The story behind Third Place Dojo — what it is, why it exists, and what we believe about community, martial arts, and belonging.
Sociologist Ray Oldenburg identified the "third place" as the informal social environments that exist beyond home and work — the barbershop, the coffee shop, the park bench, the diner. These are the spaces where real community actually happens. Where you know people's names. Where you show up not because you have to, but because you want to.
They've been disappearing for decades. We think Coudersport deserves one back.
A dojo is a perfect third place. It has the structure of a school and the warmth of a gathering spot. It creates regulars. It builds relationships across age groups and backgrounds. It gives people somewhere to go that isn't work, isn't home, and isn't just consumption. It's participation.
"Absorb what is useful.
Discard what is not.
Add what is uniquely your own."
Inspired by Bruce Lee · こころ術 · Kokoro-Jitsu
Rural communities deserve great training. You shouldn't have to drive two hours to find a martial arts school that takes you seriously, teaches honestly, and doesn't make you feel like an outsider for being a beginner.
Third Place Dojo exists to bring that kind of training to Coudersport — and to wrap it in a community that's bigger than any one art or program. Whether you want to train, or just want somewhere to belong, you are welcome here.
We train to help each other grow. Rank is a marker of progress, not a measure of worth. Everyone on the mat deserves the same respect — beginner or black belt.
Inspired by Csikszentmihalyi's concept of flow and Tohei's Ki principles. We train to find ease in movement, not force it. Hard and soft, together.
Zero experience required. Every age, every body, every starting point. The dojo exists for the community — not the other way around.
Belt ranks mean something here. Objective, pass/fail criteria — no politics, no pay-to-promote, no favoritism. You earn what you earn.
You don't have to train to belong. Events, open mats, and gathering space exist for everyone. The dojo is a place, not just a program.
Drawing on MBSR and mindfulness principles, we train with awareness — of our bodies, our partners, and the present moment. Martial arts as moving meditation.
Founder · Head Instructor
Brian has been training in martial arts since 2007, with experience in Goshin Jutsu Karate, IKCA Chinese Kenpo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He founded Kokoro-Jitsu in 2014 as a synthesis of what he had absorbed, discarded, and added across nearly two decades of practice.
Third Place Dojo grew out of a simple observation: Coudersport needed a place like this. Not just a martial arts school, but a genuine gathering space — the kind of place where people show up because they want to, stay because it feels like home, and leave a little better than they arrived.
Brian believes that martial arts, done right, is one of the best tools for building community, confidence, and character — regardless of age, background, or experience level. That's the dojo he's building.
A space on Main Street in the heart of Coudersport. Come train, come hang out, come belong.
118 N. Main St. · Coudersport, PA
We're building this in public and in community. Every Ko-fi membership and donation goes directly toward getting the mats on the floor.
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