Different Dojo Designs

[Himokiri Karate]

More of a decoration question. But I was thinking about Korean Karate and Japanese Karate as well as Okinawan. I have noticed that each have their own design and décor. With Okinawa, it seems to embrace outside training and equipment. Some have tatami mats and some are wooden floors.

I have always wondered if these designs ever had a specific name or even nickname?

In the Dojo/Dojang I train, it is mostly mats with but it also has a wooden floor in smaller areas. For most parts, there are tons of equipment that revolves around footwork development like skip rope, ladder and cones to jump around and bounce nonstop. There is also shields as well for protection. There is also a sword as well that I believe that the Hwarong used in Ancient Korea. Looks like a samurai sword but it looks long like a spear.

Anyways, I like to know more about designs. Share with me whatever you like in regards to decoration and different styles of decoration.

[bushido_man96]

Ours is pretty straightforward. Some new puzzle mats, mirrors on a few of the walls, flags hanging at the front. Otherwise, just some standing bags along one wall, and a speed bag. Stretching machine in the back as well.

[tatsujin]

When it comes to the Okinawans, I think alot of what you see in regards to the outside training was more before WWII and just after WWII.

Prior to WWII, there were not "commercial" schools. So, most of the training was done outside...typically at the home of the instructor. After WWII, most of the island had been destroyed, along with homes and other types of buildings. So, again, most of what little training that was happening was outdoors. Also, in more modern times, you have to keep in mind that you are dealing with an island. So, real estate is at a premium. By and large, most dojo are small due to that. For the ones that are popular and have lots of foreign students, outside training is often a must because they just don't have the room. Plus, it is a beautiful area. So that helps as well.

The Japanese are somewhat the same. In some of the koryu (古流) arts, the dojo proper is more for special events rather than regular or daily training. Some of these types of dojo also had separate entrances for the students and instructors.

In both the Okinawan and Japanese dojo, the shomen (正面) or "front" is important as well as the kamidana (神棚) or shrine (if used) and kamiza (上座) or "seat of honor" (if used).

Wooden floors are more the norm nowadays. With the advent of the different types of mats, those arts that have people going to the ground will take advantage of them.

All of that being said, I am not aware of more specialized names other than what is used above.

In specific terms of "decoration", the kamidana and kamiza are the big things. Also, as a part of the kamiza, photos of the instructors as well as the dojo kun (道場訓) or school rules or principles are usually posted as a part of the kamiza or at the entrance.

Along the lines of decoration, some dojo use a nafudakake (名札掛け) or "name plate rack". Basically, the names of the dojo members are done on wooden nafuda (名札) or name tags in order of rank (highest to lowest). Sometimes there are separate nafudakake for the instructors and students. There is no set design (or placement) for the nafudakake. There are folks on the interwebs that make some very cool designs that you should be able to find. All of the way from dojo to individual types of designs. One of the big seminars we did, we had custom "mini" nafudakake made for the instructors that taught. They were 5 panel wood nafudakake plaques done up in a frame that were a HUGE hit.

Anyway, hope that is of some help to you.

[Himokiri Karate]

Ours is pretty straightforward. Some new puzzle mats, mirrors on a few of the walls, flags hanging at the front. Otherwise, just some standing bags along one wall, and a speed bag. Stretching machine in the back as well.

Similar to our dojo/dojang. Our puzzle mat is light red/pinkish. Wall is light green. We don't have stretch machine but skip rope and of course safe to assume that every Korean school would have board breaking.

When it comes to the Okinawans, I think alot of what you see in regards to the outside training was more before WWII and just after WWII.

Prior to WWII, there were not "commercial" schools. So, most of the training was done outside...typically at the home of the instructor. After WWII, most of the island had been destroyed, along with homes and other types of buildings. So, again, most of what little training that was happening was outdoors. Also, in more modern times, you have to keep in mind that you are dealing with an island. So, real estate is at a premium. By and large, most dojo are small due to that. For the ones that are popular and have lots of foreign students, outside training is often a must because they just don't have the room. Plus, it is a beautiful area. So that helps as well.

The Japanese are somewhat the same. In some of the koryu (古流) arts, the dojo proper is more for special events rather than regular or daily training. Some of these types of dojo also had separate entrances for the students and instructors.

In both the Okinawan and Japanese dojo, the shomen (正面) or "front" is important as well as the kamidana (神棚) or shrine (if used) and kamiza (上座) or "seat of honor" (if used).

Wooden floors are more the norm nowadays. With the advent of the different types of mats, those arts that have people going to the ground will take advantage of them.

All of that being said, I am not aware of more specialized names other than what is used above.

In specific terms of "decoration", the kamidana and kamiza are the big things. Also, as a part of the kamiza, photos of the instructors as well as the dojo kun (道場訓) or school rules or principles are usually posted as a part of the kamiza or at the entrance.

Along the lines of decoration, some dojo use a nafudakake (名札掛け) or "name plate rack". Basically, the names of the dojo members are done on wooden nafuda (名札) or name tags in order of rank (highest to lowest). Sometimes there are separate nafudakake for the instructors and students. There is no set design (or placement) for the nafudakake. There are folks on the interwebs that make some very cool designs that you should be able to find. All of the way from dojo to individual types of designs. One of the big seminars we did, we had custom "mini" nafudakake made for the instructors that taught. They were 5 panel wood nafudakake plaques done up in a frame that were a HUGE hit.

Anyway, hope that is of some help to you.

Thanks man, I hope you got my PM and I hope you are doing well. That is awesome, I remember watching the web series, street fighters: assassins' fist and they had a nafuda .

It seems like some dojos have two training spaces, one is off the mat on the wooden floor and one on the tatami for grappling. I believe Mas Oyama and Masahiko Kimura would cross train in their respective style. So it would make sense to have a dojo that is hybrid judo and karate in some cases.

[tatsujin]

Thanks man, I hope you got my PM and I hope you are doing well. That is awesome, I remember watching the web series, street fighters: assassins' fist and they had a nafuda .

Pretty sure that I did unless you sent something else more recently. I did get that book you were talking about. It is in the "pile" to read. I usually have 4 or 5 books going all at once. His is tough because it is all PDF files. But, I'll get to it. Looking forward to becoming invisible!

[Himokiri Karate]

Thanks man, I hope you got my PM and I hope you are doing well. That is awesome, I remember watching the web series, street fighters: assassins' fist and they had a nafuda .

Pretty sure that I did unless you sent something else more recently. I did get that book you were talking about. It is in the "pile" to read. I usually have 4 or 5 books going all at once. His is tough because it is all PDF files. But, I'll get to it. Looking forward to becoming invisible!

I already mastered that without even knowing what chakras or meridians even were. I guess I am natural at it.

Steve Richard also has a great book that mentions an Egyptians mantra and forming a cloud. Glenn Morris I think mentioned something similar.

[tatsujin]

Steve Richard also has a great book that mentions an Egyptians mantra and forming a cloud. Glenn Morris I think mentioned something similar.

As a personal friend of mine for many years, Glenn wrote about alot of things...

With Glenn though, you almost needed a decoder ring...he wrote the way Hatsumi Sensei talked at times...riddles wrapped in enigmas and then a touch of Glenn thrown in.

Have you read all of Glenn's books?

[Himokiri Karate]

Steve Richard also has a great book that mentions an Egyptians mantra and forming a cloud. Glenn Morris I think mentioned something similar.

As a personal friend of mine for many years, Glenn wrote about alot of things...

With Glenn though, you almost needed a decoder ring...he wrote the way Hatsumi Sensei talked at times...riddles wrapped in enigmas and then a touch of Glenn thrown in.

Have you read all of Glenn's books?

I read his book, martial arts madness: light and dark in the esoteric martial art

This was almost a decade ago and so I forgot lot of things mentioned. But he talks about similar methods as Steven Richard in his book of invisibility. Like I remember that they both talked about forming something first, Steven used the word cloud and I believe Glenn used the term sphere. I could be wrong but different language but similar instruction in respect to manifestation.

The difference is that Steven used the theme of medieval mystics for most part with sprinkling yoga and Egyptian knowledge while Glenn was using ninjutsu traditions.

My current curiosity is the contribution of Koreans. In respect to my Tang Soo Do or Korean Karate, I have heard that lots of Ninjutsu comes from the Tang Dynasty or that the masters escaped the fall of the Tang Dynasty and took refuge in Japan. As a show of gratitude, they taught their arts to the Japanese which became ninjutsu. But more importantly, Koreans were the export of knowledge to various parts of Japan and they made great contribution to further evolving the art.

This is what I heard, it could be all wrong, or all right or it could be 20 percent wrong. Currently my interest is taking me to different places. One is the leader of the yellow turban rebellion. Some say he was a true mystic and some say he was no different than a dodgy televangelist of his time who convinced others to dedicate to his cause.

Once I can find more about his source, I can see if it was related to other wisdoms of different culture in respect to martial arts, yoga and of course my love that is Korean Karate or Korean martial arts culture in general. Since I plan to teach, I need to have solid perspective of all things since Korean Karate is an amalgamation of various arts mixed with Taekkyon to form Tang Soo Do and Taekwondo.

[Miick 11]

Our teacher, Mr Nishihira , didnt have a dojo but trained and taught in his ' bentoyasan' catering 'shop' - just pushed some stuff aside . You can see this in pictures of him training and teaching on the internet ; pots and pans , freezers , tables , etc.

Shotokan early training was in school gym ... with a pic of Funakashi on wall .

Sikiran training was done in hall downstairs from Masonic Temple ( we heard 'strange' noises coming from up there ...... but I think THEY heard even stranger noises coming from downstairs ! )

Aikido was in school hall and community hall , and I volunteered to make the 'Shomen' ;

it was awhile back , it has to have a shelf , something alive, something that was alive , something inanimate ..... tatsujin probably knows . I made it out of 3 types of bamboo I have growing , including a rare green with brown stripe 'painted bamboo' , a small twisted dry tree stump / roots , shelves of pine board , pic of O'Sensai of course . Oh yeah, stand for the 3 weapons of aikido (jo, boken, tanto ) , a river rock with a quartz seam running through .... ummm .... ?

Able to disassemble , store or move , and set up elsewhere - I hear they still have it .

At home I have a flat area , mostly circular , about the size of the radius of full lock on the tractor steering (cause thats how I made it ) ; 'The Circle of Death ' .

And on the weekend , its in town , in the park, by the riverside .... that might be the best one yet ! Great spot .