School Rules

·                     When entering or leaving the Do Jang, you should always bow to the flags. See the section on bowing for more information.

·                     The Do Jang is a "House of Discipline." You should NOT make loud noise, laugh or disturb other classes in progress. No horseplay will be tolerated in the Do Jang at any time. The same principles apply when entering the facilities that the Do Jang resides in. All younger students must, when entering the building, proceed directly to the Do Jang area. No loitering away from the Do Jang area will be accepted. Those who are found outside of the Do Jang area without an adequate reason will be asked to leave and/or suspended.

·                     You are not allowed to chew gum, or wear socks, shoes (except those approved for martial arts practice) or jewelry on the training floor. This is for your safety and the safety of those you practice with. If a piece of jewelry absolutely cannot be removed for some reason, then a band-aid or piece of athletic tape should cover the piece of jewelry.

·                     No swear words, either direct or implied, should be spoken in the Do Jang (this includes swear words in ANY language).

·                     Always respect and obey your instructor.

·                     When you meet your instructor, or when entering or leaving your Instructor's office, you should come to attention and bow politely from the waist.

·                     When you are called by an instructor, are questioned, or when you ask a question, you should acknowledge him/her by saying "SIR" or "MA'AM", e.g., "Yes, Sir," or ''No, Ma'am," ''thank you, Ma'am," or "Good-night, Sir."

·                     All students must be well groomed during any class session or Tae Kwon Do activities. All nails must be neatly trimmed, uniform clean, and hair pulled back out of the eyes.

·                     When you straighten your uniform, you should always turn away from the flags, your instructor and any senior members, and then return to your original position. This is a sign of respect because you are showing your desire to look your best when facing the instructor, senior members and the flags.

·                     Junior members must always respect senior members. Senior members must always help junior members.

·                     No students are permitted to show or teach a lower belt any techniques, both in and out of the Do Jang, unless specifically permitted by your instructor.

·                     No free-sparring may be engaged in, unless permitted by an instructor.

·                     If you must be absent for more than one week, you should inform your instructor beforehand.

·                     All students must be current in their class fees and other payments (doboks, training equipment, seminar fees, etc.).

·                     The school will not be held responsible for lost or stolen articles. You are responsible for everything you bring with you.

·                     Members are always welcome to make suggestions for the improvement of the school. You should always help recruit new members.

·                     Students are NOT allowed to leave the room without permission from the instructor or an adult Black Belt.

Free-Sparring Rules

·                     During free-sparring low belts must attack higher belts with respect. High belts must respect, help, and guide the lower belts.

·                     Free-sparring must be controlled using light or no contact at all. No contact is to be made by children, regardless of rank, and by white belts.

·                     Good manners must be practiced at all times. No wild or uncontrolled behavior will be allowed.

·                     No fighting will be tolerated. Any student who engages in fighting, verbal or physical, will be given one warning if the incident is minor. After two warnings, or if the fight is considered to be major, he/she will be dismissed from the Academy of Korean Martial Arts indefinitely.

·                     Senior belts must not use their advanced techniques against beginners or students below Green Belt.

·                     The following techniques are NOT to be used during classes, except when Master Moore supervises and/or instructs the specific techniques:

·                     Face Punching

·                     Grabbing

·                     Pushing

·                     Throwing

·                     Low Section Attack

·                     Attacking Back Area

Etiquette

·                     The Do Jang is a place for serious Tae Kwon Do study. It should be treated with respect by all Tae Kwon Do students. All who enter it should have the same respect for each other that they have for the Do Jang.

·                     Conduct: The Do Jang is a place for serious study, not a social gathering. Since the Do Jang is a place of respect, FOUL LANGUAGE AND UNSPORTSMANLIKE conduct will not be tolerated. Whether in the Do Jang, in a promotional testing, in a form competition or in free-sparring, never criticize a partner for not moving well, blame a partner for not making you "look good" enough, or sacrifice technique for the sake of "beating" your opponent. Such behavior is NOT consistent with basic Tae Kwon Do philosophy.

·                     Silence: Refrain from idle conversation while practicing Tae Kwon Do. You should have come to the Do Jang to practice this martial art, not to talk with your friends. When the instructor is talking, he should have your undivided attention. If you have a question, ask one of the instructors, not the person next to you. Talking is prohibited while practicing. A controlled mind is necessary in order to control the body.

·                     Promptness: Your instructors and fellow students take the effort to be there on time. There is no reason for them to have to wait for you. Promptness is an important quality that you should strive for. If class is supposed to begin at 6:30pm, you should be in the Do Jang and ready to go by 6:20pm. If you do come to class late, you should stand at attention at the back of the room, raise your hand and wait to be acknowledged by the instructor. When the instructor acknowledges you, you should say, "May I join class sir/maam?" in a loud, clear voice. Once the instructor says that you may join class, you should fall in behind the lowest ranking belt. When lining up at the end of class, you should assume rank order.

·                     Cleanliness: Tae Kwon Do is a contact martial art; therefore, you should come to practice with a clean mind and body. In the interest of hygiene and mutual respect for your fellow students, you should always wear a clean Do Bok. Your fingernails and toenails should be neatly trimmed to prevent injury to you or your partner. A scratch from a dirty fingernail or toenail can easily become infected.

·                     Bowing: One of the first things that you should learn is the proper bow and when to use it. The bow is the Oriental equivalent of shaking hands in the Western countries. Upon meeting your instructor, inside or outside the Do Jang, you should bow. In bowing you are showing respect for the martial art, the instructors, others in Tae Kwon Do, and yourself. You should bow 45° towards the flags when you step in or out of the Do Jang, and at the beginning and end of each instruction period. After entering you should bow and introduce yourself to new faces as well as your friends. Bowing is also used while starting and finishing practice with a partner.

·                     When lining up, arrange yourself in order of descending rank right to left, front row through the back row. These rows and columns should be as straight as possible. These straight lines are attained by lining up according to the position of the senior student. Lining up at the beginning of class should not take longer than a minute at most. It’s the student’s responsibility to regard this policy with the upmost respect.

·                     Sitting: Another thing you should learn early in your Tae Kwon Do instruction is the proper way of sitting. There are two correct positions. The crossed-legged "Indian Style" is used most often by Westerners. Your hands should rest comfortably in your lap. Requiring greater flexibility, the traditional approach is kneeling with your knees and feet together, while sitting on your heels.

·                     While sitting on the edge of the Do Jang, you should never lie down or stick your legs out. Someone might accidentally fall or trip on them and hurt themselves or you. If you are sitting in the proper position, you will be able to move quickly and prevent injury to yourself arid others. When you are at the edge of the Do Jang, you should be paying strict attention to what is happening on the floor. Watching is one of the best ways to learn Tae Kwon Do.

·                     Dress: Being a vigorous physical activity, Tae Kwon Do will make you perspire freely. Whether actually engaged in practice or not, you are to wear your Do Bok properly, not in a disorderly fashion to cool off. You may wish to wear a shirt underneath your dobok jacket. White doboks that are repeatedly exposed to sweat can easily become discolored. An undershirt can reduce or eliminate this discoloration. For gup ranks (colored belts) a white shirt should be worn underneath the dobok. Black belts may choose to wear either white or black shirts under their dobok. A moisture wicking shirt, such as an Under Armour type shirt is the best choice. Also, belts should not be washed due to various problems that may come up with the coloring of that belt. There is a history behind not washing belts. It used to be that you started off with a white belt and eventually belts collected enough dirt that you would then consider yourself a black belt.

·                     Jewelry: Rings, watches, bracelets, and earrings should be removed before stepping onto the floor. Women should remove hairpins, barrettes, which could injure an eye. Any such object can cut your partner or become entangled and cause injury to you.

·                     Safety: One of the most important reasons for Do Jang etiquette is that it provides safe practice for everyone. Safety precautions are never regretted. You will soon learn that everything done in the Do Jang is based upon the principle of MUTUAL WELFARE AND BENEFIT.

Testing

·                     Testing is the means in which the instructors of the organization judge the growth of the individual student. If students desire to advance in rank, then they’re required to go through this testing process.

·                     Every testing is scheduled throughout the year approximately every two months. Specific testing dates are posted in class for every student. Every student must attend and observe these testings in order to advance in rank. If a student is to miss a testing then he must notify Master Moore before the testing date. If a student misses a testing date without notifying Master Moore then that student will not be allowed to test in the two month testing period. This problem can be avoided simply by informing Master Moore on your attendance.

·                     Students are required to fill out testing applications before testing will be allowed. All testing applications must be turned in at a reasonable time before testing dates. All fees also must be paid by a reasonable time before testing dates.

·                     Any late testing applications or fees will be frowned upon. It the student’s responsibility to make sure that all information and fees are taken care of before the desired testing.

·                     Those students who wish to test must have permission from the school owner (Master Moore) first. Testing is a privilege that must be earned throughout diligent practice throughout class periods. If it is decided that the student will not be allowed to test because of performance reasons then the student must comply with the request.

·                     Etiquette at testing must include the utmost respect. It is the responsibility of the student to be prepared to perform their required techniques and forms. Higher ranks must be ready to perform their break-falls/ take-downs, three-step/ free sparring, and board breaking techniques. Any indignation that a technique is not memorized will only hurt the overall score of the student.