Category: In The Dojo

In modern budō, dan 段 ref refers to advanced ranks (black-belt levels), beginning at shodan (1st dan) and continuning to 10th dan. The dan system is used in many gendai budō arts such as Aikidō, Jūdō, Kendō, Karatedō, Kyūdō, and…

Shōgō (称号) is a term for the honorary instructor titles of Japanese martial arts, such as Renshi, Kyōshi, and Hanshi, awarded for character, teaching ability, and mastery. These are official instructor titles awarded by major budō federations (especially kendo, iaidō,…

The overall term for “ranking system” is 段級制 (dankyū-sei) which is the dan-kyū ranking system. The category of ranks and grading is expressed with: 段位 (dan’i) — dan ranks and 級位 (kyū’i) — kyū ranks. The dan 段 (dan) ranks…

These are grading levels used in Japanese budō and other traditional arts. They divide kyū-ranks into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Many arts use these terms for organizing curriculum, including karate, aikido, jūdō, iaidō, koryū jujutsu, as well as traditional arts…

Kyōtsuke (気をつけ or 注目・気を付け) is a command used in Japanese martial arts meaning “Attention!” or “Stand at attention!” It is the posture of formal readiness, used at the start and end of class, bowing, and etiquette moments. There are two…

In classical Japanese martial arts (古流武術 – koryū bujutsu), kirigami (切紙) refers not to decorative paper art, but to a specific type of certificate or license, traditionally handwritten on folded or cut paper that is awarded to a student who…

Sensei (先生) is one of the most central and culturally rich words in Japanese, especially within the dōjō (道場) and traditional arts. In Japan, sensei is used as a respectful title for: Teachers (school, university, or private instructors) Masters of…

In a Japanese training hall, the shōmen (正面) is the front, most honored wall of the dōjō, where the shinzen (神前) or kamidana (神棚) is located. It represents the spiritual and directional center of the dojo. It is often decorated…

Shinzen (神前) means Place of God. The first kanji 神 “shin” means ‘God’ and the second 前 “zen” means ‘in front of’. “Shinzen” is the place where there is a spirit of god. In martial arts, Shinzen refers to the…

Originally, dōjō (道場) was a Buddhist term, referring to: “The place where enlightenment is sought.” In ancient temples, monks called their meditation hall a dōjō — the space where they cultivated understanding through practice. When martial arts were influenced by Zen and other…