Dojo Decor

[Lrtucker]

Continuing with many of the questions I have been pondering...

You are about to open your own school. YOURS to do what you want with.

How to you set up the space? Bonsai with scrolls, bright colors with a kids play place, Mats with hanging heavy bags, or a mixture?

[MasterPain]

Mats on the floor and one wall. Large mirror on one wall. Heavy bag in a corner. A wall with various swords, knives, sticks and guns. Front of the room would have pictures of the clan with Larry the Samurai at the shomen.

[tallgeese]

I like flags. I'd get one up for national origin of the respective arts I was going to have in the building (ones I was teaching or having others teach). Some affiliation graphics on the matted walls or above. I'd definatly go with a wall of photos near the entrance or desk area with guys I'd trained with over the years, famous and not so famous. Certificates of instructors. That sort of thing.

[DWx]

Mats on the floor and halfway up 3 walls, and a mirror down the 4th wall. Row of heavy bags down one side (opposite the mirror). Would like to put up photos of students and instructors that I've taught/trained with over the years above the mats and would have to have the Korean flag and a UK flag somewhere. Also organisation logo/flag and a picture of the founder and founding masters of the style somewhere. For functionality, some sort of big noticeboard near the entrance/desk for announcements and news. If space permits, a small seating area near the entrance too.

[JusticeZero]

Plain and unadorned. I'd like a mirrored wall for purely utilitarian reasons, but beyond that, "clean with sufficient space" is fine.

[sensei8]

Provide a place for students to change that's roomy and safe.

I visited a dojo where they hired an interior decorator with an emphasis on Japan...and it showed...imho, it was way over-decorated, if possible, I thought that it took away from the studies. Things on the walls that weren't MA related...for example...a large picture of downtown Tokyo...at night.

Simplicity is key to decorating ones school.

[bushido_man96]

Mirrors on a wall or two, some nice floor mats. That's it.

[Shizentai]

I honestly wouldn't change a thing from the way my dojo is now.

...well on second thought, I might put showers in the changing rooms, and would have a set of judo/aikido mats available in the closet. I feel that it is less than safe to teach little kids and elderly people how to fall on hard wood, even if that's the way I learned myself.

[yamesu]

Worn bags and training equipment.

Blood and sweat stains on the mats.

One wall of mirrors.

One wall with the style and dojo emblems.

[sensei8]

One of the most required decoration, imho, "PUSH/PULL" stick-on signs on every door because it's embarrassing to open/close any door incorrectly in the Hombu/Dojo and I always "PUSH" when I should've "PULL" or vise versa...it entertains everyone at the Hombu/Dojo.

And yes, this is a decoration for me!

If while I'm visiting an unfamiliar school and I see no "PUSH/PULL" signs, I'll wait until I see someone else open the door so I know which way. Rank/Title has its privileges, and many will open the door for me.