The Salute

The Salute or Bow
"The salute is a sign of respect. It is also a gesture on your part to show that you are ready to start your martial arts journey. There are many types of salutes. Our school uses the right fist and left palm placed together in front of one's chest. Stand straight up as you salute upon entering the kwoon. Always bend forward a little when saluting to your seniors, and bend more for your Sifu. If you are practicing Hung Gar, your salute may look a bit different than others; Hung Gar practitioners use a right fist and a left tiger claw with a left cat stance. There are other styles of Kung Fu schools whose salutes look even more different. Don't get hung up on how a salute looks; it is more important to just show respect than to worry about how it looks.

There are also many different origins of the Kung Fu salute. Through research and detailed conversations with many masters, I have found that the salute is different for each school, with different origins. Some say the right fist is martial power and the left palm is knowledge of how to use it. Some say the right fist is "yang" and the left palm is "yin." Yet another origin of the salute is that it has practical application. Martial artists were always very cautious in the old days, and a handshake was considered either too threatening or an invitation for attack. Warriors would try to avoid contact with unscrupulous people, leery of surprise attacks Many chin na (joint locking) techniques begin from a handshake.

Why You Salute
One of the main reasons to salute is to give honor to the past masters who have gone before you. You give them respect for the hardships they endured to gain their skills and knowledge. Saluting to your seniors also shows humility. Being humble is a big part of Kung Fu training. It is part of your moral character training, in which your Sifu will test to see if you are worthy of learning the more advanced material. If s/he thinks you you have a bad attitude, you may never learn the deeper aspects of the style.

When?
The first place to salute is when you enter or exit the school building itself. Then salute as you enter or exit the kwoon. This signifies that you wish to honor our martial ancestors and preserve these skills and pass them on to future generations. Always salute to your Sifu, give him or her the utmost respect for the hardships s/he went through to achieve her/his position. Salute to senior students and any classmates that you may be working with for drills. This shows them that you bear no hard feelings during training, especially during blocking exercises. Salute at the beginning and ending of class. Try to be the first to salute: this shows alertness, quick reflexes, and most of all...respect."

-Sigung Joe Maury