It is my greatest wish to have a space where people can get together to learn grappling and develop their skills in a safe, friendly environment. This can only be achieved by establishing a basic set of values that everyone should adhere to, myself included.
Be humble
Belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mean very little in the grand scheme of things – they are loose indicators of a practitioner’s skill in the art, not their morals nor their personality. Don’t put anyone on a pedestal or feel as though they are above you, regardless of their rank.
When caught in a submission, tap. Do not let your ego put you at risk of injury. If you catch your training partner in a submission, apply it in a controlled manner – do not let your ego put your partner at risk of injury.
Be honest
It is my duty to share my knowledge and experience in a clear and effective manner – please let me know if my style of teaching doesn’t achieve this. Everyone learns in a different manner and I want everyone to get the most out of every class.
Similarly, if you have any misgivings or you are unhappy about anything in the club, please speak to me. I want to cultivate an environment where people feel safe to question and constructively criticise me.
Be respectful
Any sort of sexist / racist / xenophobic / homophobic / transphobic / fascist / bigoted speech or activities will not be tolerated.
Be considerate
If your training partner is injured, be considerate and don’t take it as an opportunity to “win”. You should care about your training partner, and they should care about you – that is vital to a positive, productive training environment and healthy training relationship.