From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dojo
Dojo
Dojo a dōjō. In many styles it is traditional to conduct a ritual
cleaning (sōji) of the dōjō at the beginning and/or end of
each training session. Besides the obvious hygienic ben-
efits of regular cleaning it also serves to reinforce the
fact that dōjō are supposed to be supported and managed
by the student body, not the school’s instructional staff.
This attitude has become lost in many modern dōjō that
are founded and run by a small group of people or in-
structors.[citation needed] In fact, it is not uncommon that in
traditional schools (koryu), dōjō are rarely used for train-
ing at all, instead being reserved for more symbolic or
A kendo dōjō. formal occasions. The actual training is conducted typi-
cally outdoors or in a less formal area.
Japanese name
Many traditional dōjō follow a prescribed pattern
Kanji: 道場 with shomen ("front") and various entrances that are
used based on student and instructor rank laid out pre-
Hiragana: どうじょう
cisely. Typically students will enter in the lower-left cor-
ner of the dōjō (in reference to the shomen) with instruc-
A dojo (道場, dōjō) is a Japanese term which literally tors in the upper right corner. Shomen typically con-
means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to tains kamidana—an area for a Shintō shrine and other ar-
temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for tifacts.[citation needed] The term kamiza is frequently con-
any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered fused by martial arts practitioners with the Kamidana.[ci-
the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese tation needed] Other artifacts may be displayed throughout
martial arts style to conduct training, examinations and the dōjō, such as kanban that authorize the school in a
other related encounters. style or strategy, and items such as taiko drums or armor
The concept of a dōjō as a martial arts training place (yoroi). It is not uncommon to find the name of the dōjō
is a Western concept; in Japan,[citation needed] any physical and the dōjō kun (roughly "dōjō rules") displayed promi-
training facility, including professional wrestling nently at shomen as well. Visitors also typically have a
schools, may be called dōjō because of its close martial special place reserved, depending on their rank and sta-
arts roots. tion. Weapons and other training gear will normally be
found on the back wall.
The Noma dōjō in Tokyo is an example of the old
Martial arts dōjō kendō dōjō within modern kendo.
A hombu dōjō of a style is the administrative and styl-
istic headquarters of a particular martial arts style or
group.
Some well-known hombu dōjō located in Japan are:
• Kodokan (Judo)
• Aikikai Hombu Dōjō (Aikido)
• Bujinkan Hombu Dōjō (Ninjutsu)
• Takeda-ryu Nakamura Ha Hombu Dojo
(Sobudo)
Other names for training halls
Other names for training halls that are equivalent to "do-
Karatekas hone their skills at the dojo jo" include the following:
• Dojang (taekwondo)
A proper Japanese martial arts dōjō is considered special • Gelanggang (silat Melayu)
and is well cared for by its users. Shoes are not worn in • Heya (sumo)
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dojo
• Kalari (kalaripayat) groups affiliated with the International Zen Association
• Kwoon (wushu) prefer to use "dōjō" instead of zendo to describe their
• Sasaran (pencak silat) meditation halls as did their founding master, Taisen
Deshimaru.
In Zen Buddhism
The term dōjō is also used to describe the meditation
halls where Zen Buddhists practice zazen meditation. It
External links
is sometimes used instead of the term "zendo" which is • Hidden and deeper meanings in dojo layout on cite
more specific, and more widely used. European Sōtō Zen fightingarts.com
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dojo&oldid=465697818"
Categories:
• Japanese martial arts terms
• Dojos
• Zen terms
This page was last modified on 13 December 2011 at 20:42. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of
the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.Contact us
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
2