Savarese BJJ Etiquette Guidelines

There are a lot of new members in the school so I wanted to re-post our Etiquette Guidelines.

Academy Etiquette Guidelines

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academies tend to teach in a more relaxed and less rigid atmosphere than traditional martial arts. Nonetheless, in order to maintain a positive environment that is both conductive to learning and welcoming to potential students, we require our students, parents of students in the kid’s classes, and staff to adhere to the following Academy Etiquette Guidelines:

1) Always show respect to your instructors, training partners, and fellow human beings. Respect in training means: do not seek to harm fellow students physically (i.e. by cranking a submission harder than necessary to make them tap) or emotionally (i.e. by calling them names or making jokes about hurting them). Respect also means that you must train seriously and hard enough for you and your partner to improve his or her skills, conditioning, and fighting spirit. Not giving your best during training detracts from both you and your partner’s experience. Respect is earned not given. If you come in acting like a fool you will be treated as such. No matter what belt you are.

2) Maintain good hygiene (i.e. shower and brush your teeth regularly). As you can imagine, it’s difficult to concentrate on technique when you find your partner’s smells distracting! Bring a clean, dry Gi to each class. Wash your Gi’s and rash guards after every class!! No exceptions! You will not be permitted to train if your Gi’s and rash guards are not clean. Clean and cover all wounds, scrapes, etc. This is how we prevent MRSA and ringworm. Also, you will not be permitted to participate in class if you have any contagious skin conditions.

3) Keep your finger and toe nails short and clean to prevent injury to yourself and others.

4) It is disrespectful to be late to class. If you have an understanding with your instructor because of you schedule to be late, do not distract him or the other students while he is showing a move. Quietly stand by the entrance until your instructor is done, then proceed to the locker room.

5) Barefoot on the mat only! Keep shoes off the mat so that we can keep the mat clean and sanitary. Do not step off the mat with bare feet. You must wear flip-flops, sandals, sneakers, etc. while not on the mat and when entering and leaving the restroom.

6) Do not walk outside with bare feet. If you have to go outside, wear sandals or shoes. Items (5) and (6) are especially important to prevent the spread of skin conditions such as ringworm.

7) Do not shout loudly or use profanity in the Academy. Treat your Academies as if they are sacred. This should go without saying.

8) Do not talk while the instructor is talking. It distracts those who are trying to learn and is disrespectful to the instructor and other students.

9) It is disrespectful not to wear your belt in class. Your rank was given to you by your instructor. Wear it with pride. If your belt falls off, tie it back on.

10) Please wear your Gi, a t-shirt, or a tank top while in the public areas of the Academy. No bare backs! Please change in the locker room and leave your belongings in the locker area. Try to keep the mat area clean for possible new students who may want to join our Academy.

11) Do not leave the mat during class without the instructor’s permission.

12) No cell phones in the training (unless you have a pregnant wife) They will distract those who are trying to learn. This goes for parents watching the class as well.

13) If the instructor has not changed the task, then continue doing the task he or she has given (i.e. don’t sit around talking because you feel you have done a technique enough times). You can NEVER do a technique too many times!!

14) “Respect Rank!!” It is disrespectful to ask an instructor or a higher rank to train with you, so wait until they ask you to roll. If you want to ask a higher rank to train, do it in a humble, respectful manner like “can I have the honor to train with you?” or “do you feel like throwing me around a little bit?†Sav and Sean are to be addressed as “Professor” at all times in the Academy. It is his rank and he should be addressed as such. Please do not refer to the teacher as bro, dude, brother,. All lower belts should speak and act respectfully to anyone ranked higher than them. Also if you are sparring next to someone who has a higher belt rank than you or your partner, then you and your partner must move and yield the space to the higher belt rank (meaning if you bump into each other during training, lower belt moves). The Academy is not a locker room, fun is to be had, but respect must be maintained for higher ranks.

15) Always bow, bump fists or shake hands before live training or sparring.

16) When classes are crowded, students will sometimes bump into each other when sparring. Take special care to be aware of your surroundings and stop sparring if you are too close to other students. Finishing an armbar is not worth it if your opponent is going to land on your other teammates head. You wouldn’t want someone to land on your head just because they were set on “getting the tap” from someone else.

17) In addition, much of what we practice routinely with each other will seriously injure others. It should not be practiced outside of the Academy.

18) White Gi’s only!

19) Keep your excuses at home. Excuse making is cancerous and not welcome on our mats or in our school.

20) No racist or sexist comments or actions or disrespect towards an instructor WILL EVER BE TOLERATED. You will be expelled from the Academy.