The Silk Thread of Gorindo - Ottawa - Canada
Issue 15
Photo cover "Claudio Iedwab at -20°C - Ottawa River" by Roxanne Standefer sensei, 29th December 2011.The Sculpture owned by the NCC is called Boat Sight by John McEwen (1984).
The boat (representing culture) comes in to shore and the wolves (representing Nature) are curious and cautious. The location is the voyageur portage around the Chaudiére Falls in Hull, Quebec.
The Dojo
Dojo, ‘the place of enlightenment’ is an idea derived from the Sanskrit bodhimandala referring to the place where the monks meditated or made their spiritual exercises. Today the term is applied also to the places where the Martial Arts are practiced.
Literally translated, dojo means ‘way place’, the place where one practices the way. The word obviously suggests more than ‘gymnasium’ with its purely physical associations. The dojo is neither a shrine nor an ordinary room. It is a quiet, simple place with plain decoration to avoid distractions and allow a high level of concentration.
The atmosphere in the Gorindo dojo is formal but not strictly solemn or depressing. A spirit of enjoyment and interest in the activity is constantly present in the students and teacher. Respect and consideration are the underlying principles upon which all tradition and etiquette, reishiki, is based. The dojo is not a special place by itself, it becomes special because of the attitude and training of the people in it. It is a place where we make a pause in the daily rhythm of our personal lives.
Everyone is welcome in the dojo if they are willing to learn what is taught there and respect others; young and old, man and woman, regardless of personal status, education, economic position, religion or political ideas, culture or language.
Everyone is equal but some have more experience. There is nothing to indicate the outside status of the fellow students in the dojo, partly the reason for the standard gi that maintains uniformity. In gorindo, all the members train together to learn and practice in cooperation, not to compete. In the dojo we cannot hide our true selves; the personal contact and the nature of the training amplify everyone’s character. A spirit of trust and compassion is necessary because we show our weak points as well as our strengths. We sweat together, helping and relying on each other. We are all individuals and we make our own realities, but we are part of each other’s experience when we share time, place and circumstance. When a group of people get together to achieve a common purpose, there must be discipline, but in the dojo it is important to not fall into strict and rigorous militarism. Remember that we chose Gorindo as an art, for development and expression, not for a career as a warrior. However, the nature of the training requires serious attention and self-control. Maximum benefit will come from the work inside the dojo when we remember the two famous maxims of Jigoro Kano (1860-1938, founder of Judo):
‘Ji ta kyo ei’ The principle of the best use of physical and spiritual energy.
‘Sei ryoku zen yo’ The principle of mutual benefit.
In the dojo we work in cooperation with others to achieve a high degree of practical training that enhances courage, internal serenity, and the ability to relate to others. It is meant to change your mental attitude so that you do not resort to aggression and violence under stress, but instead manage to behave in a fashion that prevents or stops conflict.
The traditions and etiquette, reishiki, of the dojo are meant to instill an attitude of natural respect and calm that will minimize tension or disruption of the learning environment.
by Claudio Iedwab & Roxanne Standefer
Originallly published in the Gorindo Student Manual by Claudio Iedwab & Roxanne Standefer
©2011 Photo by Roxanne Standefer
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