★Regarding Movement Inside the Dōjō
As a general rule, please avoid walking near someone who is swinging a sword.
The most dangerous situation is passing behind them.
Even from the sides—or occasionally even the front—accidents can happen when the person is deeply focused or lost in thought and fails to notice others.
Always maintain a safe distance when passing through.
If the space is narrow and you must pass nearby, please call out clearly and wait for a response before proceeding.
This rule exists to prevent serious injury, so we kindly ask for your full cooperation.
ーーーーーーーー
This is one of the safety precautions for newcomers.
We constantly remind students of this during regular practice.
Even with a mock sword or wooden sword, this is an extremely dangerous action that carries a risk of fatal injury, and we are absolutely strict about this—sometimes even shouting if necessary to stop it.
While the following incident is not from a martial arts setting, I came across news of a fatal accident caused by carelessness.
I also read the accident report, but since no one witnessed the actual moment of the incident, the exact circumstances remain unknown.
However, it strongly resembles a similar type of situation.
When someone is focused on training, they often lose awareness of their surroundings. Meanwhile, the person walking behind assumes, “They’ll notice me” or “I’m out of reach,” and that overconfidence leads to tragedy.
