Know your place

Wherever you practice kendo, you need to be aware of the dojo layout, especially the notion of the 'cardinal side' within any given practice space.

The cardinal side serves as a reference point to determine who does motodachi first, and this is the side you should never invade to wear/correct your armour.

This is the side exclusively for sensei/leading senior/dojo flag etc. Consider this in the same context as the altar in a church, only without physical features.

You should treat the cardinal side in the same way as a church altar and do not leave your bags or prepare yourself on that side - unless you are a sensei or the leading senior who sits facing everyone else during the line up (and I believe those senior people are already familiar with this spatial concept).

*Note that kendo doesn't push religion. It's only a reminiscence of it and modern kendo regard such notions only as custom/tradition.

The general criteria for deciding the cardinal side & where the line up starts:

1. the most detached (usually long) side of the hall from the entrance
2. line up starts from the furthest corner from the entrance

So, the position of the cardinal side & lining up order senior --> junior is not fixed, it's totally depending on the position of the entrance and the furtherest long side of a given space.

Snr->Jnr line up criteria example (some house rules apply): Higher grade in armour > if same grade = older first > people in dougi > people with plain clothes > people came late (regardless of grade)

Now you know your place.