June 16th, 2023
It has been said that the true “dojang” starts at the door on the way out. That is, a good student of the martial arts brings their practice into their daily life. The advanced student sets the example always. They leave their personal issues at the door and never bring them into the dojang. Likewise, the students learn that the dojang is a safe haven and is free of the daily baggage that greets them at home, work, school, and often within their community. In fact, the reason we take off our shoes before walking on the mat is to remind ourselves that we remove ourselves from the outside world before beginning our training. We do this to get in touch with our inner selves and to be more alert to our surroundings. This is often referred to as the shoe rack theory as mentioned in a previous article.
“The difference between a Master and a novice is that the Master makes use of each opportunity in life as well as in practice.” Author Unknown