Dojo Rules/Protocol/Etiquette

[Zanshin]

We have two rules in our Dojo:-

1. You do not write on the walls.

2. You obey all of the rules.

An acerbic bit of British humor (from the cult TV show porridge), but it demonstrates nicely the fact that if you make a rule book, you could be making a rod for your own back!

[Tiger1962]

In our school, the most important 10 rules are actually posted above the door as you walk into the training area... clean, wrinkle free gi, no talking while instructor is talking, no profanity... You get the point. In our manual, the beginning does have the rules and responsibilities of the students listed. It is not too much. Then the manual is broken down by the different ranks and what is expected of them to achieve that and the next rank. It is quite nice. There are rules and if it is in the manual, the student or parent cannot come back to you later and tell you they were never told.

Manuals are an excellent idea and so is posting some of the rules too because you never know when someone will say "oh I lost the manual or misplaced it."

[tallgeese]

Ours is more of a rough syllabis than anything. A list of rank requirements including prinicples, drills, expectations, ect. There's a brief history of the system and some info on the instructors.

The rules to the group vary per school. Some have more than others, some vary based on the type of class. There's a basic list in the handbook, the extent to which it's followed depends on the group.

[rockdan]

Much like Tori, we have the 10 Basic Rules posted inside the Dojo for all to see, they include the standard rules about clean uniforms and bodies, no talking out of turn etc. The rules for everything else are learned as the students are in class and exposed to more and more. The guidelines for rank vary very little between ranks and are explained as necessary. The only handout we have is regarding uniform regulations so that new students know what patches they need and where they need to be.

I would say that mostly students learn by example from those that are higher ranking and when they need to learn something specific they are told.