Recommended Reading: The Importance of Cleaning the Dojang

Resources

The instructors at Tucson Chayon-Ryu have been very pleased by how eager all of our students have been to help out with keeping our new dojang clean and tidy. It’s monsoon season now, and we’ll all have to be extra-careful so as not to track water and mud into our training hall.

The practical reasons for keeping the dojang clean seem very obvious. It would be dangerous to train on a wet and dirty floor. But what are some of the other reasons why students should work at keeping the dojang clean?

“The Importance of Cleaning the Dojang,” an article at kimsookarate.com, written by Anthony Segura, addresses this question:

In traditional martial arts training the Dojang is treated as a revered location. In fact, in many cultures one must first spend several months just cleaning the Dojang before being allowed to train. The reason for this exercise is to teach the student patience as well as provide an appreciation for the school in which they train…

“The Importance of Cleaning the Dojang” is short, but very thoughtful and thorough. Go check it out!

Reminders and New Photos

News

Reminders about class times in July:

  • The dojang won’t be open on July 5th – enjoy your 4th of July weekend!
  • We’ll be having our annual swimming pool training on July 19th. More details coming soon.

More photos:

The new floor has been installed, and it looks – and feels – fantastic! Our dojang is feeling more and more like our very own space as we continue to make improvements, including displays of trophies and photos.

New Floor!

Check out this picture from last month of our students working on practical self defense techniques, and you can see how much we’ve improved our training hall:

Practical Self Defense

Another thing we’re really enjoying about our new location is the opportunity to take our training outside the dojang more often. Master Hwang likes to start classes off with a short run through the La Placita complex, and when we want a change of terrain we can train outside on the grass:

Basic Movements

Renovations to the Dojang

News

Fewer walls, more mirrors!

We’ve removed one of the walls in the dojang, creating a bigger, more open space for training. Some fresh paint and large mirrors are also helping to make the training hall feel bigger and more welcoming.

Renovations

Renovations

Renovations

Renovations

Next step: a better floor!