Our priority at Madd House BJJ is to provide our friends with a place where they can advance in the martial art that we love. As everyone knows, chaos is not much fun, so there have to be rules and expectations. We promise that our instructors will hold themselves to high standards in terms of ethics and decorum. We only ask that our members reciprocate that commitment.
Personal Conduct
Please regard everyone at Madd House BJJ with the full respect due human persons. Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated.
We welcome you to ask questions and request explanations from our instructors. Fielding those requests is part of teaching, but please let the instructors lead the class. It is fine to help your fellow members with a technique, but your first impulse should be to direct them to the instructor.
Be cognizant of who your training partner is. It can be intimidating for someone to roll with a larger, more experienced, or younger person. It is not impressive to “win” against a weaker opponent. Gauge your intensity to fit the situation.
Always respect your partner’s “tap.” When someone submits (either verbally or with a literal tap), the game ends. We need to trust each not to hurt each other.
Please do your best to be on time for classes. We understand that life happens, and it is better to come late than not to train at all! Just be as polite as possible when you arrive.
Nobody is required to partner with anyone. If somebody makes you uncomfortable, you are entitled to avoid contact with him/her. Please share concerns you might have with you instructor. We only ask that you be polite.
Physical Safety
BJJ is no more dangerous than most other sports. There will be regular “wear and tear” injuries, e.g. bumps and bruises, muscle tweaks, etc. Yes, major injuries do occur, but we can all do things to minimize that.
Tap when you are in a submission. If you are not sure, tap. It’s not a big deal. All of us will be submitted by our training partners. That’s what common progress looks like!
If you have a minor injury, don’t push it! A few days off is not a problem. You can still come to class, watch the lesson, and hangout with your friends. Nobody will judge you for making a good decision!
Lower your intensity when rolling. Even during sparring rounds, back off the throttle. The harder you push, the harder your opponent will push, and that is how your body hits the breaking point. There is a time for “Level 10,” but the vast majority of your training should be less intense. Approach BJJ with a spirit of play! It is more fun that way, and you will ultimately get more time on the mat.
Hygiene
BJJ requires close physical contact with other people, so we all owe it to each other to take hygiene seriously.
Clip your finger and toe nails before every class. Long nails cause scrapes and cuts that can lead to infections.
Remove all jewelry while training.
No street shoes are allowed on the mats. We will clean the mats before and after class, but walking on them with your shoes will reintroduce germs.
If you have a cut, scrape, or nose bleed, pause your training and address it.
If you have any kind of skin infection, do not train until you have cleared it.
Wear flip-flops when walking to-from the changing room. We will have several pairs of flip flops available, but we encourage you to purchase your own.
Shower as soon as possible after class. Trust us, you’ll want to do this!
Wash your gi and no-gi gear after each class.
If you are ill, don’t train. BJJ will still be here when you are better.
Respect Strong Auto Body and Its Employees!
Madd House BJJ can only exist by the generosity of Kurtis Genail and his staff at Strong. Please conduct yourself in a way that will make him proud to have us in this facility!
When you arrive, use the staircase on the east side of the Strong building.
Do not use the Strong parking lot. Park on Commercial Street or in the bank lot.
Spectators are not allowed on the mats.
Do not leave unattended children in the viewing/waiting area.
Clean up after yourself.
We share this space with the Atchison Kids Wrestling Club. We need to be cooperative with them, and there will be times when we need to schedule around their needs.