The Dojo Floor

On the dojo floor you and you alone are accountable for all that you do, say and believe. The dojo floor is where the rubber meets the road as we say in the West. If you don't have solid rims (foundation), good rubber (fitness and health), and if you have adequate threads in proper form and functionality then you will hit the dojo floor with a fully functional and Efficient martial system. 

How you behave on the dojo floor matters. It is a matter of the example you set by what you say and what you do outside of actual application of the martial system. Your attitude and demeanor speak volumes above and beyond the technical expertise you may or may not exhibit. How you communicate carries weight on the dojo floor and off when you are gone and those practitioners are out and about in the world. Image does matter on the dojo floor.

How others who perceive you, your practitioners and your dojo matter. It draws a certain type of person. Many things depend on what happens on the dojo floor. 

"More than telling me your current rank, show me. Show me your rank both in and outside the dojo in your kindness, humility, humor, generosity, spirit, and knowledge. Are you kind to your kohai? Do you respect your sempai? More than a connection to my rank, I have a connection to my training, knowledge and relationships that are part of my Karate-do and Kobu-do experience." - Mario McKenna Sensei on Karate and Kobudo Blog