道場

Dōjō (道場) combines dō (道, the way/path) and jō (場, place). Originally, it referred to the place where Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment — the sacred spot of awakening.

Japanese Buddhism adopted the term for meditation halls. Then martial arts schools borrowed it: a dojo became where you study the 'way' of your art — the way of the sword, the way of the empty hand.

The word entered English with the martial arts boom of the 1960s-70s. Judo, karate, and aikido schools all used dojo, and the word stuck.

Now 'dojo' extends beyond martial arts. Tech companies have 'coding dojos,' companies have 'innovation dojos.' The word has generalized to mean any intensive learning space.