The Path, The Way
What to expect from participation
Do / dao. The way, the path.
A dojo is a community where we work together to preserve our heritage, and as individuals to discover our own paths. Whatever you seek from training, you’ll probably find it. We call it a martial art, but it can’t be hung it on a wall or put it in a museum. It has to be done, physically, to be appreciated and cultivated. It’s the process that yields the results: showing up, being genuine, putting in effort, trying, failing, trying again, always learning…it will give you back only what you put in.
Practice etiquette. Dojos have a wide breadth of personal experiences and lifestyles, and everyone is here for 1 reason: training. Respect that.
People don’t usually choose a style, they choose a dojo. The best martial art is the one that motivates a person to get up and train. Make it a habit and it will be come a lifestyle.
It’s you against you. We will be here, lights on, doors open. There will always be reasons to not make it in. The days you don’t want to be here will be the most rewarding, because you did it.
Appreciate the long game. “Karate cannot be quickly learned. Like a slow moving bull, it eventually travels a thousand miles. If one trains diligently every day, then in three or four years one will come to understand karate. Those who train in this fashion will discover karate.” Anko Itosu
Don’t do it for the belt or rank. There are guidelines for what a given belt should be able to demonstrate. Don’t get hung up on it. When your goal is to just be better than yesterday, it is always within reach, and will never be a hollow victory!
