Dojang

About dojang

In Korean, Do (道) means "the way" or "art" and Jang (場) means "a place." The equivalent Japanese term for dojang is dōjō (道場), which means "place of the way." The Chinese equivalent is Wu Guan (武館), which means "place of fighting."

Dojang refers to the actual training area within a school (kwan) or gym, Che Yuk Gwan "sport place" (체육관), where a martial art is practiced. The dojang is a revered place that demands respect from all who enter.

Remove your shoes before entering the dojang (most schools have an area near the main entrance where students may remove their shoes and store them). When entering or leaving the dojang, stop just inside the entrance and bow toward the ceremonial wall of the dojang as a sign of respect. Sometimes, the layout of a school is as such that one enters the dojang immediately upon entering the school entrance. In this case, stop just inside the school entrance and bow toward the ceremonial wall of the dojang as a sign of respect. 

The ceremonial wall in a dojang may be any one of the walls, not necessarily the front wall. On the ceremonial wall is hung the United States flag, the South Korean Flag, and one or more of the following: the flag of the state where the dojang is located, the flag or banner of the organization with which the school is affiliated, the Olympic flag, the AAU flag, the flag or banner of the school, a photograph of the founder of the style or of the president of the organization with which the school is affiliated, trophies or awards, or other ceremonial items.