dojo-ascension

🥋 Dojo Ascension: A Digital Ecology for Creators

Learn Python, Git, and systems thinking through play, mentorship, and ecology — no prior experience required.

License: GPL v3 Python 3.8+ PRs Welcome Good First Issues Contributors

New here? → Start a good first issue · Read the Contributing Guide · Open in a Codespace (zero local setup)

“The world is already at your fingertips. You are here to find your voice.”

Welcome to the Dojo. This is not just a codebase or a traditional programming class. This is a sanctuary for the curious, the artists, the philosophers, and the inner child eager to understand how the digital world works.

Whether you are a seasoned traveler recovering from a difficult learning journey, or someone stepping into a terminal for the very first time, you belong here. We do not learn code to feed the machine. We learn code so that you can apply these instruments to your own arts, hobbies, and passions.

Here, you will learn Python, Linux, and systems thinking through play, mentorship, and ecology. Your wings are yours to open. Let us provide the updraft.

🛤️ The 10-Minute Spark: Start Here

No prior experience is required. Follow these three steps to step onto the mat and begin your first mission.

Step 1: Claim Your Space (Clone the Dojo)

Open your computer’s terminal and copy-paste this command to bring the Dojo to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/solarpunkopensourcelaboratory/dojo-ascension.git
cd dojo-ascension

Step 2: Equip Your Gear (Install Requirements)

Every explorer needs the right tools. Run this command to unpack your gear securely:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Step Onto the Mat (Enter the Classroom)

You are ready. Awaken the engine and begin your journey:

python dojo_classroom.py

(When the screen lights up and the Dojo welcomes you, take a breath. You have just taken your first step into a larger world.)

🌱 Our Superobjective

Inspired by the greatest mentors—from the theatre stage to the realms of animation—our ultimate goal is to raise the next generation of formidable, responsible, and informed creators. We believe the strongest future is built by humans and machines intelligent enough to choose what they want, in harmony with the planet that sustains us.

🌻 Mission & Funding Snapshot

See the one-page public promise and measurable outcomes in FUNDING_ONE_PAGER.md.

Key outcomes we track:

Why organizations adopt it:

Frontends and Clients

The Dojo Ascension repo defines a data and logic layer for a learning game:

We explicitly invite other frontends (RPG, mobile, desktop, etc.) that:

If you are building a new frontend, open an issue to coordinate on data formats and progression so we stay interoperable.

Use in fundraisers and ethical businesses

We explicitly welcome:

🏫 Organizational Efficiency & Public Value

Dojo Ascension is designed as mission-aligned digital literacy infrastructure:

This makes the project useful for:

🚀 Quick Start

Option A: Play in Your Browser (Easiest)

No installation required. Just download and open:

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/solarpunkopensourcelaboratory/dojo-ascension.git
cd dojo-ascension

# Open in your browser
open dojo_web.html
# or double-click dojo_web.html in your file explorer

Features:

Option B: Play in Terminal (Python)

For a deeper, reflective experience with optional journal entries:

Prerequisites:

Installation:

# 1. Clone this repo
git clone https://github.com/solarpunkopensourcelaboratory/dojo-ascension
cd dojo-ascension

# 2. Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# 3. Launch the Dojo
python dojo_classroom.py

First Time Setup:

When you run the game, you’ll be prompted to enter your name. The system will:

  1. Check your environment (Python version, Git installation, disk space)
  2. Create a save file at ~/.dojo_save.json
  3. Optionally create a journal at ~/.dojo_journal_data.json

Shared Workstation Tip:

On a shared machine, keep each participant’s progress separate:

export DOJO_DATA_DIR="$HOME/.dojo-ascension/alice"
python dojo_classroom.py

📖 Curriculum (10 Core Missions)

# Mission Skill Philosophy
1 System Grounding Git Wu Wei: Your tools become extensions of your mind
2 Variables & Data Lineage Python Genealogy: Tracing lineage reveals identity
3 JSON — Data Language JSON Cornel West: Justice is cooperation in code
4 Functions & Jeet Kune Do Python Bruce Lee: Maximum efficiency with minimum effort
5 Git — Journalistic Integrity Git Activism: Git is an immutable ledger of truth
6 Git — Branching & Merging Git Wing Chun: Deflect and redirect, don’t oppose
7 APIs & Digital Journalism Architecture Freedom of Information: Query the source directly
8 File I/O — Institutional Memory Python Bushido: Legacy ensures society can learn
9 OOP — Sociological Modeling Architecture Theatre: Roles and Actors in a cooperative
10 Code Review — Gentle Art Review BJJ: Testing each other’s code before production

🎮 How to Play

  1. Start Next Mission — Play the next incomplete mission in sequence
  2. Choose Specific Mission — Jump to any mission you want
  3. View Progress Dashboard — See your skill levels and rank
  4. Reflection Journal (Terminal only) — Review past journal entries and your practice chain
  5. VSCode Integration Guide (Terminal only) — Learn how to pair missions with VSCode
  6. Save Progress — Manually save your state
  7. Exit — Quit (progress is auto-saved)

Mission Flow

Each mission teaches a concept through:

  1. Philosophical Anchor — Connect code to a real-world principle
  2. Economic Parallel — Understand the “cost” and “value” of the pattern
  3. Technical Concept — Learn the actual code syntax
  4. Challenge — Answer a question or write code
  5. Reflection (Terminal optional) — Answer Uta Hagen’s 9 systems-thinking questions

Progression System

💾 Progress Saves

Your progress is stored in JSON files (shared between both frontends):

~/.dojo_save.json (Player State)

{
  "name": "David",
  "honor": 150,
  "completed": ["git_system_grounding", "python_variables"],
  "skills": {
    "python": 2,
    "git": 3,
    "json": 1,
    "architecture": 0,
    "review": 0
  },
  "last_save": "2026-06-22T18:40:02Z"
}

~/.dojo_journal_data.json (Reflection Entries — Terminal only)

{
  "2026-06-22": {
    "timestamp": "2026-06-22T18:42:15Z",
    "mission_id": "python_variables",
    "mission_title": "Variables & Data Lineage",
    "player_rank": "Apprentice",
    "answers": {
      "Who am I in this circumstance?": "A programmer learning to think systematically...",
      "What do I want?": "To understand how data flows through systems..."
    }
  }
}

🔗 VSCode Integration (Terminal Version)

Pair each mission with VSCode for hands-on learning:

One-Time Setup

  1. Install VSCode
  2. Install extensions:
    • Python (by Microsoft) — Run and debug Python code
    • GitLens — View Git history and blame
    • Prettier — Auto-format JSON
    • Python Indent — Smart indentation

Workflow

# In VSCode terminal:
python dojo_classroom.py

# In another VSCode editor:
# 1. Complete a mission in the terminal
# 2. Open ~/dojo_demo.json or other files created by missions
# 3. Experiment and modify them
# 4. Run code with F5 to see results

Official Tutorials to Pair With

📚 Architecture (v5.0)

Data-Driven Missions

Missions are stored in missions/missions.json as pure data:

{
  "id": "git_system_grounding",
  "number": 1,
  "title": "System Grounding",
  "philosophy": "Like Tai Chi...",
  "economics": "Infrastructure is...",
  "lesson": "The terminal...",
  "challenge": "Type the command to clone a repository.",
  "answer": "git clone",
  "answertype": "contains",
  "skill": "git",
  "honorreward": 20
}

This means:

Engine Architecture

Terminal Version:

Browser Version:

Future Phases

🧪 Development & Testing

One-Command Contributor Onboarding

Use these exact commands:

python newcomer.py
python newcomer.py --play

Validate Missions

python validate_missions.py

This checks for missing required fields, type mismatches, and schema issues.

Run Tests

python -m unittest discover -s tests

PR Merge Baseline (Required)

Every PR must pass:

For mission/content PRs, also complete the Definition of Done in .github/pull_request_template.md.

Generate Repo Bundle

If you want a single text file for sharing with collaborators or AI tools:

python refresh_repo_bundle.py

This regenerates repo_bundle.txt from the current repository contents. For fast AI orientation, also see llms.txt and CONTEXT.md.

AI Collaborators

Use these canonical, low-token entry points when working with agentic tools:

Public Pages URLs for URL-based tools:

Pilot Reporting Utilities

For cohort reporting and grant evidence:

python export_learner_data.py --data-dir ~/.dojo_ascension --format json
python measure_retention.py --data-dir ~/.dojo_ascension

These commands aggregate anonymized learner outcomes from local save files.

🤝 Contributing

For Mission Writers

See CONTRIBUTING.md for the full guide. Quick start:

  1. Fork the repo
  2. Use missions/mission_template.json to draft a mission
  3. Review with missions/MISSION_REVIEW_RUBRIC.md
  4. Test locally: python newcomer.py
  5. Add your mission(s) to missions/missions.json
  6. Submit a pull request

Good first mission path for non-coders:

Project Governance, Metrics, and Roadmap

For Frontend Developers

Want to build a new frontend (RPG, mobile, web framework, etc.)?

  1. Load missions from missions/missions.json (or embed them)
  2. Implement the same player state structure (see ~/.dojo_save.json format)
  3. Follow the answer validation logic (see validate_answer() in dojo_classroom.py)
  4. Open an issue to discuss compatibility before building

For Code Contributors

Contributors

We credit everyone who contributes code, missions, translations, accessibility, docs, facilitation, or review. See CONTRIBUTORS.md.

📋 Project Status

v5.0 (Current)

🔧 Maintenance & Sustainability

Dojo Ascension is intentionally small, legible, and inexpensive to maintain.

Funding primarily supports maintenance, accessibility, curriculum expansion, pilot operations, and community stewardship.

📖 License

GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3, 29 June 2007

Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. https://fsf.org/

Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.

The GNU General Public License is a free, copileft license for software and other kinds of works.

When we use your software, we must adhere to the spirit of cooperation and transparency that defines the open-source community.

[Full GPL-3.0 text available at: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt]

🙏 Credits

Built by and for the SolarPunk community. Inspired by:

🔗 Links

Let us never stop learning from Galileo. — SolarPunk Opensource Laboratory