Every Bujinkan training starts and ends with a salute.

it goes as follows :

1. Students stand in line according to their seniority, facing the Kamiza (altar) and the teacher.
2. The oldest student (sempai) says “seiza” and everyone sits in seiza (on knees with the back straight).
3. The teacher turns to the Kamiza, joins his hands and says « Shikin aramitsu Daiko myo», meaning “in every action there is something to learn”. Students do the same and everyone claps their hands twice, bows to the Kamiza, claps hands one more time and bows to the Kamiza again.
   
4. The teacher turns back to the students. The sempai then says “Sensei ni rei” (“bow to the teacher”). Everyone bows to the teacher while saying “onegai shimasu” (“please” (teach us)). The teacher answers “ikimasho” (“let’s begin”).
   During the closing salute, students say “Dômo arigato gozaimasu” (“thank you very much”) instead.
5. the teacher stands up and students do as well when the sempai says “kiritsu” (“stand up”). Teacher and students bow to each other a last time and the training begins (or ends).
   
   

This salute is above all a way to help everyone to get into their role, for students and the teacher as well. its purpose is also to delimit when the controled violence used in martial arts training starts and when it ends.

Training exercises with a partner starts and ends with a bow for the same reasons. It’s impossible to learn together without mutual respect.

Bowing before entering the dojo area and before stepping out must be done as well.