Safe Practice Policy
All members and instructors training in the dojo will have up to date membership to both the NGB (British Aikido Board) and West Midlands Aikido Association which currently is £20 per year Adults & £15 per year under 18 years old. By doing this you will have up to date insurance and full cover to train, without this you will not be allowed to train in the dojo. All instructors must declare a coach cover application and obtained a Level, 1,2,3 NGB (British Aikido Board) coach qualification to gain professional indemnity along with normal insurance which is currently £20 per year, without this you will not be permitted to teach any classes. All instructors will also be asked to complete a DBS check every 3 years that will be reviewed by the senior committee members that must return back as a clean record.
The Martial Art of Aikido is an activity where safe practice is essential to help prevent injury for both Adults and children. Children are particularly vulnerable as they are still developing mentally and physically, so training methods need to be modified as described below.
SECTION 1: SAFE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT
Instructors must ensure the Health and Safety of students, parents/guardians or spectators by providing, as far as is reasonable, a safe training environment throughout the whole dojo. The definition of a instructor is a person who has a Level, 1,2,3 NGB (British Aikido Board) coach qualification.
The following key areas should be checked.
FLOOR SURFACE: A correct training surface for Aikido is a padded (safety mat) type floor covering over the top of the existing floor, this padded (safety mat) should be no less than 30mm thick. All floor surfaces must be clean and devoid of all sharp objects, for example broken glass and splinters, and be free from hazards, such as loose boards or uneven surfaces or major holes or crakes in the padded (safety mat). The surface should have sufficient grip to maintain stability yet allow twisting, and this grip should not be allowed to deteriorate through condensation, which often results from hard training on cold floors. Adequate ventilation via windows, doors and fans will often alleviate this problem. Any blood spills should be wiped up using an appropriate cleanser – this is particularly important because of the danger of contamination through cuts and cracks in the feet.
LIGHTING: Lighting must be adequate for safe vision. Artificial lighting should be well positioned to avoid glare and direct shine. Curtains or blinds should be used to prevent glare from the sun.
HEATING: An instructor must use common sense regarding a suitable temperature in which to conduct a lesson. As a guide, this is comfortable room temperature (around 18c). It is important to have and to use an adequate heating system. If it particularly cold, the instructor may encourage students to wear an extra layer of clothing for the warm-up.
VENTILATION: Again the Instructor must use common sense. Fresh air is necessary for strenuous exercise, and there should be provision for opening windows, doors or operation of extractor fans.
SURROUNDING AREA: Pillars, low beams and radiators should be well padded to avoid impact injuries. Wall fixings such as fire extinguishers, pictures, clocks and notice boards should be properly securely mounted. Unsecured objects, such as stacked chairs or items on shelves must be checked for stability – a class landing in unison can have the effect of a minor earthquake! Instructors must be aware of possible dangers caused by glass, and keep a safe border away from any non-toughened or unprotected windows and mirrors. It is also important to have a safety area if there are spectators, or if some class members are sitting.
SPATIAL CONSIDERATIONS: There must be adequate amount of space for the numbers attending and the nature of the lesson. If the room is too full, collision injuries could occur, and it will also be more difficult for the Instructor to monitor the class and for students to clearly see the Instructor. Good discipline is important to maintain safe spacing of students.
CHANGING FACILITIES: Instructors who own or privately rent facilities are responsible for providing clean, tidy and well stocked changing rooms and toilets, washing facilities and drinking water.
EMERGENCY EXITS: Fire escapes should be clearly marked and known and kept free from obstruction. A central assembly point should be known and detailed make everyone aware in the building.
EQUIPMENT: Any equipment used should be in safe working order, and only used by appropriate groups. Students who need glasses should wear ‘Sports-safe’ type, and not be allowed to train without these or suitable contact lenses. No jewellery should be worn, and nails should be short.
SECTION 2: A GUIDE TO WARM-UP, STRETCHING, MOBILITY AND CONDITIONING EXERCISES FOR AIKIDO
This document has been produced as part of the West Midlands Aikido Association Guidelines, as a guide to exercises for warming up, stretching, mobility, conditioning and warming down for martial arts training. All activities should first include a thorough warm up which is appropriate for the activity taking place. This helps reduce the risk of injury, specific attention should be paid to those muscle groups that will be used during later activity.
Aikido is physically very demanding, and it is necessary to prepare the body to prevent injury and to maximise performance. Structured specific exercises routines will be conducted by the instructor or a designated person by the instructor during class .It is accepted that the warm-up and preparation time can vary greatly from person to person, and from situation to situation. Experienced practitioners may develop their own extra warm up routine before a class which is accepted as OK as long as the experienced practitioners are doing so in a safe area. It is important to warm-down at the end of strenuous exercise of which this will be conducted by the instructor or a designated person by the instructor at the end of the class.
Section 2 is divided into three main sections. Each section is prepared with notes.
Appendix: A- a warm-up exercise. Appendix: B- deals with stretching exercises , Appendix: C- Current Safety in Training Pamphlet
Appendix: A – Warm-up
The term ‘warm-up’ is often used to describe all the activity which takes place prior to the actual Martial Arts training. Here, the term describes specifically the process of increasing the blood circulation prior to stretching. Sustained light exercise increases the blood flow to the working muscles and surrounding areas – an increased blood supply brings more heat which makes the muscles and soft tissues more elastic, and therefore less prone to injury. It also brings more oxygen and nutrients and switches the metabolism to a more efficient system of generating the amount of energy which is required for a period of intense and dynamic activity. In anatomical terms, a warm-up is the use of major muscles to pump a faster supply of blood to all the skeletal muscles and surrounding soft tissues. At rest, the heart will supply all muscles and organs with sufficient blood to allow them to function. Too violent a change in the workload can catch the system unprepared, and there is then a much greater potential for injury and much greater potential for injury and much less a potential for efficiency. In practice a warm-up should consist of gentle and sustained working of muscles. A gentle jog around the dojo for 3 to 4 minutes is fine, as is gently bouncing on the spot. Both use the calf muscles as the main ‘pump’, but the shoulders and arms and many other muscles will also come into play. Such exercises are referred to as aerobic, because they demand oxygen for the blood. These exercises are emphasised that at this stage movements should be gentle and controlled, not violent. An alternative to aerobic exercises might be the simple act of moving the body into different positions, especially if this involves moving to and from the floor. This will eventually warm the body, but will take longer and may not be sufficient if the dojo is not warm enough. If it is particularly cold, it might be necessary to ‘top up’ the warm-up, perhaps mid-way through and at the end of the stretching.
Appendix B – Stretching and Mobility Exercises
Stretched muscles and mobile joints not only prevent injury, but allow greater reach and speed. Safe exercises have been traditionally used by Martial artists, and most will be readily recognised. Many of them imitate actual techniques. As was stated in the introduction, these exercises serve the purpose for which they were designed and evolved admirably, as long as they are done without violent bouncing, with control and without forcing joints out of their natural line and range of movement. Light bouncing may be used, but this will warm-up rather than stretch the muscle area. The best results are obtained when a muscle is stretched to a degree where if feels uncomfortable but not painful. This stretch should be held for about 10 seconds, and then the muscle should be relaxed. This process should be repeated 3-4 times. If the stretch does become too painful, the muscle will tighten to resist over-stretching and damage, and the process becomes self-defeating. An alternative process is to use a technique known as PNF. In this process, the same uncomfortable stretch position should be reached, but then the stretched muscle should be firmly tensed for about 8 seconds. Immediately the muscle is relaxed, it will be possible to move deeper into the stretch. It is best to stretch at least a little every day, an comprehensively 2-3 times per week. An Instructor should watch to see that students do not modify an exercise in such a way that it becomes less effective or unsafe. Particular attention should be paid to the effect of any modification to the joints.
Appendix: C – Safety In Training
Aikido is concerned with practising, in a controlled manner, potentially dangerous techniques. Thus students must at all times adhere strictly to the directions of the supervising instructor, whose responsibility it is to ensure safe practice. Student’s age, body ability and grade should be taken into consideration at all times while training by the instructor and other students training with each other.
1. Students and instructors have a duty to protect the safety and well-being of each other. They should therefore
(a) Never execute techniques in a dangerous or reckless manner;
(b) Never employ superior skill or position within the dojo to gratuitously inflict pain or to abuse others physically.
(c) Aikido involves throwing techniques so do not throw or allow somebody to fall on unsuitable surfaces as they may injure themselves. Do not throw either into other people.
(d) Do not deliberately cause damage to the joints from locks by applying the holds with excess force or speed.
(e) Before conducting or receiving a throw check the matted area for suitability, particularly where the mats have been joined or other people are training around you.
(f) Checking that there are no hard surfaces or sharp/hard objects around the matted area if so report to the instructor immediately.
(g) A qualified and experience instructor will ensure that children are not taught to use locks, throws which will cause injury to themselves or damage in later life
SECTION 3 : TEACHING CHILDREN
The law defines a child as a person under the age of 18. Instructors need to understand the added responsibilities of teaching children and also basic principles of growth and development through childhood to adolescence. Exercises should be appropriate to age and build. Instructors should not simply treat children as small adults, with small adult bodies.
There is a minimum age of 5yrs old for a child beginning under our insurance policy, the build and maturity of individuals varies so much. However the nature of the class can be tailored to consider these factors. In general, the younger the child, the shorter the attention span. One hour is generally considered sufficient training time for children’s classes.
Pre-adolescent children have a metabolism that is not naturally suited to generating anaerobic power, and therefore they exercise better aerobically, that is, at a steadily maintained rate. However, they can soon become conditioned to tolerate exercise in the short explosive bursts that more suit martial arts training.
Children should not do assisted stretching – they generally don’t need to, and there is a real risk of damage with an inconsiderate or overenthusiastic partner.
Children should be carefully matched for size and grade for Aikido practice.
Children should not do certain conditioning exercises, such as heavy load bearing like weight training or knuckle push-ups. Children should not do any heavy impact work on pads but should concentrate on the development of speed, mobility, skill, touch and general fitness.
A duty of care towards children, equivalent to that which a reasonable prudent parent should expect from a teacher in a school environment, is expected from a sports coach, and therefore of a Aikido Instructor.
Children need protecting from any form of physical or mental abuse from adults or other children. Parents or guardians should be advised when to deliver and collect children, For example, if the lesson begins at 7.30pm, it could be known that the instructor would arrive and register students from 7.15pm onwards. No child should be left at the Dojo before the specified time, unless the Instructor or a responsible person is present. A child taking part in a class should not be allowed to leave the dojo unsupervised. Parents who are prepared to send their children to train, unaccompanied, must accept responsibility for any consequences. A child of 5yrs old must not be left by the parents or guardians. They must stay and be in clear sight of the activity being presented.
CONDUCT A SAFE TRAINING SESSION
The transmission of knowledge and skill will greatly depend on the learning environment and the communication abilities of the Instructor. The learning environment, as well as being safe, should be free from distractions. Some distractions are unforeseen, but instilling good behaviour in the students will minimise distractions form within the class. In order to communicate skills to the students, the Instructor must be able to provide a clear demonstration of what is required and ensure that all students can see and hear clearly. The instructor must follow their lesson plan written out before hand or following the grading syllabus of each student. This will require sensible positioning of students to the Instructor, and the giving of precise and clearly articulated instructions.
Technical demonstrations may be given in the following ways: –
(a) By the Instructor to the whole class
(b) By an assistant Instructor to the whole class
(c) By using a student to perform a throw or lock so they can feel and experience the technique.
It is particularly important when teaching those with special needs, that the Instructor takes responsibility for good communication – for example students with hearing problems need to rely on seeing the Instructor. Instructors who are liked and respected by the students will communicate better. The ability to communicate and mediate with parents of young students and with members of the public and with any relevant authority and the media is also important.
SECTION 4: ETHICS AND CODE OF BEHAVIOUR
DOJO CONDUCT & ETIQUETTE
Proper attitude and behaviour are an essential parts of Aikido training. All students should adhere strictly to the following rules:-
1. Respect the Dojo as a place of earnest study and practice;
2. Perform rei (standing bow) upon entering and leaving the Dojo; 3. Perform a seiza rei (sitting bow) at the instructor every time after a demonstration. 4. Perform a rei or seiza rei (standing or sitting bow) at the start of every practice with every partner before you begin training.
5. If late to a class quietly enter and perform a seiza bow (sitting bow) to kamaza (the upper seat o-sensei’s position)
6. Make sure hands and feet are clean for practice and keep finger- and toe-nails short;
7. If blood is shed on the mat, it must be cleaned up promptly and thoroughly using the correct cleaning materials that are on hand;
8. Keep any areas of skin infection on hands, wrists or feet carefully covered to avoid transmitting infection to others;
9. Wash Gi regularly;
10. Do no wear any personal adornment during practice;
11. If it is necessary to leave the Dojo before the end of practice, you should address the instructor before departing;
12. You must address the instructor if you wish to leave the mat for any reason. At no time, pupils will wonder around the dojo and come and go as they please on and off the mat. 13. Approach each practice with a fresh mind, as though it was the first, and with earnestness and urgency, as though it was the last.
14. Do not cultivate ideas of superiority, no matter what your grade or how long you have been practising.
15. Never employ Aikido techniques outside the Dojo except in circumstances of extreme urgency, to defend yourself or others.
IN CASES OF INJURY
1. The instructor should stop the class immediately and ascertain the seriousness of the injury.
2. The injured person should be taken, if possible, to the side of the matted area out of harm’s way.
3. If the injured person cannot be moved, he/she must be left on the mat and the help of trained personnel should be summoned.
4. Trained personnel should also be summoned in cases of severe injury.
5. In cases of possible concussion (i.e. after a bang on the head), the injured person must not be allowed to continue practice but should be referred to hospital.
6. A full report of the incident must be written down in the Accident Book.
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PARENTS/CARERS
We expect parents to give unconditional positive reinforcement to their children’s aikido activities. Please do not be critical of your child’s aikido technique or performance. Aikido can be difficult and at times demanding martial art. We hope that parents give encouragement to their child to simply keep trying his/her best, and to recognize their child’s efforts positively.
Parents should provide positive reinforcement of the Instructors and the instruction being given to their children. If parents have questions or concerns about the instruction in the Club, they should bring those concerns directly to the attention of the Chairman who will decide on any actions, If it was to be a serious action the Instructor will be suspended and a committee meeting will be arranged and a disciplinary procedure will be called.
We expect all students and their families to abide by the general rules of “Fair Play” and abide by these guild lines.
• Encourage your child to learn more about Aikido.
• Discourage unfair play and arguing with officials.
• Help your child to recognise good performance, not just results.
• Never force your child to take part in Aikido
• Set a good example by recognising fair play and applauding the good performances of all.
• Respect for the Instructors and other students.
• Respect for the dojo and its equipment
• Support your child’s involvement and help them to enjoy
• Set a good example by recognising fair play and applauding the good performances of all.
• Never punish or belittle a child for losing or making mistakes.
• Publicly accept officials’ judgements.
• Support your child’s involvement and help them to enjoy aikido.
• Use correct and proper language at all times
SECTION 6 : TEACHING THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
The term ‘special needs’ encompasses may conditions. A class may contain students with physical handicaps, minor or severe, or students who experience learning difficulties. A good instructor will be aware of these special needs and adjust their actions and instructions accordingly.
When teaching those with special needs, it must be accepted that the learning process may be slower, and smaller classes may be require with possibly one to one tuition or using teaching aids.
Disabled persons should be treated the same as able-bodied persons, except where their condition demands special consideration. The instructor needs to identify that someone has special needs.
Some problems are visible and obvious, and others may be identified from the membership application, but the Instructor should be aware of the following conditions that make learning more difficult.
Pupils with Poor hearing,
Poor co-ordination,
Balance ,
Poor spatial concept,
Slow reaction times,
Poor physical condition through being overweight or generally unfit.
It is important that all instructors or visiting Instructors are made aware of any such conditions especially those that are not visible and obvious. There may be a need to enhance particular communication skills, for example, when teaching those with hearing difficulties it will be particularly important to face the class, and rely more on gestures. Some students may need special medication, for which they should be allowed easy access.
