Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
Objective
The Training Academy (“TTA”) has as its key objectives:
Providing instruction in a safe environment in the martial art of All Stars Self Defence Centres.
1. Developing the mental and physical tools for improving personal safety and security.
2. Promotion of good health and vitality.
3. Development of positive self-esteem and self-confidence.
4. Development of a person as a positive role model in the community.
5. Creating expertise in confrontation management.
6. Pro-active crime prevention through increased awareness and positive attitudes.
7. Developing healthy community attitudes and values.
All persons participating in a class or course conducted by TTA must agree to be bound by this Code of Conduct. TTA reserves the right to make amendments or additions to this Code of Conduct at any time.
Participant Understanding
All Stars Self Defence Centre is a contact martial art, meaning it involves physical contact with one or more other practitioners in ways designed to simulate as closely as possible the self-defence options available to a practitioner when confronted with physical aggression and/or threatening behaviour. As in any other physically demanding recreational activity, there is always a risk of injury. Any person participating in a class conducted by TTA does so with the full understanding that whilst it is the policy of TTA to minimise this risk, the nature of contact physical activity prevents its total elimination. Persons participating in a class conducted by TTA do so of their own volition and at their own risk.
Safety
1. Persons must not wear jewellery or watches during training.
2. All persons participating in training agree to maintain self-control at all times and maintain
all care in the application of any technique.
3. Any person who, in training, exhibits behaviour that, in the judgement of the Instructor, is
a danger to other participants, shall not be allowed to continue training until the Instructor
determines the danger is no longer present.
4. Any injury must be reported to the instructor in charge with all details of incident documented.
Training Area Etiquette
1. Persons will bow in the appropriate manner upon entering the Training Area.
2. Shoes must be taken off before entering the training area unless the shoes are special
martial arts footwear approved by the Instructor (see “Clothing” below).
3. Persons must be punctual, preferably early, so that they are ready to train when class
commences. If arriving late, a person must wait at the side of the Training Area until the
Instructor indicates that a person may join the class.
4. Persons must not chew gum whilst training.
5. Food and/or drink (including water) must not be consumed whilst on the training area.
6. Mobile phones must be turned off during training. Mobile phones inadvertently left on
during training may not be answered. Any person who is “on-call” for work may seek
approval from the instructor prior to the commencement of class to leave his or her
mobile phone on.
Uniforms & Training Gear
All Persons must wear the following approved clothing during all training sessions:
1. Pants: Plain white karate pants, and approved kickboxing shorts.
2. Tops: Plain white karate tops, and approved colour singlet or shirt for kickboxing.
3. Shoes: Only special martial arts training footwear which has been approved by the
instructor.
4. Belts: Graded students must wear their belts.
5. All clothing must be free of all logos or markings unless the logo is that of TTA.
6. Persons inappropriately attired will not be allowed to train.
7. In addition to the general uniform requirements, persons must bring a towel and filled
water bottle to each training session.
Sparring Requirements
1. Persons participating in sparring activity must purchase and wear an approved mouth
guard and bring this mouth guard to every training session.
2. As boxing drills are a regular conditioning activity, persons are encouraged to purchase
their own set of boxing mitts of an approved 14oz or 16oz size.
3. In addition to their personal mouth guards, persons participating in sparring must wear
full protective clothing, either their own or as supplied by TTA, comprising body guards,
head guards, shin guards, groin guards and 14oz or 16oz boxing mitts.
4. Sparring is to be of the non contact to touch contact kind during training sessions, all sparring is to be supervised by one senior ranked student at all times. (The ratio is 1 supervisor to 2 students sparring)
Sickness or Injury
1. Persons must not train if they are suffering from the flu or other viral infection that may be
passed on to other persons.
2. Persons must advise the Instructor if suffering from any injury or medical condition, either
permanent or temporary, which may be adversely affected by certain types of training.
Some examples of this may include blood pressure problems and cardiac disorders, neck
and back injuries, diabetes and asthma.
3. If requested by the Instructor, persons with the above or like conditions must show this
Code of Conduct to their physician and secure a medical certificate clearly stating that
the person is able to participate in classes conducted by All Stars Self Defence Centres and whether there are any restrictions or conditions applicable.
Other Health Issues
1. Persons must not attend training under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
2. Smoking is not allowed in the Training Area.
3. Persons training must give proper attention to personal hygiene and exhibit clean
grooming; and ensure that fingernails and toenails are trimmed and clean..
4. Persons with a cut or bleeding injury must cease training immediately and receive
appropriate first aid. Rejoining the training session will not be allowed until the instructor
has deemed that is safe to do so.
5. Persons administering first aid to a person suffering a cut or bleeding injury must wear
protective gloves.
Training Area Ethics
1. Persons must always be courteous and helpful to each other.
2. Physical contact between persons who are training must be appropriate to the situation
and necessary for the skill development of those persons.
3. Sexual harassment, defined as being where a person is subjected to unwanted or
uninvited sexual behaviour, will not be tolerated.
4. Any form of discrimination based on sex, ethnic origin, language, colour, or other form of
differentiation will not be tolerated.
If found breaking any of the above rules may result in instant expulsion from the club and any or all titles, awards and or privileges being revoked.
Grading Conditions
1. Opportunity to grade under the TTA syllabus occurs only four times per calendar year. A
person may only grade at these times subject to the final determination of the instructor.
2. Grading fees must be paid one month prior or no later than two week before the grading.
3. In assessing a person’s readiness to grade, the Instructor takes into consideration such
factors as consistency of attendance, attitude, focus and attention during training sessions, as much as a person’s knowledge of the TTA syllabus to the point he or she wishes to grade.
4. To secure grading under the TTA syllabus a person must be a current financial member
of TTA.
5. Membership of TTA requires a person to agree to be bound by this Code of Conduct.
6. TTA reserves the right to revoke the grading of any person who breaches this Code of
Conduct or is convicted of any criminal offence.
Training Session Restrictions
1. Training sessions with TTA are structured as either Conditioning Training Sessions or Technical Training Sessions with a 1-hour class usually comprising a Conditioning Training Session of 30 minutes followed by a Technical Training Session of 30 minutes.
2. Only persons authorised by the Instructor are allowed to participate in any physical contact drills as required for gradings.
3. Persons who commence training with TTA for the first time may take part in regular soft drill work, but no hard partner contact drill training for a period of 9 months or their first full grade, which ever comes first.
Obligations of the student and parents
When a new student starts karate-do there can be problems and confusion. Karate-do is a traditional Japanese martial art and for many that have not trained in any form of martial arts, the tradition that comes with karate-do is strict. However, that is what karate-do is all about, and many people join karate-do because of the tradition. It is said when you begin the journey of training in the martial way you should set your sights on never stopping once you start, let the art consume your ever thought, be forever loyal to your one dojo and teacher and try to develop the arts doctrine further in what may be missing in its teachings as a complete art form.
Parents Responsibilities
Responsibility as a parent is just as important as the responsibilities of your child. Your child relies upon you, in most cases to get to training, and attend many other important sessions as required by sensei. We require you as parents to help enforce these responsibilities/obligations set down by sensei as though you were the teacher yourself. This in turn will develop the discipline and responsibilities you as parents want to see developing in your child. We cannot achieve what you want to see, without your support.
Your Responsibility as a Karate Student
Pay Attention
Pay attention to the instructor and listen. Try to understand what is being said and shown. No speaking when the instructor is speaking.
No Messing Around
Most injuries occur when messing around.
Concentrate
You should be concentrating on the aspect of what is being taught, not on what happened at work or at home.
No Disruptions
Do not create any distractions when in class. Complaining demands that someone else has to pay attention to try to fix your problem. Fussing with your equipment, standing and stretching, talking to someone, practising something else or any of the other little things you might do, destroys the concentration of the class.
Regular Attendance
Missing a class means you don’t learn. Missing a class without good reason is simply rude, especially if the classes are small and there is a chance sensei will end up alone. It also shows your teacher that you don’t take training seriously. It is bad discipline to decide not to go to training at the last minute. Part of the lesson of karate-do is to discipline yourself to go to classes even though you feel like having a rest. Okay – you have had a busy day at work, you feel mentally stressed out or you just feel like staying home and relaxing in front of the TV. How would you feel turning up to class, and you were told sensei wasn’t coming to class tonight, because there was a good program on TV that he/she wanted to watch?
With all the classes available each week, there should be no excuse. So you must ring if you are not attending class .
Arriving late
Coming late disrupts the class. Due to work commitments it is not always possible to leave work on time and we realise this. It is better to turn up late for training than not at all. There is no excuse for being late, but if it is unavoidable, come in quietly. Prepare your equipment, warm up quickly and wait by the side of the floor. Catch the sensei’s eye, bow, then join in as instructed or directed.
You should endeavour to let sensei know prior to class if you will be unable to attend, especially if you will be away for a while. You can do this by cancelling your class booking.
Extra Practice
It is sensei’s job to present the material, it is your job to learn it. Those who do not practice outside the class, especially at the beginners level, keep the rest behind. Sensei must teach the whole class, if there is uneven effort, there is uneven progress.
Skepticism
Copying a move with no idea what it means is blind faith. This causes a search for the “true meaning” much further down the road. Students must question themselves why each movement is performed. It is not for students to doubt the movement. Find the reason, don’t doubt the move.
Ego
There is no place in the dojo for someone’s ego. There will often be students whose personalities clash. Students must work to prevent this. Avoid the outside battle, instead fight the inner one of ego, that teaches us to be full of pride.
Empty your Cup
Enter the Dojo with your cup empty. That is the saying often echoed in the dojo by the sensei. Translated it means upon entering a school of martial arts you should empty your cup of knowledge and leave all of what you think you know and can do, outside the door of the dojo. In turn listen to your sensei and fill your cup of knowledge with all he/she can teach you during your stay. This should be done with an open mind and integrity that will withstand the test of time.
Duty and Loyalty
Students have no inherent duty or loyalty to either karate-do or the sensei. A student must earn the priviledge to being loyal to karate-do or sensei through many years of hard work.
Medical
If you have a medical condition that the instructor should be aware of, you should notify him/her prior to training. During the course of training, if you become ill or have an injury, notify your instructor immediately. There is a difference with pushing yourself in training and putting up with a medical problem that may affect yourself and training.
Personal Hygiene
Students must maintain a level of cleanliness. Your hygiene also affects others.
1. Fingers and toenails must be clean and short to avoid injury. With the quick movement of hands and feet during training, long or sharp nails can easily cut your opponent.
2. Long hair can cause irritation to the eyes, distracting you at a critical moment during training. Long hair must be pulled back in a bun or ponytail.
3. Your uniform must be clean and pressed and in good order.
4. Keep your body clean. Make sure your hands are clean. Grimy hands will soil your uniform and other students’ uniforms and equipment.
5. If you start bleeding in any way, shape or form, stop immediately and notify the instructor. Ensure that any blood is cleaned up properly prior to resuming training.
6. Bad body odour is distracting and shows a lack of courtesy to others.
7. Students must never come to class after drinking alcohol. It is too dangerous for everyone concerned.