How YOU make your dojo a GREAT dojo

For those of us that have traveled and visited other dojo, we have all experienced this. You walk in and there is just something about the place. Sometimes we just can't put our finger on it, but it's just a great place to be. Here are some tips for you to help your dojo be a great dojo

Get to training

We've all had those days from hell, and we'd like nothing else that to slink off home and get to bed. And sometimes, for the good of your health you should do that if you're unwell. But you also know if you make sure you get yourself into the dojo, by the end of training you're glad you came, and you go home tired but peacefully exhausted, to face the next day with the investment you made in the training the night before.

Find a mentor

It doesn't have to be anything formal, but pick out someone in the dojo that inspires you and feed off their energy and reflect your energy into the dojo. Cheer them on when they are tiring and draw on their strength when you are flagging. Maybe it's someone the same grade, or maybe it's someone lower or higher than you. But when you connect with the energy of another it's easier to drive yourself onwards.

Pay respect

This is at the heart of the Kyokushin teaching. Respect for others, respect for the place, and respect for yourself. But respect is an active thing, and making sure you acknowledge your superiors and the place you train without being asked is imperative. Remember too, from the day you start, anyone that stands to your right is your sempai, They have trodden the road ahead of you, and deserve your respect. Your instructors, Sensei, and Shihan have trained for many many years, under conditions that have caused many to stop, but they have endured. Remember you need to earn their respect, not the other way around. Remember to say thank you at the end of class.

Choose your attitude

It is said, your attitude determines your altitude.

The beauty of the dojo is it's away from the outside world. Regardless of who you are in your working week, and what kind of day you've had, when you walk through the dojo door, you are a kyokushin karateka walking your own path. And for the next couple of hours, nothing else matters - if you let it. So leave your baggage at the door, and be an awesome dojo member. You and your fellow students will both enjoy the class more.

Be a great example

If someone is new, make sure you greet them, and introduce yourself to them. Ensure they are properly introduced to the Sensei and Sempai (they may not be sure about doing it themselves). If they aren't sure what to do, or where to go, help them out (just don't do it when the instructor is talking). Be first to help clean the dojo floor or put the equipment away. Do things quickly and properly and lead by example.