A torii (gate, or literally "place where the birds sit") is used in Japan to mark the entrance to a sacred space.  Our torii is built in the extremely simple style of the oldest Shinto shrines.  Obviously our dojo is no Shinto shrine, but the torii marks a clear boundary and a portal one must consciously step through to begin training.  A slight pause at the torii gives the student a chance to reflect on the space they are about to enter, and what they should bring with them into that space.  All mental "baggage" should be left just outside the torii, as it will not be needed for training.  When class is over and the student passes back through the torii and into the "real world" it is a simple enough task to pick up all the "baggage" left behind.  Many times though you will find you don't need nearly the amount of baggage you had been carrying around.

            Taking advantage of our rural location near Cookeville, TN, all of our training is performed in the out-of-doors.  The uneven ground and varied surfaces you find outside demands that your taijutsu (body movement) be that much better, and makes it that much easier to move when on the smooth even floor of an indoor dojo.  Training in all climates also acclimates one to keep focus, even in the presence of distractions and physical discomfort, and lets you push the limits of your body to actually experience what you are truly capable of. 

            In addition, outdoor training means that we have almost no overhead.  We do not have to worry about “paying the bills” and can simply focus on giving good hard training, instead of just giving the “customer” what they think they want to see.

            Click for Directions.    Please do not be deceived by looks.  We have recently purchased a house and land and we are slowly making changes to make an ideal training place. 

If you are curious to follow our progress as we continue improving our training area, please see our series on Building a Dojo.  The pictures really don't do justice to just how much work we have put into this place, but hopefully this will give some a sense of where we have come from and where we are headed.