IS TEHRE A PROPER WALL FOR THE KAMIZA?
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>Rob Frankovich >Daremo@qi3.com
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>Guys (and Ladies):
>
>Recently we had a discussion about what the proper name for the front wall
>was (tokonoma, shomen or kamiza), so my question is "Is there a proper wall
>to be the front?  I train in TKD also and have been told that the proper
>"front" of the studio is the North Wall.  Do any dojos in Aikido have that
>also?  We haven't in Seidokan Aikido, unless I missed that lesson.

From: Andrea Molle <amolle@SPLIT.IT>
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HI Bob,
Well..I think the book writen by Tamura Shinan can help you in your dilemma.
He wrote that Kamiza (the front wall) normally is on the opposite side of
the entrace called Shimoza, because (he wrote) in Japan the rear part of the
house is higher than the entrace; on Kamiza we can find Tokonoma (raised
place), and Shinden (altar). Kamiza means the "high wall"
Viewed from kamiza the left wall is the honour place and for assistant.
In a demostration Kamiza is the place of the State officer, of the flag or
of the President of manifestation.
But he also wrote that some dojos use a particular arrangement where kamiza
is on the left of entrace and the assistant are on the right.
In Europe we use to place on kamiza a photo of O-Sensei to symbolize the
transmission of teaching.