You do not have to have a dojo shrine in your To-Shin Do training hall. You could just put up the lineage poster with its three faces, and a scroll or framed rendering of kanji for To-Shin Do at the center of the wall you face when entering the training area.

If you did want to be super-traditional, you could feature a shrine. The kamiza serves as an inspirational point of respect for the art, its founders, teachers, and principles of training. It is not at all worshipped in a religious sense.

As a minimum, you want to have two vases, one on either side of the shinden miniature shrine structure in the middle, holding bunches of sakaki, green clippings, symbolizing oneness with nature. It is OK to have artificial greens, but you want to have clipped branches, never growing potted plants.

A fully dedicated Japanese shrine might also have offerings of:

• Water – restoration, life, spiritual cleansing
• Salt – purification, protection from negativity
• Sake – celebration, gratitude, shared blessings
• Rice – sustenance, prosperity, fruits of human effort
• Round mirror — clear heart, knowing who you are and what your strengths (and weaknesses) are

You can get an ofuda plank from the Hombu Dojo, with its Kasumi-An To-Shin Do kanji and containing the script for the To-shi warrior pledge for world peace. That goes inside the small wooden shinden structure. You could also use an ofuda from any special temple or shrine in Japan you feel a connection to.

To be super traditional, you would not have incense burning on a shrine shelf. Put your incense bowl somewhere else in your dojo, maybe in front of an inspirational figure or meaningful kanji letter character.

In a martial arts school, changing the offerings symbolizes mindfulness and discipline, and reflects the sincerity and gratitude you feel towards the art. I remember enjoying the ritual of changing the sakaki greens in my teacher’s dojo back in the 1970s in Japan. Replacing the greens, salt, water, sake, and rice on the 1st day of the month is traditional. Renewing the offerings expresses:

* Thanks for the protection and blessings of your lineage of ancestors

* A fresh and exciting beginning for the month ahead

* A reminder to renew your own spirit, discipline, intentions, and commitment

It should be noted that for practitioners of Japanese martial arts, the shrine custom is not at all seen as a religious thing. It is a way to salute and honor a connection with the heritage, people, and spirit of the art.