Gym Rules

Safe training is central to our gym environment. We all get better together. For everyone to get better, everyone needs to be safe.

Any attempt to perform these movements will result in immediate removal from training and possible ban from the club:

• Jumping guard on a standing opponent.
• Leaving your feet to attempt a flying submission or to hang your body weight against a standing opponent.
• Explosive or uncontrolled breaking pressure during a submission attempt.
• Spiking someone on their head during a takedown if you have their bodyweight elevated or aggressively throwing an opponent’s elevated body towards the ground (slamming).

…and are subject to, at any instructor’s discretion, removal from training. If reoccurring, this can lead to a ban from the club:

• Overly aggressive, uncontrolled movements. This is particularly important for white belts to understand. If you’re not succeeding with a movement, doing it faster and harder is unlikely to change that.
• Being unaware of your position and running into other pairs of training partners. If you are in motion, you are responsible.
• Abusing a skill disparity with intensity. If you are a purple belt and are trying to speed run submissions or spamming heel hooks on white belts, you are a being a jerk. If you’re really that much better than they are, you can slow way down and still control or submit them.
• Abusing a strength/size disparity. Enjoy rolling to win against smaller people in training? You also get to enjoy not improving and never getting promoted. If there are more than 15-20lbs between you and your training partner, calm down, monitor your weight distribution and your isometric or dynamic muscular force. Let them move, and see if you can respond with movement.
• Escalating intensity or not matching intensity with your training partner. Don’t ask to roll light and then go super intense. Don’t amp up the intensity to compensate if someone more skillful is beating you with good technique and superior position.

• Attend class regularly. We understand that life gets in the way, but we will not permit students to roll if they show up infrequently, or only show up to rolling but never to class. Lack of skill and conditioning achieved through regular attendance sessions make people a hazard to roll with.
• Communicate with your training partner. Very few people are bad training partners on purpose, most don’t realize what they are doing. Tell them. If they don’t correct it, immediately tell an instructor.
• Communicate with the instructors. Not just about unsafe training partners or inappropriate behaviors, but ask questions about etiquette, improvement, promotion standards, optimizing your training, etc. We also want to hear your suggestions about how to improve the club. We want to help you reach your potential, get the most out of your training, and have fun!
• Stop rolling immediately any time you feel someone is being unsafe.
• Turn down rolls any time you believe it is in the best interests of your safety.
• Roll to explore and learn better movement. Do not try to just win in training.
• If you have a joint submission and the other person isn’t tapping, just hold them there. If they escape it means your control isn’t good enough. If you have to apply more than 50% effort to get a tap, it means your breaking mechanics are not good enough.

Safe training isn’t just physical safety.

Everyone, please keep in mind the following to ensure the club remains a healthy place for safe training…

• Please wear shoes/footwear in the front sitting area and when you use the bathroom. If you’re wearing socks on the mat, DO NOT walk around the front sitting area in your socks and then return to the mat! When leaving the mats, step directly into your footwear from the mats. If your feet are dirty or you accidentally step on the entry way floor/rugs, please use the Honest Wipes to clean your feet before going onto the mats.
• Make sure you’re clean and wearing fresh clothes before training, with fingernails and toenails clipped short and smooth. We all appreciate you arriving with clean feet and NOT stinky. Please don’t be the “Pig-Pen” on the mats!
• No blood or open wounds on the mat! If you see signs of blood, stop training immediately and let others know. Clean the affected mat areas and any skin, clothing/gear right away with disinfecting wipes. Make sure any cuts/wounds are disinfected and covered with both a bandage and athletic tape before returning to training.
• Wash all training clothes and shower after every practice session.
• We highly recommend wearing a clean cover-up layer after training or cover your car seats with a clean towel. Don’t let your sweaty training clothes come into direct contact with your car seats!
• DO NOT come to the club if you’re ill or we will have to ask you to leave! If you have any symptoms of repiratory infections, fever, lice, rashes, ringworm, staph infections, etc. DO NOT come in and train. You must be completely clear of the illness/infection before returning to training!

• There should be no zippers or open pockets on any clothing worn for training. Pockets can be sewn shut.
• Holes or unsecured patches must be fully repaired! We also have duct tape to cover any holes/rips that happen during training.
• Although not required, consider investing in a mouth guard to wear during training.
• If needed, you can wear ankle/wrist/knee supports as well as head gear. (They are not required.)
• For boxing, hand wraps can lend extra support and protection for your wrists and knuckles. (They are not required.)
• All gear such as gi belts, head gear, hand wraps, mouth guards, etc. should be cleaned and disinfected after each use.