The Traditional Ninja Spar is a combat training method that has been passed down for generations in Konohagakure as a training method for academy students. According to protocol, the two opponents must face each other and make the symbol of "combat", which represents one half of a seal that might be used to activate a ninjutsu and essentially means "I've come to face you in battle." When the spar is over, both participants make the "harmony" symbol by locking the fingers they used to make the "combat" symbol and acknowledge that they are still comrades.[1]
Trivia
- When Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha first sparred, they refused to make the "harmony" symbol. However, years later, when the two fought each other, they have a flashback of their younger selves making the "harmony" symbol.[2]