San Jose Judo Academy (SJJA)

Etiquette and Rules 

 

San Jose Judo Academy (SJJA) is committed to maintaining a safe and positive training environment. The head instructor reserves the right to dismiss or expel anyone for any reason, including failure to observe the etiquette and rules herein. Any illegal behavior will be reported to law enforcement.

 

1. Focus: listen and follow instructions from instructors authorized to teach by the SJJA head instructor.

2. Train hard: no talking during instruction; perform techniques with your best effort; exercise maturity.

3. Be humble: come to the dojo to learn; instruction shall be provided only by SJJA authorized instructors.

4. Be respectful: show respect for students, parents, and instructors while at the dojo.

5. Be observant: parents are encouraged to observe the class from the spectator chairs; no sitting on the mats or coaching during active sessions.

6. Be punctual: be on time to all scheduled classes or training sessions.

7. Maintain a positive environment: practice kind gestures and speech; avoid profanity, obscenities, offensive speech or gestures, and bullying or insolence. 

8. Bow: practice bowing when entering or exiting the dojo and tatami.

9. Keep feet and hands clean: wear sandals while off the tatami and remove sandals before entering the tatami.

10. Remove all jewelry: men and women shall remove body piercings or jewelry prior to entering the tatami.

11. Practice good hygiene: keep fingers and toenails trimmed and filed; wear a freshly laundered and dried gi to each practice.

12. Maintain a tidy gi and obi: keep your obi properly tied and wear your gi with the left lapel over the right; check frequently during practice.

13. Wear proper undergarments: female students shall wear a crew neck t-shirt or scratch guard under their gi, while male students are only allowed scratch guards when wearing an undergarment.

14. Keep the dojo clean: pick-up finger tape and offer to sanitize and mop the tatami after each practice.

15. Sit properly on the tatami: while on the tatami, sit in seiza or agura (cross-legged).

16. Encourage: all SJJA practice attendees are welcome to encourage athletes.

17. Coordinate: seek permission from your head instructor before visiting another dojo or entering a tournament.

18. Do not abuse drugs: students shall refrain from using recreational or performance enhancement drugs, or abuse drugs not prescribed by a certified physician; parents shall not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while attending a practice or SJJA function.

            SJJA has adopted the Minor Athletic Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) developed by the center for SafeSport. The full MAAPP policy and                 reporting mechanism for SafeSport infractions can be found at SafeSport Program (Teamusa.org)