A Day at the Dojo

A reverent look at the motivations, methods, and sacrifices necessary to master the art of karate--in this case traditional Okinawa karate, later further identified as shorin-ryu, though without many particulars--A Day at the Dojo offers a profile of life at a dojo, or training hall. The devotion of the students and the philosophy of the study and practice of karate are at the center of this production, which emphasizes such concepts as the participation of all, masters included, in domestic chores--such as cleaning the dojo--as a means of inspiring humility. Some of the profundities uttered are unintentionally amusing, such as the voiceover explanation that the kata forms we see may appear to the untrained eye as mere drills or dance when they are in fact a series of movements used in hand-to-hand combat (even armed with this background information, viewers are still likely to think of the katas as exercise routines, sort of a peppy combination of Tae-Bo and tensegrity with suitably serious expressions added). Presenting the history and basic underpinnings of karate and life in the dojo meticulously and clearly (though somewhat dryly, with what may seem like a lot of repetition to non-enthusiasts), this production nevertheless offers a more accurate if less entertaining portrait than what's served up in Hollywood and Hong Kong (there are few scenes of board breaking and absolutely no flying combatants here). Optional. Aud: C, P. (M. Tribby)