A 3 foot by 3 foot, one-inch thick hard rubber square...that's a mat. Put a bunch together on the floor with some mirrors and flags and you've got a dojang (training space).
But it's more than that.
The dojang is a special place. A protected, special place for all students. It is a place where everyone is safe. Safe from the troubles, pressures and worries of the outside world. Safe from bullying, and ridicule. A place where everyone can be in the moment of their training (more on this in another post), and forget and leave the outside world for just a little bit.
The rules of the dojang ensure that it remains a special place. Shoes and hats are removed as a sign of respect and humility, as well as to maintain cleanliness. Students bow on the way in and out to show respect for the dojang itself, as well as the national flags that hang there. Excessive noise and talking are discouraged to allow students to focus attention on the Master and what they are learning. Horseplay is not allowed to ensure safety as well as a reminder of the seriousness of what is learned there.
The dojang is a mirror of life. In the dojang we experience all the emotions of life: joy, pain, pride of accomplishment, frustration, fear, failure, sorrow. By facing these feelings and emotions in the microcosm of the structured, regulated dojang, we learn to deal with them. Learn to deal with them inside the dojang, and you can deal with them outside the dojang. The dojang is a school....a place of learning. Some lessons are easy....others hard and some even painful. Most everything that is done by the Master Instructor has purpose or meaning.
The hardest part of any journey is the courage to take the first step. I can't tell you how many times people have told me, " I've always wanted to try the martial arts". My advice is always the same....Just get on the mat!
Keep training hard!
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