When I first founded our dojo, I wanted to establish a brand that expressed the true nature of what we offer. We are what I call a “modern traditional” style of Japanese Jiu-jitsu with a Canadian influence. We don’t have current links to Japan, nor do we have a heavy Japanese influence, but we do uphold many of the original ideals.

The logo I created was inspired by Hokusai Katsushika’s painting, ”The Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ created in the 1830s (seen here on the left). It symbolizes how something as soft and flexible as water can generate great power, as with the ideals of Jiu-jitsu. It is also styled to be a yin-yang, symbolizing the ‘give and take’ embodied in eastern martial arts training and philosophy. The orange used in combination with our logo symbolizes the setting sun of the west coast, alluding to the Canadian influence of our style. (more…)

Tags: dojo brand identity