Black Swamp Dojo is a health and wellbeing space set in the rural countryside of Mangawhai, on Blackswamp Road. Created by Louis and Julia, a young local couple who grew up in the area and have always embraced the journey of living healthy, the Dojo was imagined as a place where likeminded people could train, sauna, connect, network, create friendships and learn a more holistic way of life.
At the heart of the offering is Sauna & Ice — a beautiful large sauna paired with an ice shower for practising contrast therapy. Run by appointment, it makes the Dojo an ideal sanctuary for those seeking relaxation, rejuvenation and a deeper connection to self.
Alongside the sauna, the Dojo is a working training space for martial arts, yoga and pilates, with a timetable of classes and health and wellbeing workshops running throughout the year. The philosophy is summed up in the Dojo's motto, Yoku Sugosu — Live Well: integrating key skills into everyday life through a more holistic approach.
Whether you come for a hot-and-cold recovery session, a class on the timetable or a seasonal workshop, Black Swamp Dojo is a place to learn and grow, meet likeminded people and slow down in Mangawhai's countryside.
Tucked away on Blackswamp Road in the rural countryside of Mangawhai, Black Swamp Dojo is not your typical fitness studio. It is a purpose-built space for martial arts, yoga, pilates and all things health and wellbeing — and, most famously, home to a large sauna with an ice shower for contrast therapy.
The Dojo was an idea started by Louis and Julia, a young couple who grew up in the area and have always embraced the journey of living healthy. Their vision was simple and generous: create a space where likeminded individuals could train, sauna, connect, network, create friendships and learn a more holistic way of life by integrating key skills into everyday life.
That philosophy shows up in the Dojo's motto, Yoku Sugosu — Live Well. Rather than treating health as a single workout or a single session, Black Swamp Dojo frames it as a practice: movement, recovery, learning and community woven together.
The Dojo's standout offering is Sauna & Ice. A beautiful large sauna is paired with an ice shower, letting visitors move between heat and cold to practise contrast therapy. It is an ideal sanctuary for those seeking relaxation, rejuvenation and a deeper connection to self — whether that is recovery after training, a reset during a busy week, or simply an hour of quiet in a rural setting.
Sauna & Ice sessions run by appointment, booked through the Dojo's website. New visitors can also sign up to the newsletter for 15% off their next Sauna & Ice booking, along with news of events and discounts.
Beyond the sauna, the Dojo is a working training space. Martial arts sit at its core — the name Dojo is a nod to that — with yoga and pilates offered alongside on the timetable. Classes are listed on the website's timetable page, so visitors can plan a visit around what is running.
Through the year, Black Swamp Dojo also hosts health and wellbeing workshops. These sessions extend the Dojo's holistic approach: practical learning you can take into everyday life, from movement to recovery to general wellbeing.
What sets Black Swamp Dojo apart is the setting and the spirit. You are visiting a rural property in Mangawhai, not a sterile gym — the surrounding countryside is part of the appeal. And because the Dojo was created as a gathering place, it doubles as a community hub: a spot to network, meet people and build friendships around shared habits of health.
If you are curious, the easiest first step is a Sauna & Ice appointment. Book online, arrive with time to slow down, and let the heat-and-cold rhythm do its work. If movement is more your thing, check the timetable for martial arts, yoga or pilates, or watch for the next workshop announcement.
However you visit, the idea is the same: a place to learn and grow through a more holistic approach — Live Well, as the Dojo says.