The Zanshin shōmen

It is traditional for the front of a dōjō to feature an altar dedicated to the history of the school. For example it typically has a photograph of the sensei's sensei or the founder of the style. The altar is called the shōmen, and we bow to it whenever entering or leaving the mat, and at the beginning and end of class. The shōmen at Zanshin looks like this.

A photograph of the shōmen at Zanshin

Because Zanshin draws on multiple sources and styles, there is no one historical teacher it would make sense to feature there. Instead, there is calligraphy of a Japanese idiom.

実る程頭を垂れる稲穂かな
Minoru hodo kōbewotareru inaho ka na.
The riper the rice, the more deeply it bows.

That is, the heavier your head gets with knowledge and experience, the more important it is to remember humility.

By the entrance to the dōjō, there is a display of some of the people whose pictures ought to be displayed in honor of Zanshin's history. In the center are four large pictures of founders of relevant styles. Clockwise from the top, they are as follows.

Further pictures are arranged around them depicting some of the sensei who have influenced Zanshin sensei. On the right, from bottom to top, are the following.

On the left, from top to bottom, are pictures featuring Ben Coleman sensei and the Salem Budōkai.

Bowing to the shōmen and thinking about what it represents helps to strengthen our sense of place within the larger family of our dōjō.