Take Your Shoes Off

One of the things I miss most about Japanese culture is the practice of removing your shoes in many places like homes, resturants...and martial arts dojos. Now, there is a very functional reason for this: tatami mats. Tradidional tatami mats are made with a dense rice straw core, woven with a grass surface. They have a unique smell and texture that feels homey and quite. And, they are very suceptable to dirt and damage from shoes. Entrances like the one picutred here are very common in Japan, with an elevated floor and occasionally, house slippers (which never seemed to fit my Shreck feet).

But removing your shoes in special places has a much deeper meaning and purpose than keeping everything neat and tidy. It has a lot more to do with leaving the outside world behind. As we all know, our shoes carry dirt, dust and occasional dog poo that we never seem to notice until we've been inside for at least five minutes. But I'm not talking about that kind of dirt; I'm talking about all of the stress, anger, frustration and anxiety of every day life. The political divisiveness, social righteousness, disparities in econmic classes and the never-ending pursit of happiness through consuming a bunch of crap that we rarely need. You see, you're not just removing your shoes; you're removing yourself from the noise.

In the last few years, I've made a vain attempt to promote our dojo as more than just a martial arts/self-defense academy. Once most people step through the door and onto the mat, they realize that this is indeed a unique place. Not because of what we teach or any equipment we have. Rather, it is a place dedicated to self-perfection and wellness of mind, body and spirit. I know, it sounds like a cheesy ad, but I mean that sincerely. Yes, we have all kinds of weights, a few peices of cardio equipment and a ton of well-used boxing gloves, pads and other assorted paraphernalia that emits of uniqe oder of sweat and industrial strength cleaner. There's also a small loft where we keep extra stuff along with a bunch wood scraps that I will surely use for something at some point. Yeah, I have a problem.

Our tatami mats are not the same organic ones I took many a fall on in Japan. No, ours are some kind of poly, rubberized version that is far more forgiving than the ones with a wood frame that we had in the Misawa Aikido Dojo. And I don't really have a cool spot for shoes, but people know to keep them out of the way -- and off the mat. And before we start a class, we always take a moment to bow to one another, a sign of mutual respect and realization for the purose of our training. That's not to say it's always quiet; there is often banter and jokes during our warm-up sessions, one of the few things I like to do differently than my experiences in other dojos. But when training starts, we all flip a switch and try to center on our practice. It's actually pretty cool.

Chances are, if you are taking the time to read this (thanks!), you are probably associated with our dojo in some way. But if you happened to have stumbled onto this blog, you may have a preconceived idea of what martial arts is. It's not all ground and pound or cute little kids breaking pine boards. And a dojo is more than just a gym. Stop in some time, take off your shoes and step on the mat. Experience the unique feeling of using a wooden sword, practing a joint lock or even just moving your body in a way you don't normally move. Take some deep breaths. Step out of the noise and take your shoes off.

Dave Magliano

Tatsu Dojo

Jissenkan Budo

Dojo Cho