Rules Most of these are probably common sense, but you would be surprised the number of times people will ignore or forget them. If you show respect you will get it back and a lot of these are about respecting your coach, your gym and your training partners.
1 – Don’t walk on the mats in your shoes or flip-flops.
The gym mats are expensive things and anything caught in your shoes could potentially rip or tear them. This then leads to the inevitability that it will need replacing as the tear grows and gets worse, this would not make you popular with your coach. The other side of this is all the nasty stuff that ends up on the sidewalk potentially is on the soles of your shoes. You walk on the mat in your shoes, nasty stuff transfers to the mat, which we then train on.
2 – Do wear flip-flops or shoes when you go outside or Use the restroom.
Accidents and splashes do happen guys, what you don’t want to do is walk through the result of the accident. Then walking it back in onto the mat. It is not a pleasant thought that I may end up with my face in this. Oh and remember to always wash your hands afterwards take your time.
3 – If you have any cuts cover them up.
You may end up using sports tape so it sticks, but your training partners will mind this far less than you bleeding onto them. Especially if they have a white Uniforms.
4 - If Sweat slobber spit or drool Or bleed on Mat it's your responsibility to clean it up.
Stop what you're doing and let the instructor or coaches know so they can help you and make sure it's done right!
5 – Don’t forget to cut your nails toes and fingertips.
It’s so easy to scrape or claw/cut someone when your nails are only a little bit long, with all the grips and escapes going on. Plus these annoying little cuts seem to take forever to heal up properly. AND you have to tape them up every time you train to protect and stop them bleeding. It's not cool to have long toenails.
6– Wash your uniform .
Getting your face stuck in the stinky armpit of an unwashed Gi or rash guard is really nasty. You will not get people rushing to partner you if you don’t wash your stuff. Plus there is the potential for skin infections for you and your partner from the growing bacteria.
I personally recommend tide sport!
I also recommend hanging your gi to air dry. The dryer can sometimes Shrink uniforms over time.
7– Now your gi is clean, keep yourself clean too.
This is just really basic hygiene.
No one wants to roll with a stinky person even in a clean gi, it is really off putting.
Put on deodorant!
Brush your teeth use mouthwash ,Fix your hair. Don't over do it with make up, Glitter lotions And hair sprays and perfumes before getting on the mat.
8- Keep your clothes on
Shirts / Rash guard must be worn at all times.
Be respectful to your training partner.
Try to keep your belt on!
And pants tie tight. When tying your pants stand up and face the wall not your partners.
You can wear an old tee shirt without zippers or buttons.
Do not wear your school clothes or work clothes. They will get ripped in torn and stretched out.
Even better have on one of our Custom RASH GARDS.
9 - No Jewelry on the mats
Wedding rings, Necklaces, Earrings.
10 - No profanity, Cussing, Bad words, Foul language of any kind.
Our goals to build Successful Black belt leaders. In which profanity has no place at school or in the workplace or in our Academy.
11 – Be on Time.
Real life can sometimes get in the way and this is understood. But showing up consistently late will get noticed. And stop skipping warmups. It shows a lack of respect for your coach and your training partners. And dont be the last person on the mat.
This is a team sport when you bow out and shake hands when the class time is over win or Lose.
12 - Tapping
Is a HUGE part of rolling and is worth us discussing a few specific points about tapping in training.
How to tap Verbal I saying tap 3 times and or Physically tapping using hands or feet. 1st on your partner if not loudly tapping/slapping the Mat 3 times.
A good habit would be doing both saying tap and also tapping your partner.
It's also your job to take care of your partner And being where of danger.
Only use moves that you'd want done to you.
Remember it's your partner's turn next.
1) Tap early Because you can't tap late
It's your responsibility to take care of yourself and your training partner.
2) Talking about who tapped who
Many students of bjj have such a competitive mind set that they gauge their entire progress by if they got the tap or not.
This is the wrong mentality – the purpose of training is to IMPROVE, NOT to try to prove to oneself or others watching how good you are.
Training is just training and a time where you should be experimenting with new positions. Trying the techniques that you learned in class that day.
If someone is using a technique that is new to them and it fails, they get tapped,…so what?! More than likely if you ask your partner they will show you what and wrong and Consider it a learning experience in a win for seeing a new move.
It is bad form for those sitting on the edge of the mat watching the rolls to whisper to each other “Did you just see that white belt tap that blue belt?!?”
You don’t know what the blue belt was trying to do in the roll. It is just training and tapping is ok. Most veterans have tapped Thousands of times It's part of growing and learning in being safe.
3) The correct attitude
I have seen white belts set goals NOT to tap during a roll against a training partner and exert using Maximum efforts holding onto a grip to run out the clock just to say that they didn’t get tapped during a roll.
Instead of trying to use a technical solution to escape (and actually learn jiu-jitsu!) they just hold on like a man dangling on a cliff edge!
I’ve also seen guys get tapped, standup and throw their belts into the corner while cursing because they got tapped.
This is the wrong attitude! And will be corrected immediately! Stay Humble!
13 - Don't interrupt instructor or coaches
Make eye contact raise your hand and Wait to be acknowledged. Just like at school and work meetings.
14 – Don’t try and teach someone a technique you have not learned in class.
You’re a newbie even if you think you know
what you are doing, the reality is you probably don’t know enough. Show respect to your coach and the higher belts and leave the teaching to them. If you and your partner want to work out the problems of technique between you, that’s fine.
Personally I would still check with my coach to make sure:
a) Is safe for you or your partner.
b) Am not potentially over complicating what could be a simple answer?
c) Am I leaving out important details?
YouTube is full of bad Advice. And it is always easier said than done.
Teaching BJJ is much, much different than learning. If you find yourself on the other side of the coin. Don't be afraid to ask for help or to ask questions.
15– Be aware of using strength over technique.
When you start free rolling/ Training this isn’t about getting the tap it’s about the learning. Just because you are bigger or stronger than your partner, don’t think you are the next prodigy if you just lay on your partner and start cranking on their arm or neck. Yes you will probably get the tap, but have you really learn how to apply that technique against a resisting opponent?
16 - Leave equipment alone.
Really simple if it's not yours don't touch it. If something is in the way for a potential Safety issue. Speaking up about it.
17 – Finally but still a very important one: don’t train while sick.
If you are sick don’t train. Having the flu or a cold is not fun, mainly because it does affect your training. But pushing through and turning up to train is not going to do you any favours. No one there wants to catch your sickness. Plus if you are bad enough your coach may just send you home anyway. And most the time there are consequences. Do yourself a favour, stay home recover and watch some instructionals Videos or Review your notes.
You or your child must be free of fever for 24 hours, without Tylenol or Advil, not vomiting or had diarrhea for 24 hours prior to Classes.
If you’re injured, that’s a different situation completely. There are ways to train BJJ while injured that can keep you involved and safe at the same time.
Injuries and accidents will happen. This is a contact sport it's not karate. The risk is much lower Then most contacts sports Rugby Football Hockey elect..
The goals of all this safety talk is just to minimize it as much as possible. Now have fun, and get on the mats and train. Just make sure you warm up that tapping hand first!