Dojo

Dojo, in the same way it's said that there's no correct or incorrect sword, but rather a sword that carries its owner's heart or not. We can say the same about techniques, katas, strategies, styles, and dojos.

But what is a dojo?

道場 is dojo written in kanji: 道 (dō) means path (in the spiritual sense) and 場 (jō) means place.

A dojo, then, is where one practices something that involves one's spiritual growth. It should be tied to artistic, mental, ethical, and moral concepts — not just physical ones.

In Japan, a gym isn't called a dojo. Dojo is used for places where the various forms of budo ending in the kanji 道 are practiced — karate-dō, judō, kendō, iaidō, aikidō, kobudō, kyudō, and so on. But the kanji dō is also used for other arts, like shodō (calligraphy) or chadō (tea ceremony). It's used for any activity in which the practitioner seeks personal growth — 道, meaning path.

And what kind of path would this be? Every path was made by those who came before us. And as I said, when it comes to paths, there's no right or wrong one. There are only the paths we put our heart into. The destination is just a goal to help trace the path. The path we choose may have obstacles, may have shortcuts, and we may stop and pick it back up again.

A good path is one that's worth walking, regardless of the destination.

The path as a spiritual way, as we've described it, is loyal. We may give up on it. But it won't give up — it will still be there.

In the same way, a dojo must go on.