Tag: Dojo

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…