The Fighting Dojo was first seen in the Generation I games, positioned to the west of the Saffron Gym. In these early games, it was established that the Fighting Dojo and the Saffron Gym once competed against each other to determine which one would be the Indigo League's sixth Pokémon Gym. Due to the type advantage that Saffron Gym's Psychic-type Pokémon had over the Fighting Dojo's Fighting-type Pokémon, Saffron Gym easily won and became the official gym.
Although no Badge can be won in the Dojo, the unofficial Gym remains open and continues to accept challenges. Four Black Belts test the player's abilities before the player can challenge their master, the Karate Master. The reward for defeating him is a choice between Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan; both Pokémon are at level 30.
Unlike other Gyms, the Fighting Dojo has a simple design which has not changed much over the generations. Between its appearances from the Generation I games to Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Dojo has maintained a wooden floor with no mazes or puzzles to solve. Pure strength and battle strategy is needed to succeed in here.
The two banners on the wall of the Dojo read "Struggle for vengeance!" and "A complicated fracture."
Generation II
Everyone Welcome! Fighting Dojo
The most significant change in the Generation II games is that only one of the students is left and the Fighting Dojo is, at that time, much like Safari Zone, temporarily closed down. The Karate Master can be found training in Johto's Mt. Mortar. It is in this generation that his name is revealed to be Kiyo (Japanese: ノブヒコ Nobuhiko).
At the Dojo, there are two scrolls behind the student that say "What goes around comes around!" and "Enemies on every side!"
Aesthetic differences aside, the Karate Master is now known as the Karate King. The student at the Dojo also informs the player that the Gym Leaders of Kanto and Johto are allowed to use the Dojo to hold rematches with them, much like how the Sinnoh Gym Leaders can be found for a rematch at the Battleground in Pokémon Platinum. However, unlike Platinum, the Leaders will not arrive at the Dojo until they have been called on for a rematch.
Generation VII
Fighting Dojo
The Fighting Dojo challenge in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! is similar to FireRed and LeafGreen, down to the final opponent being Koichi (Japanese: タケノリ Takenori). The Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan the player can receive are placed back at level 30 to better fit with the game's level curve, and the burden of choice is lessened, as the player can catch more Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan at Victory Road as rare spawns. In addition, the Dojo has an additional Coach Trainer who will reward them with TM23 (Thunder Punch), as well as two MasterBlack Belts who, fittingly, specialize in Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
Karate Master Kiyo appeared in A Tyrogue Full of Trouble. However, he doesn't seem to be related to the Fighting Dojo in the anime.
The Dojo debuted in Pasta La Vista!, being incorrectly referred to as the "Pokémon Dojo" in the English dub. The Dojo's leader, Master Hamm, wanted his son Kyle to take over the Dojo, but Kyle wanted to run his noodle restaurant instead. They decided to have a Pokémon battle to settle their differences, but Master Hamm blew his back during the battle, preventing him from finishing the fight. As such, he chose to let Ash fight in his stead, while Kyle chose May to battle in his place. After a bit of sparring to get used to Master Hamm and Kyle's Fighting-type Pokémon, Ash and May restarted the battle. However, the battle was interrupted again, this time by Team Rocket, who tried to steal the Fighting-type Pokémon for themselves, but were stopped by Terri. In the end, Master Hamm let Kyle follow his dream of selling noodles, appointing Terri as his successor instead.
The Dojo reappeared in Solitary and Menacing!, when Ash visited it to battle the Karate Master, implying in the process that Terri stepped down as the master at some point prior to Pokémon Journeys: The Series. While there, Goh struggled to choose between getting a Hitmonlee or a Hitmonchan. When Ash went to battle the Karate Master, he discovered he'd just been beaten by Bea and had a World Coronation Series battle against her, only to be defeated. Afterwards, Goh successfully defeated the Karate Master and received a Hitmonchan as a prize.
Hitmonlee was used to battle Kyle's Hitmonchan, but because Master Hamm's back hurt, the battle was canceled. Later, Hitmonlee was used by Ash to battle May and Hitmonchan.
Kyle used his Hitmonchan in the fight for the dojo. The battle was canceled because Kyle's father and opponent, Master Hamm, started feeling pain in his back. Hitmonchan was later used by May in a battle against Ash, who used Master Hamm's Hitmonlee.
The Fighting Dojo houses multiple Hitmonchan, which are given to challengers who emerge victorious against the Karate Master. Goh was able to win one for himself.
Red visited the Fighting Dojo in File 3: Giovanni, soon after defeating Sabrina. He defeated the Karate Master off-screen, obtaining his Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan as a prize of his victory.
The Fighting Dojo appeared in Saffron City, where Satoshi was invited there by the Dojo Master. After telling Satoshi about the basic history between the Dojo and the Saffron Gym, he told the young Trainer how Shigeru, Satoshi's rival, had recently beaten Sabrina, and she was now trying to sneak into the Silph Co. building in order to save her stolen telepathic Lapras from Team Rocket. The Karate Master begged Satoshi to go help her, and he agreed to do so.
Fighting Dojo Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Morty is the only Gym Leader that uses multiple Pokémon of the same species in his rematch, with his two Gengar.
Clair is the only Gym Leader that does not use any Hoenn or Sinnoh Pokémon in her rematch.
She is also the only Gym Leader (other than Blue, who does not specialize in a type) to use Pokémon not of her type specialty in her rematch.
Erika and Sabrina pay out lower amounts of prize money after their rematches than they do after their respective Gym battles.
In Generation IV, while the player is in the Fighting Dojo, all Gym Leaders will respond to a call by saying that they are getting bad reception and suggest that the player call from a different place.
The Gym Leaders from Johto all appear on the left side of the Dojo, while the Gym Leaders from Kanto appear on the right side. This is most likely meant to represent the position of the two different regions that the Gym Leaders come from.
