Club rules & code of conduct

These rules apply to everyone at The Farm: members, visitors, parents, coaches and staff, in every class and in the gym, café and car park. They are part of your membership with Horsham Mixed Martial Arts Academy Limited, which runs SWBJJ, The Farm, Horsham Muay Thai, K-Cal Café and Yin Yoga with Lydia.

Respect

• Treat everyone with respect, whatever their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or ability.
• No bullying, harassment, discrimination, intimidation or abusive language, in person, in the app or online.
• The Farm is a community built on respect. If you are unhappy about something, tell a coach or the owner so we can put it right. Do not bad-mouth the club, its coaches or its members behind their backs, in person, in group chats or online.
• The coach running the session has the final say on the mat. Listen, and ask if you are unsure.
• Leave your ego at the door: help newer members, and never use training to hurt or humiliate anyone.

Hygiene

• Wash your gi, rash guard and kit after every session.
• Keep finger and toe nails short and clean.
• No shoes on the mat. Wear footwear off the mat, including to the toilets.
• Do not train with a skin infection (such as ringworm, impetigo, cold sores or verrucas). Tell a coach and come back when it has cleared.
• Cover cuts and grazes. If you bleed, stop and get it cleaned and covered before you carry on.

Safety on the mat

• Warm up properly and train within your ability.
• Tap early and let go straight away when your partner taps. Stop when the coach calls time.
• Sparring and live rolling are always optional. Respect anyone who sits a round out.
• No slams, heel hooks, neck cranks or spinal locks unless the coach allows them for your level.
• Striking sparring is at the intensity the coach sets. Wear a gum shield, and gloves and shin guards when asked.
• Take off jewellery, watches and anything else that could hurt someone.
• Tell a coach about any injury, however small, so it is recorded.
• Never train under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The strength gym

• The gym is for over 18s only.
• Have an induction from a coach before you use the gym for the first time.
• Use collars, ask for a spotter on heavy lifts and never drop weights on purpose.
• Put weights and equipment back, wipe down what you have used and tell staff about anything broken.

Children

• Parents bring children into the building, hand them to the coach and collect them from inside. Never leave a child in the car park.
• Children may only leave with an adult listed on their profile.
• Parents are actively encouraged to watch. Please leave the coaching to the coaches, and keep the viewing area calm.
• Adults do not message other people’s children privately, in the app or anywhere else. Coaches contact children through their parents or in the group chats parents can see.

Phones, filming and photos

• Do not film or photograph anyone without their permission. For a child you need their parent’s permission.
• Never use a phone or camera in the changing rooms or toilets.
• You may film your own drilling for your own use when your partner agrees. Do not post anyone else online without their permission.
• The building has CCTV for safety and security. See the CCTV policy.

The building

• No smoking or vaping inside the building or at the entrance.
• No alcohol, illegal drugs or weapons anywhere at The Farm.
• Keep fire exits and corridors clear. If the alarm sounds, leave by the nearest exit and follow staff instructions.
• Look after your belongings. We are not responsible for them unless their loss or damage is our fault.
• Park considerately and keep the entrance clear for other units on Blatchford Road.

In the app and online

• Be kind in the group chats. No abuse, spam, adverts or sharing other people’s details.
• Report anything that worries you. Coaches and the Welfare Officer can remove messages and suspend chat access.

If the rules are broken

A coach may stop you training for the rest of the session. For serious or repeated breaches, we may suspend or end your membership as set out in the membership terms. We report crimes to the police and safeguarding concerns to the local authority.

Concerns about anyone’s behaviour can be raised with any coach or, in confidence, with our Welfare Officer, Sonny Weston, or our Deputy Welfare Officer, Jayden Thompson. If the concern is about Sonny Weston, speak to Jayden Thompson; if you would rather not raise it with the academy at all, contact the West Sussex Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) on 0330 222 6450 or the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.