Appearance
All Budoka (players) shall wear correctly fitting, clean outfits (Gi) with no rips or tears.
Females must wear a plain white short sleeved t-shirt under their jacket and tucked into the trousers. A small logo on the breast of the t-shirt is acceptable.
All badges or tags should be correctly and securely attached to the Gi / Obi (Belt) and should only be worn with the specific permission of the Club Sensei.
All Budoka shall be of clean appearance with short finger and toenails.
No watches, jewellery, metallic hairgrips or hair bands or any other object that may be a danger to any Judoka should be worn on the mat (tatami).
No sweatbands, friendship bracelets or similar shall be worn on the tatami.
All Budoka shall wear suitable footwear while off of the tatami and will remove them on entry to the tatami.
Padding, supports or other similar attire may only be worn with the express permission of the Mat Sensei.
Behaviour
All Budoka will arrive on time for the beginning of the class and will, where possible, use the toilet before the class starts. Failure to arrive on time may result in not being allowed to participate in the class.
All Budoka will bow into and out of the practice hall (Dojo).
All persons shall keep noise to a minimum whilst in the Dojo
All Mobile Telephones must be switched off during the class.
There will be no eating in the Dojo.
There will be no smoking in the Dojo.
Drinking will only be allowed with the permission of the Mat Sensei and will only be allowed off of the tatami.
All Budoka shall seek permission to leave or enter the tatami. The Mat Sensei must be aware of anyone entering or leaving the tatami.
All Budoka shall bow on and off of the tatami.
While on the tatami, all Budoka shall behave in an orderly and polite manner and will listen to, and act upon, instructions as soon as required.
At the beginning and end of each class a bow will be made to the Sensei and the students.
While on the tatami all Budoka should be aware of the surroundings and should ensure that their actions do not endanger others as well as themselves.
If a Budoka wishes to train at another Dojo, not run by the Club Sensei, permission must be sought to ensure Budoka attend only clubs with sound reputations for instruction and safety.
Budoka from other clubs may train with us and must adhere to the club rules. See note also under General section regarding club and Bushido Budo Kai membership.
Photography
Photography of any kind (video or stills and including the use of mobile phone cameras or any other photographic equipment) is only allowed in any Dojo subject to the completion of a Photography Permissions Form and with the express permission of the Club Sensei.
Please note that certain children are protected by the courts and cannot be photographed under any circumstances. Failure to adhere to these rules may result in criminal proceedings being taken.
Absolutely NO photography will be allowed in areas such as changing rooms or toilets and any person/s that is suspicious of such activity should report it directly to the Police. The Club Child Protection Officer, Welfare Officer or the Child Protection Officer of the Bushido Budo Kai must also be informed.
Safety
All students must ensure they are properly warmed up before training commences. Typically this will form a part of any lesson.
The Mat Sensei must be notified of any illness or injury suffered by a Budoka before each session and a decision will be made as to whether he/she is fit to train. In some cases a Doctors note or other confirmation of fitness to participate will be required.
As soon as an injury occurs during training (however trivial) the Mat Sensei must be notified and a decision will be made as to whether he/she is fit to continue.
No person shall enter the tatami during training without the specific permission of the Mat Sensei.
No technique will be practiced which is not recognised as a legitimate technique unless with the specific permission of the Mat Sensei.
Under no circumstances should any technique be practiced or executed outside of the Dojo.
All Budoka should ensure that sufficient space exists for a technique to be executed in a safe and proper manner.
The Mat Sensei will ensure that the tatami is safe and will point out any danger areas.
In any event the word of the Club Sensei is final. Any disputes should take place off of the tatami. Suggestions and comments are always welcome to improve safety and enjoyment for all.
Emergency situtations
In the event of an emergency, e.g. Fire. It is imperative that all persons present follow the instructions of the Club Sensei or appointed Emergency Officer without delay. Failure to do so could jeopardise the safety / life of another person.
The emergency officer or another delegated person will ensure the building is clear.
If the club is run in a public building e.g. school or sports centre, then the Club Sensei must familiarise him/herself with the procedures applicable to that building and ensure that club members and spectators understand them.
Gradings & Instructors
The Club Sensei will arrange grading sessions approximately once every six months but no less than once per year subject to the following points. For senior grades who have attained 2nd KYU, Budoka will be expected to attend a National grading.
Gradings will only be arranged if the number of Budoka able to participate makes it viable based on the requirements of the grade being sought.
If a student is unable to participate in an arranged grading session for whatever reason then they will have to await the next one in order to be graded.
If a student is unhappy with a grading decision then the Club Sensei must be notified immediately and an appropriate decision will be made.
The Club Sensei will have the final decision as to whether a student participates.
In any event the Club Sensei’s word is final.
Any person wishing to instruct must have achieved a minimum grade of 3rd Kyu (Green Belt) and must regularly attend sessions as a student to ensure ongoing education while carrying a Kyu grade. At least one session per calendar month is considered regular as a minimum standard. Absolutely no exceptions will be made.
Failure to meet the above criteria will result in the Budoka being allowed only to assist in the supervising of the mat.
Any Budoka, who has not practiced for a period of six months, will not be able to wear their original club grade and must enter a grading to establish an appropriate level. If the Club Sensei feels this period should be altered for whatever reason he may do so.
Any Budoka who does not appear to be maintaining standards appropriate to their grade may be asked to re-grade in order to justify the current position.
Any adult who is in contact with any person under the age of 18 must agree to an appropriate check with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and may be subject to further background checks to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all who participate. These checks may be redone periodically but no less frequently than every three years. It is also the responsibility of the adult to disclose to the Child Protection Officer, any subsequent criminal convictions.
General
All Budoka, after a period of three sessions, must take up membership of Tora Judo Kai or Bushido which includes membership of the Bushido Budo Kai to ensure appropriate insurance coverage. Visiting Budoka must also adhere to this.
All rules are in addition to the general rules applicable to the Budo arts and may vary with little or no notice.
BUDO SHOULD BE CONDUCTED FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF ALL CONCERNED. IN RETURN FOR RECOGNITION AND RESPECT FOR THEIR ACHEIVEMENTS, HIGHER GRADES ARE EXPECTED TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT BEGINNERS AND LOWER GRADES BY FREELY PASSING ON THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND BENEFIT OF THEIR EXPERIENCE.