What Does It All Mean? Onegai Shimasu

By Marjorie Motooka, Shodan

Onegai Shimasu (pronounced o-ne-ga-e shi-mas) is a phrase that is exchanged at the beginning of class between students to teacher.  It is also uttered to your partner before the start of any technique.  The phrase is also accompanied by a bow (seated or standing), which is a symbol of respect.

Loosely translated onegai shimasu means “Will you do me the honor.”

What? You’re asking someone for the honor of being thrown to the ground and pinned?  If you have any understanding of the Japanese culture, you know that we (yes, I am a third generation Japanese) are a  polite, considerate, and non-confrontational group.

The honor that we see and that we appreciate during training, is having someone to practice with who will make our skills, knowledge and understanding of aikido deeper and better.  Without a partner, we would be left with doing Ukemi practice by ourselves.  What fun is that? Therefore, it is an honor to have a partner to be able to train with and for which the least we can do is express appreciation before inflicting corporal pain. 

As between teacher (Sensei) and students (Gakusei), it is an honor for a student to be able to train in a Dojo with a teacher who imparts the knowledge that she has learned from years of training from her Sensei.  Without her, we would be left with trying to learn techniques through YouTube videos. Again, what fun is that? The honor of having a Sensei to train with and learn from is expressed with a seated bow to the Sensei before the start of class and the words Onegai Shimasu.

See you on the mat … I look forward to the honor!