- Respect – the dojo is a place of respect and instructors and fellow students alike should be shown respect. We do this by bowing to each other at the start of class and before and after partnering for a training drill. We also do this by trying our best and training as hard as we can as this benefits not only us but also the person we are partnered with. If we don’t try hard or simply can’t be bothered with an exercise, the training of the person we are partnered with will also suffer.
Offensive and derogatory language are not permissible. - Bow when entering and leaving – this is a sign of respect.
- No shoes to be worn in training area – it is part of Japanese culture that shoes are not worn inside. More practically we train in bare feet and wish to avoid getting stones, glass and other nasties in or on our feet while we are training. While it is true that our training venues at Vic are multi-purpose and others wear shoes inside, we hold onto the principle of why we do not – it is a sign of respect and is a good habit to get into as many other dojos do have dedicated facilities where it is forbidden to wear shoes.
- Be on time and ready to start when session starts. If late, bow to instructor on entry and begin own warm-up including 20 push-ups, 30 sit-ups, 50 squats and stretching, when complete sit in seiza until instructor invites you to join in.
- Avoid having to leave class during session – make sure you go to the toilet before class and have water and training equipment close by.
- Cellphones – please turn off or switch to silent mode before class, if you forget and your phone rings, please do not attend to your phone. If you need to be contacted for on-call work or a family crisis please let instructor know before class so they can excuse you should you be contacted.
- Water breaks – instructors will allow water breaks when training on very hot days or when session is strenuous, please do not just wander off to have a drink but instead approach instructor to ask permission.
- Health and safety – please keep your nails (fingers and toes) short to avoid injury to training partners. Please cover any open cuts to avoid transfer of blood. It is not wise to share drink bottles as this can lead to the spread of diseases such as hepatitis and meningitis. Please remove all loose jewellery, earrings, watches etc to avoid injury to training partners and yourself
- Medical conditions – if you have any serious medical condition, especially one which may be exacerbated by strenuous training eg diabetes, asthma etc, please advise all instructors so we know how to help you or prevent occurrence.
- Illness/injury– if you have an injury it is often still possible to train eg if you have a sprained ankle you can still do punching and blocking exercises, please advise instructor of injury before class and they will give you alternative exercises so the injury can be rested. If you become ill during class step back from line-up, bow and attract instructors attention or let nearby student know before you leave. If at anytime you feel faint during class, step back from the line-up and sit down – please don’t wait until you pass out – and the instructor will get assistance for you.
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