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Class Attire &
Etiquette:
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Muay Thai/Thai Boxing:
This classe
requires students to wear ThaiBoxing Shorts. Because of the loose leg
openings of the shorts, you are required to wear black (or white)
spandex/compression shorts underneath. They must be above the knee and
no other type of leggings or colors will be allowed. This will keep
consistency in the class uniform.
MMAC & Kardio Kickboxing:
Active Workout Wear-Please keep in mind, some classes will include grappling, and/or kicking
therefore short shorts, or loose leg openings would not be appropriate unless
compression shorts or workout tights are worn underneath. Full T-shirts are
recommended however, tanks tops are acceptable. (For females: a sports bra
or full coverage bra must be worn with tanks. No matter what size you are) Please wear appropriate undergarments in all classes.
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Little things to keep in mind....
The following is an article that is well worth reading. It has
common sense mixed in with humor, which makes it very enlightening while at the
same time giving you a good laugh. If nothing else, please read the section
on
Etiquette and
Life
Lessons!
BASIC TRUTHS OF MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING: A FEW
LISTS OF UNIVERSAL ETIQUETTE, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MARTIAL ARTS
TRAINING REALISMS
 |
By Diana Rathborne. MN Kali Group |
Working, and/or working out in a gym, is always
interesting. There are lots of different people sharing the same
environment over long periods of time. A martial arts school is an even
more interesting place to be - especially for a woman. For the female
martial arts instructor, it can be even more so.
I walked in the door of Rick Faye's school (the
MN Kali Group) with no martial arts background, and no contact experience.
Most of the girls that I know didn't grow up fighting with their friends
or school mates at recess or after school. Most didn't watch boxing or
martial arts movies. As a result, like many women, I had no frame of
reference for the information I was learning. For the information to make
sense to me, I had to make it really simple and logical. I have been lucky
enough to learn from great martial artists, such as Sifu Rick Faye, Guro
Dan Inosanto, Master Chai Sirisute, Sensei Erik Paulson, Professors
Machado, Guro Rick Young, and many, many others. Below are some tidbits
that I've gleaned from my instructors, training partners, classmates and
students on a few of the basics of interpersonal dynamics and personal
development as they apply inside the gym, and possibly outside of it as
well.
 | Martial Arts Realisms |
| *Where the head
goes, the body will follow. A pony tail, hooded sweatshirt, and
jewelry all make great handles. |
| *If your head
isn't working, neither are you. Protect your head at all times.
|
| *Never trust your
holder. |
| *Never trust your
kicker. |
| *Keep your eyes
open. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not going to hit
you. |
| *Keep your mouth
shut. Biting your tongue is not just a metaphor. |
| *There's nothing
about "eye poke" that doesn't work. |
| *Every time you
get hit, learn something, especially if the person who hit you is you.
|
| *Size matters. So
does attitude, intensity and ingenuity. |
| *The stronger you
are, the harder you will hit. Always work on the big 3: speed,
strength and endurance. |
| *Hydration: sweat
is good. More sweat is better. Water is your friend. |
| *Don't judge
someone's ability by his appearance. |
For the Advanced Students and Instructors
- *Everyone walks
in the door of a martial arts school for reasons of self-improvement.
People stay for a vast array of reasons. Someone else's reason may not
be the same as yours.
- *The more women
in your classes, the more men you'll have in your classes, and the
more people you can impact with the art.
- *Help out the
beginners. They are the future of the art.
- *Don't hit the
beginners. While it is fun and easy, they are the future of your art.
- *Don't hit on the
beginners. Wait at least a couple of weeks (kidding). They may need
the training more than you need a date.
- *Don't let your
students/instructors stare at the beginning women students (no matter
what they are wearing).
- *Don't partner
your new good-looking students with known lecherous students.
- *Don't partner
your new small students with really big students, or students training
for a fight. They'll leave feeling beaten, and most often won't come
back.
- *Men new to
grappling are just as freaked out by having to grapple with a woman as
new women are by having to grapple with a man.
- *If you have new
women in the class, keep the grappling to a bare minimum, unless it's
a grappling class, and train the triangle choke from the guard on
another day.
- *Breathe. Green,
grey, splotchy and ash white are not colorings you are aiming for. If
you see these colors on your training partner or your students, make
them slow down before they pass out, keel over, or throw up.
- *Be nice to the
really weird people. You may be someone else's really weird person.
Etiquette
| *Hygiene,
hygiene, hygiene: soap, toothpaste and deodorant are essentials to
training. |
| *If someone says
you smell, you probably do, and not just on the day they mention it. |
| *If you
inadvertently hit your partner in the groin, get out of range and keep
moving until he isn't mad anymore. |
| *Scratching your
partner is a bad thing. Trim your nails and wash under them. |
| *Bleeding on
someone is bad form. Cover your blisters, etc., before you start
training. |
| *Wear
underwear....please! Going commando may be comfortable for you, but
the view certainly isn't for those around you. |
| *Running shorts
are not good for grappling or Thai boxing. Your personal parts will
not stay enclosed in the clothing. |
| *A halter top is
not good for grappling or Thai boxing. (See above.) |
| *Don't squish
your partner in grappling just because you can. |
| *Storage of
sweaty clothes in the trunk of your car should make them ineligible
for the next training session. In a moist, dark environment, they grow
their own special odors. |
| *Wash your hand
wraps and throw your gloves away when they smell. |
| *Don't make
anyone else wash your blood and/or sweat off the heavy bag, floor,
Thai pads, focus mitts, mat, etc. Bring a towel with you to class. |
Life Lessons
- *The term
"Princess" is:
 | *gender neutral. |
| *does not mean you will look good wearing
a crown and sitting on a throne. Expanding your comfort zone is a
benefit of the training. It is not an evil plot on the part of
your teacher or training partner to see how you look when you are
uncomfortable. |
*Don't quit
unless you are injured, and don't let anyone else cause you to quit.
*Don't quit
because you are frustrated. Find a different aspect of the art, or
your motion, to focus on and develop.
*Anything you set
your mind to do you can do.
*Each of us has a
different and unique body, which has different and unique attributes.
Just because you want someone else's attributes doesn't mean you're
going to get them. It's your job to develop the ones you were given.
*Don't compare
yourself to those around you. You'll either be way better or way worse
in your analysis, neither of which is true, and neither has any
bearing on your own development.
*You can learn
from anyone if you keep an open mind. The answers will come from a
variety of people, styles, systems and cultures.
*Your way is not
necessarily the best way, and is definitely not the only way.
*You will change
through the training. Make sure it is in a positive direction.
*Unless you
absolutely have to (or have chosen to in a sanctioned format) don't
hit anyone outside of the gym.
*Anyone can do
this art if he puts his mind and body into it. Don't quit, don't
whine, leave your ego at the door and get to work.
*The body talks.
Let how you move speak for you. Regardless of your body and the
package you've got, you have to establish your own credibility. Once
this is done, move on; it's done. Everyone has the same hurdles to
overcome: too skinny, too heavy, too weak, the wrong gender, too old,
from a different ethnic/cultural background, physically, mentally or
learning disabled, too big, too small, too tall, too short, the list
goes on. Don't let your issues get in the way; they are irrelevant to
everyone but you.
*Have fun. This
is a great way to keep learning and developing!
We are all going to move differently, think
differently, and impact others differently. That is the beauty of JKD. As
men and women in the martial arts, we are all part of a wonderful
experience that encompasses self-defense, health, fitness, physical,
mental and spiritual development and cultural enrichment, as well as
intellectual and spiritual growth. We have the tremendous opportunity to
improve ourselves and those around us, both in and out of the martial arts
environment. The people with whom we come into contact will enhance this
experience and make us and our art better for it. |
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