Personally I wouldn't get to involved with racking your brain over the floor. Plywood is fine over a 2x4 grid support or just plain mats, have trained on both for years. The whole tire thing is a little nerdy wierdish and very un-traditional.

Sorry, if I came across a liitle strong. If you go on other "constructing dojo Sites" they get so far fetched about flooring to the point where it get wierd. Springs under the plywood, foam, old blankets, cardboard and tires, to soften the floor. Didn't mean to be offensive, just a plain plywood floor or mats are fine IMHO.

Good Morning Schanne:

You felt strongly, and others asked you to explain why you felt that way, no harm done.

<<"constructing dojo Sites"

Any internet addresses, I (for one) would love to see, hear what others have already done... who knows they might have something that can be "borrowed".

As for why the flooring gets such importance, that's not that hard... its the one thing which if "blown" will make the rest of the building (no matter how well done), nearly inconsequential. Flooring done badly, or outright wrong, will tear up your feet and could conceivably <sp.?> do some real damage to practitioners...

Flooring is a critical issue. Roofing is probably the next Layout probably the most after that... cost, probably the governing factor for most construction of anything....

Merely musing aloud...
Jeff

Hello Schanne:

Any luck finding the web addresses of some of the dojo construction sites you felt were pretty good?

Jeff

Ronin, here are some picks that I dug up from my MA files, as I come across more they will get sent to you.

http://www.kobukaijujitsu.com/sensei4.html

http://tatamiroom.com/cgi-local/catalog.pl

http://www.boulderaikikai.org/index.php?...=view_album.php

http://bernard.garibal.free.fr/mbois/escalier/haut.htm

Good Morning:

Thank you for those many links! They are a wonderful start. Still I am surprised given the vast popularity of martial arts, Japanese and otherwise that more are not chronicaling <sp.?> the buildings of their respective facilities.

One would think that drawings, construction blueprints suggestions would be out there specific to building dojo/kwan/dojang. Heck, landscaping suggestions even!!!

More please this is the right direction!!!

Jeff

Here's a quick tip: Every dojo should have large wall mirrors; you don't see nearly enough of that.

Hello ShaolinNinja:

Now that was a BAAAAAD pun mirrors and not seeing enough of oneself. Of course it could be simple vanity too, with some at any rate. (See another atrociously bad pun, mirror, vanity...)

What size do you recommend (ie where do you find same, AFFORDIBLY<sp.?>)??? Is there such a thing as too many mirrors? Lastly, I've heard tell of mylar sheets many years ago which avoided many of the problems of mirrors. Would that be viable, if such a product still existed?

Jeff

Mylar is good if you want your dojo to look like one of those fun houses at carnival that distort your image. LOL Make sure the mirror is safety glass and is installed correctly too. Ronin, sometimes your going to half to spend some $$$$