Dojo (道場, dōjō) is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples.
In the Western World, the term dōjō primarily refers to a training place specifically for Japanese martial arts such as aikido, judo, karate, or samurai; in Japan, any physical training facility, including professional wrestling schools, may be called dōjō because of its close martial arts roots. The term can also refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese arts ending in "do", meaning "way".
In martial arts
A proper Japanese martial arts dōjō is considered special and is well cared for by its users. Shoes are not worn in a dōjō. In many styles it is traditional to conduct a ritual cleaning (sōji) of the dōjō at the beginning and/or end of each training session. Besides the obvious hygienic benefits of regular cleaning it also serves to reinforce the fact that dōjō are supposed to be supported and managed by the student body (or by special students, e.g., uchi-deshi), not the school's instructional staff. This attitude has become lost in many modern dōjō that are founded and run by a small group of people or instructors. In fact, it is not uncommon that in traditional schools (koryu), dōjō are rarely used for training at all, instead being reserved for more symbolic or formal occasions. The actual training is conducted typically outdoors or in a less formal area.
The dojo is a hybrid instrument designed as a cross between the Dobro-style guitar and the banjo. The body and resonator are like the Dobro, while it is strung like a five-string banjo. The tunings and fingerings are also just like a banjo. The intention in creating the dojo was to give banjoists the opportunity to get a completely different sound without having to learn fingerings for an entirely new instrument. Dojos have a much more mellow sound than a banjo, and plucked notes are sustained longer due to the resonator.
Ninja Force is a fictional sub-team from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series.
Fictional history
Led by Storm Shadow, a group of ninjas affiliated with the Arashikage clan form the Ninja Force as a part of the G.I. Joe Team, in order to combat Cobra. Its inaugural members are Nunchuk, T'Jbang, and Dojo. For their first mission, Ninja Force goes to Beirut, Lebanon in order to help the arms dealer Destro avoid bounty hunters sent by Cobra Commander. On this mission, Ninja Force clashes with a group of "corporate ninja" mercenaries known as the Night Creepers, who become a recurring enemy. Ninja Force's roster is later expanded to include Snake Eyes, Jinx, and Scarlett.
After leaving Beirut, Snake Eyes (appointed as their new leader) and Ninja Force head to Trans-Carpathia, the home of Destro's ancestral Silent Castle. Before they arrive, Firefly disguises himself and summons the Red Ninjas, a group of renegade Arashikage clansmen, to the castle. Two Cobra Ninjas, Slice and Dice, would become recurring antagonists. Firefly convinces the Red Ninjas to accept him as their leader before they begin a battle with Ninja Force.