Quintessential Martial Arts Gym Etiquette for Beginners

Martial artists or no martial artists, when you share things with others there is a certain degree of care that you need for making sure that people you share the space with are equally comfortable. In the case of gym and training equipment, this care goes a long way because gyms and training centres are a hotbed for germs.

You sweat all the time and there is indirect human contact that most of us are not aware of. Things that you might use will be used by others and as a martial artist, you are expected to be destined enough to know how you can make sure that people using things after you are not disturbed.

Although most gyms will have their own rules, which can range from written rules to simple gym and martial arts training etiquette apart from written rules you also need to be careful about your choices.

As a martial artist, the way you behave with others goes a long way and your fellow martial artists expect you to take care of them as well. There is a certain degree of camaraderie that goes on within the community of martial artists so if you are already sharing a gym, you are expected to put in a little bit more effort as a martial artist.

With the help of this article, we will mainly look at some of the very basic gym and training arena etiquette. These etiquettes start from very basic equipment sharing and range to martial arts-specific training so the beginners can know what is expected of them and how they can make sure everyone gets to interact within a healthy parameter.

Basic Martial Arts Gym Etiquette for Beginners

Although there are so many basic gym Etiquettes, however, the way you react and interact with others comes at the very base. Also, you need to make sure that even if you are not able to fulfil all these rules, at least you can think about interacting with people in a very normal and friendly tone.

Here are some of the very basic unsaid rules of using martial arts gym that apply to normal gyms as well:

• Interact with people on a human level. This includes making sure you stay helpful and open-minded when there is a need to share things or when someone asks for help.
• Before using the equipment specifically the mats and shared exercise weights, make sure to clean things up. Most people do not know that gym equipment serves as a hotbed for germs, so considering the fungal infections and easy germs exchange you need to take matters into your own hands.
• Keep the shared area especially the water area and changing rooms very clean. The idea is that martial arts styles are very good for making you follow the rules and keeping you disciplined and most martial arts gyms expect you to display the characteristics you have learned. If you end up missing details or do not clean up after yourself, you are not considered a good martial artist.
• Make sure to cover up yourself, especially take care of your open wounds after you are done with the practice. This might seem like it has nothing to do with the gym but treating your wounds means you will be able to avoid infection and infecting others as well.
• Take your shoes off when you are on the mat or in the ring. This is a very common misconception that you can use your shoes while you are practising and training. This is mainly because most people think that martial arts gyms are just like normal gyms but in real life, combat training does not involve the use of shoes that can harm the opponent. Also, when you are in a shared space it is only fair to make sure that you are not bringing in more dust by using your shoes.
• Nail clipping is also very important as most people end up scratching the opponent without knowing. This can seriously infect you and your opponent because scratch wounds are quite different from actual open wounds and compression-based bruises. The scratches are considered open wounds yet they are so small that you cannot notice them with the naked eye. As a result, these open wounds become open doors for germs.

The majority of the rules apply to everything that is shared and if you add specific precautions to it, it can get a little longer as well. However, if you are unable to remember all these things, just make a simple checklist.

With just a few days of checklist-based practice, you will not only be able to remember it better but also you will stay in full control of your environment.

The shared equipment and mats used by people along with the showers and water area are expected to be cleaned by the gym offering the membership. However, as a martial artist when you are expected to be better and more aware of your environment you are also expected to clean things that you use.