Q: What should students check or do before class?

A: CUT FINGERNAILS AND TOENAILS! Some of the worst cuts come from toenails! Thou shall not wield Toe-Daggers or Scissor-Hands against thy training partners.

Students should come to class fresh, clean and dry- ESPECIALLY FEET. Asserting dominance through odorific assault is for the beast of the wild. We seek to be fully human by God’s grace. This is The Way.

All jewelry (except rubber rings), watches, glasses, etc. must be removed.

Long hair must be tied up away from the neck.

Q: What should students wear to class?

A: Students should wear sandals to class, so they can quickly slip out of them to be barefoot on the mat, and into them any time they are stepping off the mat, in order to keep their feet and the mats clean. 

For Gi Jiu-Jitsu classes, students should still wear a rash guard or t-shirt under the gi, so they are always ready to transition quickly to No-Gi training.

For No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, students should wear a t-shirt or rash guard TUCKED IN to drawstring athletic training shorts or grappling shorts or sweatpants. Spats can be worn under shorts.

(Athletic tape can be used to cover anything that needs it.)

Q: What else should students bring to class?

A: Definitely water. 

Mouth pieces are recommended for live work in Jiu-Jitsu, and required for striking sparring.

Students who know themselves to sweat profusely should feel good about their superior detox abilities AND bring a towel.

Q: Is it okay to wear socks on the mat?

A: No. It is anathema, as well as a cringe-inducing newb-move, liable to make you slip. Bare feet on the mat, sandals off the mat. This is The Way.

Q: What if I step on the mat with shoes?

A: First you will see the initiated students look at this misdeed in horror, and then at the Professor in expectation of wrath. The aforementioned wrath will come sprinkled with the mercy extended to newbs.

Q: Can I get a drink of water, or leave the mat whenever I want?

A: No. We suffer together until the Professor announces the time for all to take a break. Breaks come every 20 minutes. This is The Way.

(But if there is any NEED, just communicate it and do as needed.)

Q: What should students do if they feel their training partner is training too hard or not being cooperative?

A: Ask the partner to take it down a notch so everyone can learn safely, or go discreetly to the Professor. If you opt for the former and they don’t listen, then let the professor know.

DON’T ESCALATE OR SEEK RETRIBUTION. DON’T GOSSIP. Some people are naturally hard chargers and calming down may be a process we need to help them with through open communication or feedback given to the Professor. Any students who are continually unwilling or unable to train safely will be excluded from The Way.