Dojang

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A hall or room set aside for practicing Korean martial arts such as taekwondo, where students train and learn forms
2. The studio or gym in which martial arts like taekwondo are taught and practiced under an instructor's guidance
3. A dedicated space used for training in Korean martial arts, typically equipped with mats and open floor for drills

Etymology: The Korean "dojang" (도장, written 道場) is built from two Chinese-derived elements: "do" (道), meaning "way" or "path," and "jang" (場), meaning "place" or "ground." Put together, the word denotes a place where one follows a way, a space set aside for disciplined practice. The same pair of characters appears in the Japanese "dojo," and the two words are doublets, meaning they descend from the same source but reached English through different languages. The Korean form has a notable sense of its own: in Korean, the word can refer both to a training hall and to a personal seal or stamp, since the two share the same spelling. In martial arts contexts, though, it names the training hall where taekwondo is practiced, which is the sense English speakers meet when they encounter the term.

Synonyms: dojo