14/07/2025
Greetings everyone, hope are all staying well and training hard for the up coming Gradings in August.
How many of you know what Soji or Sojido is?
Here is an excerpt from an article regarding this subject taken from the website Sojido.com
"Sojido" (ๆ้ค้), in Japanese, translates to "the way of cleaning" or "the way of the cleaning". It refers to a practice, often found in martial arts dojos, where students clean the training space together after class, regardless of rank, as a way to show respect for the space and each other. It's more than just physical cleaning; it embodies responsibility, humility, and respect.
Here's a more detailed explanation.
Sojido is not solely about sweeping or mopping. It's a practice that emphasizes responsibility, humility, and respect for the space the equipment and fellow practitioners.
In many martial arts dojos, students participate in Soji, or Sojido, as a way to maintain the cleanliness and order of the training environment.
While rooted in martial arts, the principles of Sojido can be applied to various aspects of life, including homes, schools, and public spaces, promoting a sense of order and focus.
The principles of Sojido include simplification (reduction/clearing out), deliberate design, empowerment, focus, accountability, daily action, discipline, and respect for spaces and self.
In most martial Arts schools, particularly those with wooden floors, soji was performed with students crouched side by side, in a line, with cleaning cloths stretched tight end to end and on the command "hajime" (begin) they would kiai and scurry across the floor, staying together. The process was repeated on the way back and to the satisfaction of the Sensei. If not, it was done again. NO ONE went home until this was finished.
They took PRIDE in the Dojo and showed RESPECT for it, something which is sadly lacking these days.
So next time you are in YOUR Dojo, take an extra few minutes after class, grab a cloth and clean. Don't just "dab" at it, give a good wipe or mop or whatever needs doing.
Just remember your Sensei is not a janitor!! He/she is there to teach, NOT to clean up after you. They have done their share, now the responsibility falls to the rest of us. If you don't want to clean it....then DON'T USE IT!!
Take care.
