We bow in and out of class but if someone doesn't want to do it and just stands there it's fine. Different strokes for different folks.
I know of schools that do and those that don't. It's all good.

I don't -require- much from my students.

Don't be dick. That's all.

We bow at beginning and end of class. And bow entering and leaving the mat area. For us it's a show of respect for the training area and those who we train with. And to honor those who came before us.

Thanks! I have attended academies that bow, and those that do not. I appreciate your reply.

We bow on and off the mat. After being in Japan and seeing all the bowing that goes on there, it seems like a simple request to me.

Thanks!

It’s not a requirement where I train. I consider bowing, not just as a sign of respect of the floor, but also as respect to our predecessors, so it is something I like to do voluntarily.

Thanks Kenneth! I may start doing it when entering the mat space and see if anyone picks up in it.

In the BJJ class we line up in rows by belt and bow from the knees at the beginning and end of class. We also stop class if a Black Belt comes onto the mats and everyone bows to that person.

The Judo class is more formal with Kiotsuke and Rei being called out from a standing position.

And Muay Thai class uses a different type of bow but we still start and end class with it.

Thanks!

I come from the Kachin arts of Burma and we don't have any of the trappings of the martial arts that most people identify with so my BJJ program is very informal

I don't, as I prefer an informal atmosphere, but to each their own.

A couple of my friends and I do funny handshakes when we see each other at training that include bowing in them, but it isn't part of the class.

Edit: I also bow when stepping on to the mats when competing. More of a mental reset than anything.

I have a vigorous dislike of formality and ritual, so no.

I didn't when I had a full time academy and when coaching PT I also don't practice that, a handshake, fist bump suffices. No pictures to bow to either.

I bow every-single-time I enter or leave the mat because that's how I learnt when I was a child to acknowledge the mat as a ritual space, but I don't ask anybody to do it. Well actually it's on our gym's house rules but looks like everybody skips that line. I also line up the class at the end of the lesson, by belt, and we all bow and shake hands in line, because I'm a bit of a traditionalist I guess.
Generally I feel like greeting everybody entering and leaving the mat is just politeness and as such I like to see it.
When a few lifetimes ago i started to work in a supermarket (my first adult job let's say), the director told me that it was super important, when arriving for my shift, to greet everybody. Like, literally every single colleague who was there. It felt overkilling it to 25 years old me but with time I understood. If you arrive at your working place and you go straight to work without taking the time to greet your colleague, within a short time you'll learn to ignore them, from there to dismiss them and eventually to not stand anyone. That "say hi to everybody" sets you on a different way, so it became a nice habit and I try to have it in the gym.

I like to have a formal beginning and ending to class.

I think the mat should be a place where - for a little while - you leave the everyday hassle behind.

A bow is a way to signify that you're entering & leaving a special place.

That also means, leave your weekend bro tales on the side.

Nothing is required / demanded formally, but I do it myself and I've seen new people pick up on it right away.

We bow at the beginning and end of class. I'm more traditional and also bow coming on and off the mats.

I multi task. I Will adjust my knee pads as I enter the mat which forces me to bow a little bit. Efficiency.

I bow in my judo classes. Always find bowing in BJJ a bit odd. Never do it.

No formal beginning or end to class other than the responsible coach announcing the beginning and end of formal part.

Sometimes people clap after the end if the lesson ends.

I honestly think this fits with the overall BJJ"culture" the most. We all more or less came to BJJ to get a break from the formality. It's seems a bit wrong to start bringing it in.

Interesting. We line up seven to a row an arms length apart at the beginning and ending of class. Class starts shortly after lining up and we break off to warm up. At the end when we are lined up there’s usually something said by coaches. We then bow to the coaches, turn and bow to a picture of GM Helio, then go through the line to shake hands.

I don't mind other places having their customs.

Me and the other cofounder on my club came from TMAs and didn't want to carry over that part. Soon we affiliated with SBG after which even had one "principles triangle" as "no rituals, no hierarchy, no titles" :)

I naturally bow as I enter and leave the mat. Always have done and I’m happy to respect the traditions of any club that allows me to train there. If they want to break out a tik tok dance at the end of every session that is cool also.

That's Judoy. The only difference between this and a typical Judo class is that you bow to a picture of Kano instead.

Our judo class is the same except it’s a single line, because class size is typically small

Nope. I have never liked bowing to someone personally. I have done it, out of respect. I won't ask another person to bow.

If my gym was in Wisconsin I wouldn't do it either