Courtesy is the way in which one human treats another. It is hard to understand courtesy without knowing respect, confidence, and kindness. Being courteous requires one to be modest and modesty cannot be attained without selflessness. In order to be selfless, one must know “the self,” with all of its strengths and weaknesses. Then, learn to become at peace with who and what we are. In so doing, one should gain a greater appreciation for being human and how we interrelate with each other. Being courteous is the best way to create harmony within human society.
Martial art practitioners must strive even that much more to be courteous. By the nature of martial arts, it easily instills false sense of pride and confidence, which often times leads to enormous egos, leading to arrogance. Unless these egos are contained through understanding humility, the martial artist who constantly trains their body to be a weapon becomes a detriment to society, injuring and hurting innocent people. For this reason, martial artist must learn to abide by certain rules of conduct and etiquette, which is inherent in most traditional arts. The exercise of these etiquettes is a constant reminder of humility for everyone who practices it. That is why the traditional systems of martial art are deeply rooted to strict rules of etiquette and conduct, which mainly emphasizes courtesy and respect.