Dojo vs Gym Questionable Codes of Conduct

[Alan Armstrong]

Have had the privilege to train in Dojos and Gyms as well as many places somewhere in between and far between such as gardens and garages, school gymnasium and community centers.

Places where bowing was normal and other places not normally appreciated.

Where everyone wears similar clothing like a type of uniform and other places that it was the individuals choice as in come as you are; not bothering to take of the baseball hat while doing a kata.

Presently I'm in a place in-between a Dojo and Gym and enjoying every minute of it, except just one little hiccup.

I'm raising the issue because a none student of mine was asking me questions during my class, while he was waiting for his Sensei and class to start in another part of the building.

I felt that I didn't need to give explanations during my class (to a none class member) not for the fact of rudeness but in that it was breaking my concentration away from my students and interrupting at an inconvenient time.

Giving him an explanation at that moment would have been too difficult and lengthy to explain, so I just ignored him. I didn't consider him to be rude but perhaps he could have felt that I was being rude to him. Other (none students of mine) were just happy enough to watch my class.

Because the building is part Dojos and part gym, I was teaching in the gym part due to the floor surface and the equipment at hand. The none student of mine was using the facility (weight lifting equipment) also and felt comfortable enough due to the location in the gym to have a chat with me.

It could be argued that I was teaching or practicing in a communal area, even still when a personal trainer is instructing they too need there space with the client.

I will talk with (this none student of mine) about the event, the next time I see him and explain my point of view.

Having such a communal environment such as a Dojo and gym does raise the point of ethics or protocols and codes of conduct.

Some bodybuilders scream when bench pressing and the martial artists Kia or could be quietly meditating, must get passers by wondering what is going on at times, when the front door is wide open.

Mma and cross training seems as if there are many changes including mixed codes of conduct that I'm not fully aware of at this time.

How do Dojo's and Gym's mix in your opinion?

[sensei8]

They both serve different masters, therefore, keep them separate as to not disturb the other. At our Hombu, the gym is on the second floor. The main Dojo is on the first floor. Administrative is on the third floor. Even on the second floor, the secondary Dojo and the gym is separated by a solid wall, and in that, the secondary Dojo is still twice the size as the gym.

The floor of any Dojo, as we were taught, is sacred ground, and to have the gym mixed with the Dojo would've destroyed the sanctity of the Dojo!! Any Dojo that I've ever started made sure that the sanctity of the floor was kept separate from the gym. In my own Dojo's the gym was in the far back, after the locker rooms.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Gyms and Dojos can mix quite nicely as long as there are pre-existing guidelines and boundaries.

At my dojo we operate out of a Sports Center and have had zero issues. Although we have had some issues with people coming in and interrupting once or twice; but have politely asked them to wait till the end of class to speak to us as we need to give our attention to our juniors.

[Alan Armstrong]

Had a chance to express my point of view to the none student of mine for ignoring him and his question.

He was very understanding and apologized for his interruption during my class.

I explained about his original question on the whys; fair enough.

Also showed him a technique used against a larger opponent as he is alot bigger than me.

I grabbed his left wrist with my left hand while with my right hand grabbing the skin of his tricep also on the right side and pulled him face down to the floor.

A few days latter he showed me the bruise I made on his tricep. Of course I apologized. He was totally impressed with the bruise and technique.

Seems like I made an impression on him because a few days after that, once again he showed me the bruise and it looked like a Yin/Yang symbol with the two dots on either side of the black and white symbol instead of being inside.

How bizarre, a bruise imitating a Chinese martial art symbol made with a martial art technique that resembles a Yin/Yang tattoo.

[sensei8]

Had a chance to express my point of view to the none student of mine for ignoring him and his question.

He was very understanding and apologized for his interruption during my class.

I explained about his original question on the whys; fair enough.

Also showed him a technique used against a larger opponent as he is alot bigger than me.

I grabbed his left wrist with my left hand while with my right hand grabbing the skin of his tricep also on the right side and pulled him face down to the floor.

A few days latter he showed me the bruise I made on his tricep. Of course I apologized. He was totally impressed with the bruise and technique.

Seems like I made an impression on him because a few days after that, once again he showed me the bruise and it looked like a Yin/Yang symbol with the two dots on either side of the black and white symbol instead of being inside.

How bizarre, a bruise imitating a Chinese martial art symbol made with a martial art technique that resembles a Yin/Yang tattoo.

Solid post!!

There's a lesson in everything, and how you approached it with a lesson, and not with scornful words and the like, was quite admirable!!