As far as I know, in most Karate and Kobudo dojo in Okinawa, and probably most budo dojo throughout Japan there is an end of year tradition where dojo members gather to thoroughly clean the dojo throughout. I won't write much here about this tradition per se, a quick google search on the Japanese tradition of osoji (lit. big clean) will yield plenty enough reading material. Spoiler alert, it's not just a Karate thing. Here is a link to Yasuyuki Sensei's recent Facebook post about Osoji at the Minei dojo https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C6m6xXYie/
When we decided to start taking on regular students, the three of us had a crack at replicating this tradition in our own way. Many students this year were asking if they could help me clean the dojo. This blog is my way of explaining why for the last couple of years I have opted to clean my dojo by myself.
The first reason I have not opted to have students come and help me clean is ... Chaos! I found it all just a bit chaotic with people around asking me questions and different things all happening at once. The second reason is ... size. My dojo isn't very big, so doesn't take that much time to clean.
The final (and probably only real) reason is the same as the first reason. When I am cleaning my dojo, I take the time to think about where everything is in the dojo. You may not realise it, but everything in my dojo is placed in a deliberate location with thoughtful intention developed. Each time I give my dojo a thorough clean, I reassess where everything is put, whether I still want the stuff that is in my dojo to still be there. Sometimes I stop mid-clean to carry out a repair or modification of something. I also think about the year past and year upcoming, sometimes something new or old in the dojo will trigger a memory or spark a thought. This reflection and consideration of what happens in my dojo and the contents therein can really only happen when I do it alone.
Another tradition in the Minei dojo is training on New Years Day, and this is something that we have attempted to replicate in our own Aussie, and probably more specifically, Queensland way. I like the opportunity for us all to come together, train a bit and spend a bit of time reminiscing and discussing our training or anything else that comes to mind.
You can do a "spot the difference" game if you like, but really you can't see much difference in a photo. A couple of photos also won't tell you anything about the process, which is a bit like training yeah?
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