I Am My Own Problem
But I am Also My Solution
Please Respect Our Rules and Treat The Academy Like Your Home. Because It Is
Student Creed
- I intend to develop myself in a positive manner and avoid anything that could reduce my mental growth or my physical health.
- I intent to develop self-discipline in order to bring out the best in myself and others.
- I intend to use what I learn in class constructively and defensively to help myself and others and never to be abusive or offensive.
If we were to look up the definition of the word etiquette we would see this – “the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.”
This is especially true in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. We don’t have too many rules, but the ones we do have mean a great deal to us.
Academy Etiquette
Take Care Of Others. Take Care Of Yourself
- Arrive early for class (stretch, warmup, review technique).
- Outside foot wear is not permitted, sandals must be worn (no bare feet off the mat).
- Always Check-in before class begins
- Foul language and derogatory remarks are not allowed inside of the academy.
- Be mindful of classes in session. Speak quietly and respectfully
- Shoes, Food and Electronic devices are not allowed in the training area.
Training Rules
& Guidelines
- All jewelry, piercings, necklaces and other items should be removed before training.
- Fingernails and Toenails must ALWAYS be neatly trimmed and clean before class.
- Always bow when entering and leaving the mat
- A rash guard must always be worn under your kimono and during no gi.
- If you are late for class, wait outside the mat until you have permission to join.
- Always cleanup after yourself (tape, water bottles, equipment, etc).
- Footwear must ALWAYS be worn in the bathroom.
- The mat must be cleaned (swept, vacuumed and disinfected). Take your time, do a good job.
Live Training
Rolling & Sparring
- Always shake hands before and after live sparring and practice
- Be MINDFUL of your training partners skill, weight and age level.
- Long hair should be tied up so as not to cause partner any discomfort.
- Yelling, Grunting or Wincing is a verbal tap and the match should be restarted
- No slamming, scratching or striking
- No spine or neck cranks
- No grabbing individual fingers or bending fingers backwards
- For a full list of illegal techniques see the next section
Character
& Self Development
-
Never brag about or celebrate tapping (OR NOT tapping) an opponent during training.
-
Check your attitude and ego at the door. This is the wrong place to bring negative energy.
-
Work on your weaknesses in class. Remember that this is TRAINING not COMPETITION.
-
Help new students with what you know. Pay it forward!
Illegal Techniques
& Further Requirements
- Flying submissions, scissor takedown and jumping guard
- These techniques are NEVER allowed in a live sparring environment.
- For offensive and defensive purposes they can be practiced in a controlled setting.
- Heel hooks
- Never allowed in the gi
- No-Gi Purple belt and up can utilize in live training(catch and release).
- Neck / Spine Cranks & slamming are not allowed at any experience level.
- (can opener, twister, suplex etc).
- Use of any foot gear, head gear, hair pins, jewelry, cups (genital protectors) or any other protector fashioned of hard material that may cause harm to a training partner is forbidden.
- Fingers cannot be placed inside an opponens sleeve or pant leg
Catch & Release
Training and Safety
When a practitioner believes that a submission hold is locked in, he should apply reasonable force to submit his training partner. However regarding joint-locks, especially TWISTING ones(heel hooks, kimuras, toe holds, americanas etc) should never be applied 100% in a training environment.
An armlock for instance should not have excessive force applied to it if the arm is fully extended. Another example is a Kimura lock. Once a training partners hand has been put behind his or her back, actual force should decrease substantially even if the training partner is not tapping. Please keep in mind that in some circumstances a student might be unable or unaware of “when to tap”.
By adopting this philosophy to your submission holds before they are finalized you can study your opponent’s reactions and escape motions, and then work on countering their defense to your initial attack. This intelligent approach to training is safe, reliable and minimizes the risk of injury to one another. Remember that we are a team and are here to make each other better. If one person gets injured, the team gets injured.
Given the fast natured pace of live training and the safety of our students, it is restricted to new practitioners whom do not possess any previous grappling experience(wrestling, judo, previous training etc).
Once a practitioner has earned 2 stripes on their belt, they are free to participate in live sparring.
How Are Stripes Earned?
Your First 2 Stripes are awarded when you demonstrate a basic knowledge and proficiency of the Academy Etiquette, Training Rules and the listed Techniques & Movement Patterns.