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example of traditional Japanese dojo
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Dojo is a Japanese term meaning etymologically place (jo) of the way (do).
In budo is the space where the training takes place, but is also a symbol of the depth of the relationship that the practitioner is establishing with the martial art. This last aspect is of Chinese and Japanese Buddhist culture tipically, which identifies the dojo as a place of isolation and meditation.
The dojo were often small areas, located near temples or castles, adorned with works of calligraphy and artwork prepared by the students themselves, and they expressed the full dignity of the atmosphere that reigned. In the dojo were the altars, so called kamiza, (home of the Gods), dedicated in memory of a deceased great master. The dojo is a place of meditation, mental focus, learning, friendship and respect, is the symbol of the Way of the martial art.
In the Western world the term is translated improperly as intended as a gym or space for training.
No student takes from the dojo more than he gives back: the dojo is not simple space for training, but the expression of an attitude. It is different from the normal sports areas: the exercise can also be the same but it's the search of the right attitude that allows you to move forward. The student enters the dojo, and must leave all the problems of everyday life behind, purify the mind and focus on training to overcome his limits and his own insecurities, in a constant dialogue with himself, creating the Bushido, the ancient way of the warrior.
See more in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dojo
The symbol of our dojo is inspired by the Lotus flower.
For the peoples of Eastern the lotus is spirituality and everyday life, the concrete manifestation of what rises and blossoms above the primordial waters. Its main features are derived, in fact, from its particularity to lie down on the surface of stagnant waters, coming from them is not stained, so it is assigned the symbol of purity and also represents the essence of cosmic harmony. The lotus creates with its roots in the water and its petals turned to the sky, a link between what is worldly and what is heavenly. Even the man should remain as the lotus between heaven and earth, turning our thoughts up, but also adapting to the changes of life.
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