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1. Beginnings

entering the dojo

Most training will take place in dojo of one sort or another. While it is not unusual for practice to be held out of doors in all kinds of weather, the novice swordsman will learn most of his or her early lessons treading the hardwood floors of a traditional training hall.

A dojo is any place set aside for training. The requirements for a Kendo dojo are relatively simple. The ceiling must be high enough to permit the shinai to be swung freely overhead. The floor should be level and smooth. Dojo floors are usually made of polished hardwood. The better ones are loaded on springs to absorb the impact of movement. There is usually an area marked out for sparring matches. Traditional Kendo dojo partake of the structure and simplicity of traditional Japanese architecture. The most significant point in the room is the shomen or kamiza, referred to in Part ssss1, Ground. Movement in and out of the dojo is made in reference to the shomen.

Shomen

The student, garbed in the practice uniform, is ready to embark on the first lesson (see the section on the uniform in Part ssss1, Ground). She begins to step out onto the practice floor.