Things to Never Do in a Dojo

Posted by Mr. Lee | Martial Arts | Wednesday 2 June 2010 8:26 am

I have seen some pretty remarkable things in my life, and not all of them good.  So as a warning to those that are relatively new to the martial arts, here is a list of things never to do in a dojang, dojo, training hall, or what have you.  It is obviously not all inclusive, but a decent starting guideline until you figure it out on your own just like the rest of us did.  As a matter of course I have these as broad guidelines, essentially a “Code of Ethics” for the training facility.

The first is “Never Disrespect the School”.  This means all of the following:

  1. Do not do anything to embarrass your Master.
  2. Do not disrespect higher ranks.
  3. Do not bring shame upon your School through your actions or inactions.
  4. Do not knowingly cause harm to the facility or anyone associated with it.
  5. Remember that you are an ambassador for your Master and School.

The second tenet is “Be Your Best”.  This includes:

  1. Be physically prepared for class.  Clean uniform, trimmed nails, proper equipment.
  2. Never enter the training hall in an altered state.
  3. Do the best that you can at the time given your physical, mental, and emotional condition.
  4. Train on your own so that time in the class is best utilized.  Be ready to always learn.
  5. Carry your teachings beyond the training hall walls and into your life wherever possible.  Be disciplined and respectful.  Be thorough and attentive.

The third is “Don’t Be Dumb”.  This is more a list of things like:

  1. Don’t needlessly endanger anyone, including yourself.
  2. Know your limits.  Yes, we constantly push ourselves, but you won’t go from 2 boards to 5 boards broken overnight.
  3. Ask questions, but use your brain before your mouth.
  4. Don’t expect kids to have more than a five-minute attention span.
  5. Fight full contact a few nights before your wedding (spoken from experience).

As I said, these are not set in stone inflexible commandments as every style and school is different, but more universally applicable principles like the Golden Rule and gravity.  Understand and apply them and you’ll never get in serious trouble anywhere.