New training layout for 2026
Happy New Year! This year we will be using the dojo in a different orientation to save wear-and-tear on the floor. The first diagram below shows how we will use the dojo for basic drills including kirikaeshi. Motodachi will line up in the centre of the dojo facing north. Kakarite will form lines at the north end and practice drills the entire length of the dojo. Drills will be extended and therefore mor strenuous, but there will also be more waiting time between drills. Waiting time is, of course, valuable mitorigeiko time! The main reason is to avoid the centre of the dojo where there are the most broken floorboards. For jigeiko, (second diagram) we will divide the dojo into four quadrants, with movement between sensei/motodachi kept to around the outside of the dojo. This is a work-in-progress so let's work together to improve how we manage the dojo!