I’m at the dojo a lot, but sometimes it’s nice to have your own training area in your home so you don’t have to go out to the dojo to work on a bag or do some casual training with a friend. To that end, I set up a basement dojo in my home.

The problem with setting up a home dojo is that you may not have the room to spare to have an area dedicated to training alone. That’s why I set mine up in a way that allows it to double as a playroom by being creative with furniture choices.

Here are some photos of my basement in “playroom mode”:

I used bean bag furniture for seating, including a bean bag sofa and two Sumo omni bean bag chairs, which can be molded into different shapes for sitting or lounging. Bean bag furniture can be easily moved and tossed aside as necessary. I also used the Ikea Klubbo nesting tables, which are easily stowed and moved. B.O.B.’s vanity can come out at will. It’s fun to dress him up and make him novelty item on Rock Band nights, Halloween and various other occasions.

Flexible furniture that is easy to move and stow is the key. I don’t have kids, but I’ve been told that this would also make a great play area for kids. And when you’re up for some training, you just toss all the furniture off to the side and have at it. Here are some photos of my basement in “dojo mode”:

Using a B.O.B. or other free-standing heavy bag makes it easy to move it around as necessary. I also have a few other work-out tools that are easily stowed, including a medicine ball, a kettle bell, a skipping rope, and a few striking pads. To give you a better idea of what the space is like, we have 11 tatami mats set up in our basement.

We love our basement, both for parties and training. It’s the perfect solution for us. It can also be a good option for an instructor who wants to teach but can’t afford to lease a space. Anyone else out there have a basement dojo and have any of their own tricks to share?

Tags: basement dojo