Dojo (??, d?j?) is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, d?j?s were adjunct to temples.
In the Western world, the term d?j? primarily refers to a training place specifically for Japanese martial arts such as aikido, judo, karate, or samurai; in Japan, any physical training facility, including professional wrestling schools, may be called d?j? because of its close martial arts roots. The term can also refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese arts ending in "do", meaning "way".
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In martial arts
A proper Japanese martial arts d?j? is considered special and is well cared for by its users. Shoes are not worn in a d?j?. In many styles it is traditional to conduct a ritual cleaning (s?ji) of the d?j? at the beginning and/or end of each training session. Besides the obvious hygienic benefits of regular cleaning it also serves to reinforce the fact that d?j? are supposed to be supported and managed by the student body (or by special students, e.g., uchi-deshi), not the school's instructional staff. This attitude has become lost in many modern d?j? that are founded and run by a small group of people or instructors. In fact, it is not uncommon that in traditional schools (koryu), d?j? are rarely used for training at all, instead being reserved for more symbolic or formal occasions. The actual training is conducted typically outdoors or in a less formal area.
Many traditional d?j? follow a prescribed pattern with shomen ("front") and various entrances that are used based on student and instructor rank laid out precisely. Typically students will enter in the lower-left corner of the d?j? (in reference to the shomen) with instructors in the upper right corner. Shomen typically contains a Shint? shrine with a sculpture, flower arrangement, or other artifacts. The term kamiza means "place of honor" and a related term, kamidana refers to the shrine itself. Other artifacts may be displayed throughout the d?j?, such as kanban that authorize the school in a style or strategy, and items such as taiko drums or armor (yoroi). It is not uncommon to find the name of the d?j? and the d?j? kun (roughly "d?j? rules") displayed prominently at shomen as well. Visitors may have a special place reserved, depending on their rank and station. Weapons and other training gear will normally be found on the back wall.
Hombu d?j?
A hombu d?j? is the central training facility and administrative headquarters of a particular martial arts style.
Some well-known d?j? located in Japan are:
Other names for training halls
Other names for training halls that are equivalent to "dojo" include the following:
The Karate Dojo Video
In Zen Buddhism
The term d?j? is sometimes used to describe the meditation halls where Zen Buddhists practice zazen meditation. The alternative term "zendo" is more specific, and more widely used. European S?t? Zen groups affiliated with the International Zen Association prefer to use "d?j?" instead of zendo to describe their meditation halls as did their founding master, Taisen Deshimaru.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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