Club rules

Hygiene

• Only bare feet or socks are permitted on the mats
• Footwear should be worn at all times when off the mats, especially in the bathroom/shower areas
• Maintain good personal hygiene and always try to arrive fresh and clean
• Keep your nails clean and cut short for everyone’s safety
• Wash your uniform after every single use (tip: soak items with white vinegar periodically to reduce bad odors)
• Do not train with any contagious skin conditions. If you suspect you may have an infection but are not sure, always ask the coach before training
• If you suffer from a chronic foot condition such as fungal nail infection or verrucas, you must wear socks on the mats (we recommend getting some grippy socks from Amazon)
• Do not train if you have any contagious illness such as a cold

Clothing

• Chests must be covered with a rash guard or t shirt at all times on the mats, gi and no-gi
  
• Remove any jewellery, watches and piercings. If not removable, cover with tape
  
• Wearing a mouth guard while rolling is advised
  

Etiquette

• You have the right to choose your training partners. If you do not wish to train or roll with someone, simply say “no thanks”. You do not need to give a reason if you do not wish to
• Members must respect others’ rights to choose their partners

Restricted submissions

• Belt restricted submissions such as leg locks are permitted in sparring at all belt levels, however they should be used with more vigilance and care than other submissions
  
• The responsibility is on the attacker to keep their partner safe at all times. Always be ready to let go immediately if you need to
• Heel hooks in particular should not be used by or against anyone who has not been trained in them. If you are rolling with someone you don’t know, always ask before you go for them
  
• Competition rulesets must still be followed, e.g. no heel hooks in the gi

Banned techniques

While serious injuries are thankfully rare, one common cause of them is uncontrolled falling bodyweight. For that reason, while legal in many rulesets, the following techniques are banned from use during general sparring:

• Jumping closed guard | video
  
• Tani-otoshi when performed with your head in front or to the side of your partner | video
  
• Kani-basami (leg scissor) | video
  
• Flying armbars/triangles

Use of these techniques in sparring is only permitted with the explicit permission of your training partner and the coach