The Dojo

In Japanese, dojo means “place of the way” or “place of the path,” and it’s where martial artists train in the way of Karate, or follow the path of Aikido.  More than just a place to practice kicks and punches, it’s where they cultivate both body and mind, learning to see and think and move in response to the world as it unfolds.  It’s a sacred place, respected by students and teachers alike.

So what does any of this have to do with baseball?

Everything.

Any place dedicated to the path of mastery can be considered a dojo, not just a martial arts studio.  A batting cage is a dojo.  A bullpen mound is a dojo.  A clubhouse is a dojo.  A dugout is a dojo.  More than just a place to improve our swing, sharpen our slider, study our opponent’s weakness, or sit and rest between innings, this is where we cultivate both body and mind, learning to respond to the shifting currents of the game.  These are sacred places, and must be respected by players and coaches alike.

The dojo mindset is the spirit of preparation.  It explores many techniques, then concentrates on what works best.  It endlessly drills the simplest elements of recognition and movement until they are thoughtless and automatic.  It focuses mindfully to master the details.  It frees the mind for action when it’s needed the most:  the fight!

There are essentially two types of people: trained and untrained.  An untrained person reacts to a situation emotionally, unpredictably and ineffectively.  A trained person responds to the same situation efficiently, automatically and without fear.  An untrained person hopes to win after the fight starts, but the trained person wins the fight before the first kick flies.  While we’re not preparing for combat like a martial artist, we train with a dojo mindset to win the ballgame before the first pitch is thrown.

As the first batter steps into the box, there is only one question: Am I ready?

If you’ve been to the dojo, you don’t need to hope…