There are numerous training facilities for all types and styles of martial arts. However, very few of these places rate the title of ‘dojo’. The commonly used terms of studio or gym are, in general, much more appropriate. Many of these institutions teach only the shell of an art and neither understand nor attempt to transmit anything in any depth, its heart.
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The word ‘dojo’ (道場) may be literally translated as “place of the way.”
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The word implies that this is a place where the students will attempt to realize the ultimate reality of their chosen art. A studio or school teaches techniques, as does a dojo. However, in a dojo, techniques are viewed as only a means to an end. The techniques must be mastered, but that is only the beginning, not the end, of study. The goal of a school is to teach a person new things; the goal of a dojo is to transform the person into something new.
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Walking into dojo you have to the right mindset. Thinking you’re going to get a good workout is for the studio or gym. When you put on your uniform you must leave the world behind you. You are transforming yourself with a ‘warrior’ spirit. That’s the focus, that’s the spirit, that’s the intention, you must have.
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Although the initial training in a studio or school and a dojo may be similar, the goals are entirely different….. So are the methods.
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A school will have a instructor and his students; a dojo will have a teacher and his ‘disciples’, a word some people many find a little daunting. The student attends classes to acquire new knowledge; the disciple, known as a ‘deshi’, attends classes to undergo a larger transformation.
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The term ‘disciple’ can be a challenge to how people are raised, especially in the West. After all, we don’t want to enter into any religious doctrine, especially one that may be very different than the religion people are raised in.
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Many people have used the word ‘deshi’, often without any real understanding of just what the term means. On hearing the word many people think of the usual, poor translation of “student,” but the word really means something much more than this.
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In Japanese, the term for student is ‘gakusei’ (学生) and the term for disciple is ‘deshi’ (弟子). There is a difference.
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There is a very real difference between a studio or school that essentially emphasizes fighting skill, or a fight first mentality, to one that emphasizes a ‘way’ or ‘ryu’ (流).
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Physically too, a proper dojo will have a rather stark and functional appearance. Perhaps reflecting a Zen influence. In a dojo, beauty is achieved not with things, but with the absence of things. It is where a warrior spirit is hopefully forged.
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What is the warrior spirit?
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It’s the adoption of a mental attitude that places you in control, ready to resist life’s challenges with a strength of will, tenacity and determination.
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Put simply, to accept the warrior spirit, accepts factors beyond his/her control but fights through discomfort when positive change is possible. Placing yourself in repetitive instances of discomfort, stepping outside your comfort zone, this is training for a warrior spirit.
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Many of us endure difficult times in our lives. That’s normal. The real question is whether we can endure and emerge from the other side stronger. And this is the attitude you must bring to the dojo, the place of the way.
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