Dojo Etiquette
Follow the house rules
In martial arts, respect and discipline are basic principles that all students must learn and practice on and off the mat. Being able to follow rules, even if those rules are not something you agree with or helped to establish, is the key to self-discipline and for a healthy and safe training environment. When choosing to train at a Bjj academy, it is very important to be aware of the house rules and make sure they are followed.
This comprehensive guide breaks down all of the basics of BJJ etiquette at Gran Union you’ll want to keep in mind when training with us.
The bow
Bowing in martial arts these days is not something you have to do, but it will show respect and acknowledge for the other individual. Typically, martial artists bow to their teachers, seniors, and teammates.
Lining up to start & finish class
Classes begin and end with students lining up in belt rank order, starting with the highest belt at the front, followed by others according to their rank.
Hygiene
Maintaining proper hygiene goes beyond merely being polite and in fact, serves an important role in keeping everyone in the gym healthy.
Personal hygiene is essential in a sport where people get in extremely close proximity to each other. Hygiene encompasses:
• No shoes on the mats
• No food or drinks on the mats
• No barefoot outside the mats
• Wash your Kimono (Gi) after every class
• Brush your teeth
• Have shower everyday
• Your belt does not have magical anti-bacterial properties and must be washed as well.
Trim Nails
Whether it is your finger nails or your toe nails, keep them short. There are so many situations where sharp nails can cut through the skin of your training partner. These incidents don’t just cause a laceration but also the chance for an infection to take root.
Don’t come to class if you are sick
If you are sick, feel unwell or have an open wound, do not attend class, rest and make sure you are well before returning to training. If you have something that is contagious, also don't come to class until you are completely clean.
Jewellery & Piercing
All kinds of jewellery and piercing should be removed prior to training, as they could potentially injure you or your training partner.
Socks
Wearing socks in martial arts is not common, but if for some reason you want to wear one, make sure you wear non-slip socks, you won't be able to wear regular socks in class because they are slippery and can cause serious injuries.
Mouth guard, groin protector and headgear
None of this equipment is required to train Jiu-Jitsu, this is very personal, you use it if you feel it is necessary. If you are going to wear a groin protector or headgear during training, make sure you buy ones that are not made of plastic, as they could potentially hurt your partner. These protectors are not legal to use in Jiu-Jitsu tournaments.
Be on time
Our classes are structured to help you get the best training possible, arriving on time is not only respectful but essential to achieving your goal.
Arriving late to class
If you are late for class, ask the instructor for permission before entering the mat and if for some reason you need to leave the mat earlier, the same procedure must be followed. It is very disrespectful if you enter or leave the mat without the instructor's permission.
Bjj class
The kimono (Gi) and your belt must be worn at all time when you are training Bjj class, except in Nogi class. It’s also required to wear rash guard or t-shirt underneath the jacket in our Bjj classes. We do not require you to wear our training uniform, you can wear any uniform regardless of colour and brand.
Nogi class
If you are training Nogi class, you can wear any shorts or spats and rash guard, please do not wear shorts or t-shirts with zippers or similar accessories. It could potentially hurt you or your training partner.
Check your attendance
We have a system that monitors your attendance in each class, this gives us important information that we use in your belt promotion. It's your responsibility to check your name before starting the class. If your name is not yet on our system, ask the instructor to sign you up.
Lead by example
Treat everyone with respect, regardless of what belt rank you currently hold. Even more importantly, if you have a higher rank, remember that lower belts are looking up to you, so do your best to be a positive example. You do not have to be friends with everyone, but you do need to respect everyone on the mats.
Be aware of your surroundings
Bumping into each other is sometimes unavoidable, you have to be careful what's going on around you. Lower ranking pairs are expected to make room for higher ranking ones if they get too close. This doesn't mean that higher ranked pairs can take up all the space they want, be sensible!
Spatial awareness is important for everyone, regardless of rank. Be extremely careful when performing any takedown that needs a lot of room to land.
Respect size, age, and gender differences
It is very important to remember that size, age and gender are also real factors that help one person to have an advantage over another.
A 100kg white belt is more than capable of injuring a 60kg purple belt.
This also applies when rolling with someone much older than you. At 25, your cardio and strength are much higher than at 55!
Women can be as good as men, but not all of them are tough like you, be very careful and don't try to take advantage of your strength or weight over them.
Don't think that just because someone is higher belt than you that you have the right to go as far as you want, be sensible and respect the person you are training.
No bragging
Celebrating after tapping someone during training is very disrespectful to your partner. Of course, you can be excited that you managed to pull off a submission. However, the way you express it says a lot about who you are. It also shows how much you respect those you train with. Remember that your progression depends on your partners as much as it does on you, keep your feet on the ground and train hard. Whether in victory or defeat, always remain humble!
In martial arts, respect and discipline are basic principles that all students must learn and practice on and off the mat. Being able to follow rules, even if those rules are not something you agree with or helped to establish, is the key to self-discipline and for a healthy and safe training environment. When choosing to train at a Bjj academy, it is very important to be aware of the house rules and make sure they are followed.
This comprehensive guide breaks down all of the basics of BJJ etiquette at Gran Union you’ll want to keep in mind when training with us.
The bow
Bowing in martial arts these days is not something you have to do, but it will show respect and acknowledge for the other individual. Typically, martial artists bow to their teachers, seniors, and teammates.
Lining up to start & finish class
Classes begin and end with students lining up in belt rank order, starting with the highest belt at the front, followed by others according to their rank.
Hygiene
Maintaining proper hygiene goes beyond merely being polite and in fact, serves an important role in keeping everyone in the gym healthy.
Personal hygiene is essential in a sport where people get in extremely close proximity to each other. Hygiene encompasses:
• No shoes on the mats
• No food or drinks on the mats
• No barefoot outside the mats
• Wash your Kimono (Gi) after every class
• Brush your teeth
• Have shower everyday
• Your belt does not have magical anti-bacterial properties and must be washed as well.
Trim Nails
Whether it is your finger nails or your toe nails, keep them short. There are so many situations where sharp nails can cut through the skin of your training partner. These incidents don’t just cause a laceration but also the chance for an infection to take root.
Don’t come to class if you are sick
If you are sick, feel unwell or have an open wound, do not attend class, rest and make sure you are well before returning to training. If you have something that is contagious, also don't come to class until you are completely clean.
Jewellery & Piercing
All kinds of jewellery and piercing should be removed prior to training, as they could potentially injure you or your training partner.
Socks
Wearing socks in martial arts is not common, but if for some reason you want to wear one, make sure you wear non-slip socks, you won't be able to wear regular socks in class because they are slippery and can cause serious injuries.
Mouth guard, groin protector and headgear
None of this equipment is required to train Jiu-Jitsu, this is very personal, you use it if you feel it is necessary. If you are going to wear a groin protector or headgear during training, make sure you buy ones that are not made of plastic, as they could potentially hurt your partner. These protectors are not legal to use in Jiu-Jitsu tournaments.
Be on time
Our classes are structured to help you get the best training possible, arriving on time is not only respectful but essential to achieving your goal.
Arriving late to class
If you are late for class, ask the instructor for permission before entering the mat and if for some reason you need to leave the mat earlier, the same procedure must be followed. It is very disrespectful if you enter or leave the mat without the instructor's permission.
Bjj class
The kimono (Gi) and your belt must be worn at all time when you are training Bjj class, except in Nogi class. It’s also required to wear rash guard or t-shirt underneath the jacket in our Bjj classes. We do not require you to wear our training uniform, you can wear any uniform regardless of colour and brand.
Nogi class
If you are training Nogi class, you can wear any shorts or spats and rash guard, please do not wear shorts or t-shirts with zippers or similar accessories. It could potentially hurt you or your training partner.
Check your attendance
We have a system that monitors your attendance in each class, this gives us important information that we use in your belt promotion. It's your responsibility to check your name before starting the class. If your name is not yet on our system, ask the instructor to sign you up.
Lead by example
Treat everyone with respect, regardless of what belt rank you currently hold. Even more importantly, if you have a higher rank, remember that lower belts are looking up to you, so do your best to be a positive example. You do not have to be friends with everyone, but you do need to respect everyone on the mats.
Be aware of your surroundings
Bumping into each other is sometimes unavoidable, you have to be careful what's going on around you. Lower ranking pairs are expected to make room for higher ranking ones if they get too close. This doesn't mean that higher ranked pairs can take up all the space they want, be sensible!
Spatial awareness is important for everyone, regardless of rank. Be extremely careful when performing any takedown that needs a lot of room to land.
Respect size, age, and gender differences
It is very important to remember that size, age and gender are also real factors that help one person to have an advantage over another.
A 100kg white belt is more than capable of injuring a 60kg purple belt.
This also applies when rolling with someone much older than you. At 25, your cardio and strength are much higher than at 55!
Women can be as good as men, but not all of them are tough like you, be very careful and don't try to take advantage of your strength or weight over them.
Don't think that just because someone is higher belt than you that you have the right to go as far as you want, be sensible and respect the person you are training.
No bragging
Celebrating after tapping someone during training is very disrespectful to your partner. Of course, you can be excited that you managed to pull off a submission. However, the way you express it says a lot about who you are. It also shows how much you respect those you train with. Remember that your progression depends on your partners as much as it does on you, keep your feet on the ground and train hard. Whether in victory or defeat, always remain humble!