unsurprising, yet illuminating from a decision-making standpoint. The evidence provides a solid foundation for the way the CKF board of directors can address the issue as diplomatically as possible, maintaining the integrity and honour of the individuals involved.
The general consensus among budo practitioners who live a religious life is that actions like bowing are different enough in intent that no conflict exists. For these practitioners, bowing is just another part of the physical technique -- a simple action to be performed and perfected.
For others, the experience of budo leaders in secular and non-secular countries reveals little room for exceptions, especially as practitioners become more senior -- and rarely are students with this fundamental issue able to continue long-term in the art to reach that point of seniority.
Finally, legal precedents and human rights reviews in Canada provide little to no imperative for the CKF to amend its policies around examination and tournament requirements. Modifications that put members of the federation - practitioners and administrators - in a compromised position among internationally affiliated members and the International Kendo Federation (FIK) would be undesirable.
Based on the findings in this report, that the CKF is neither legally obligated nor an effective source of remediation when it comes to this matter. Instead, the duty of the CKF administration lies in providing guidance to instructors on how to diplomatically negotiate this situation with their existing and potential students. This guidance should be published alongside existing official documents.
The CKF benefits greatly from the diversity of the Canadian population, but also faces complexity in navigating intercultural conflict. The nature of culture, grounded in beliefs and norms, means facts are all the more important when negotiating compromises. I hope the findings in this report help readers see the nuances of this topic, and continue to evolve such that our budo practices remain relevant and effective in changing times.
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Full report can be found HERE