Members

Etiquette

Arriving and the Parking Lot

Please plan to arrive 5 minutes early since we all know “On Time is Early”! If you are actually late, take a deep breath and drive slowly.

Always DRIVE SLOWLY. There are many children around between 2pm and 6pm and we value their little lives!

Respect our neighbors and ONLY park in our spaces or unlabeled spaces – even for just a minute. If a neighbor’s business is closed, their spaces are fair game. However, if another business owner asks you to move, please do so. We are not fans of pretentious parkers.

There is no waiting or stopping in front of the dojo front doors. Pull ahead and over next to the building if you are waiting to pick someone up. Be conscientious of other drivers and pedestrians.

On the Matt

Remove your shoes & place them in the shoe cubbies or under a bench, not at the edge of the mat, or the middle of the floor.

Come to class freshly showered. Any smell, good or bad, is stronger when your body warms up and when you’re in close contact with a partner. If you can smell yourself…we can too!

Come to class with a freshly washed gi (uniform). Fungus grows quickly in sweaty clothes (and then transfers to your body) so wash your gi the moment you get home. Bleach is not necessary but a daily wash is! Do not train in a gi that has not been washed.

Please turn off cell phones or at least put them in vibrate mode before class. If you absolutely must take a call, speak quietly and briefly or step outside.

Clean up after yourself. Put away the bags and equipment you use – help keep the mats tidy.

Do not come to the dojo with any illness, cough, fever, sneezing, or unidentified rashes. Stay home and do a make up class.

Kids & Parents:

Our goal is to teach children the discipline and respect inherent in martial arts but we cannot do it without your help. Follow the rules in the parking lot and model respect for them.

When you arrive, everyone should be quiet upon entering the dojo. Kids should immediately put their shoes away, check in and get ready for class.

Children should NEVER step onto the mat without an instructor present and when they do, they must enter with “walking feet” and line up in attention position or seiza position.

If you are early, children may play at the Lego area quietly. The dojo echoes so you will have to help them monitor their noise level. Any small siblings need to also follow these rules as well.

Be present for your child. Watch their class! Make time to turn off your device and really pay attention and make sure they see you doing so. We have seen that it has a huge impact on kids when they feel their parent’s presence. Conversely, there are times where a parent’s presence is distracting and in that case, it’s best to wait in the car or just out of sight!

When your child is on the mat, DO NOT communicate with them. They need to learn the ropes on their own and answer to their instructor independently.

Please quiet your cell phones & devices during class. If you absolutely must take a call, speak quietly and briefly or step outside. Students waiting for siblings or for their class on devices MUST use earbuds/headphones. It is disrespectful to have a device’s sound on in a public place and especially in a dojo.