Fight Ready Gym Etiquette
The unwritten rules that keep the gym a place everyone wants to train. Read before your first class.
Our Story
Every gym has unwritten rules. Most are common sense once you know them. This page lays them out so new members can walk in confident and considerate from day one.

These rules exist for two reasons: hygiene (preventing skin infections and illness) and respect (creating a training environment everyone wants to be in).
Hygiene
Shower Before Class
Come to class clean. You will be in close contact with training partners. Coming clean is basic courtesy.
Wash Your Gear
Gis, rashguards, and shorts get washed after every training session. No exceptions. Dirty gear breeds skin infections.
Trim Your Nails
Long fingernails and toenails scratch training partners during grappling. Trim them before class.
Cover Cuts And Open Wounds
Bandage any open cuts before class. Skin diseases like ringworm and staph spread through mat contact. Prevention is everyone's responsibility.
Tie Long Hair Back
Long hair gets caught in grappling. Tie it back before class.
Wear Deodorant
Apply before class. Reapply between classes if you train back-to-back.
Shoes Off Mats
Shoes never touch the mat. Mat hygiene depends on this rule.
Flip Flops Between Locker And Mat
Wear flip flops or sandals when walking between locker rooms and the mat. Bare feet pick up bacteria off floors.
Mat Etiquette
Bow or Slap and Pound to Start Rolls
Different schools have different traditions. At Fight Ready, the standard is a slap and pound or quick handshake to start grappling rounds. Establishes intention and respect.
Tap When You Tap
If you are caught in a submission, tap. Tap firmly so your partner sees or hears it. Holding on hoping to escape leads to injuries.
Respect Taps Immediately
When your partner taps, release immediately. No exceptions. The training partner who delays releases is not welcome in the gym for long.
Move Around Drilling Pairs
During drilling, walk around other pairs, not between them. Bumping pairs disrupts training.
Keep Equipment Off the Mat When Not in Use
Water bottles, towels, and personal items go on the side of the mat or in lockers, not on the training surface.
Training Partner Respect
Match The Intensity Of Your Partner
Roll or spar at your partner's intensity level, especially when partnered with beginners. Going hard with a new student is rude and dangerous.
No Coaching Unless Asked
Let the coach coach. If your partner is doing something wrong, defer to the coach instead of correcting them yourself unless they ask.
Thank Your Partners
After every drill or round, thank your training partner. Small habit, big effect on culture.
No Showing Off
The gym is for training, not for proving yourself against new students. Save the intensity for sparring partners at your level.
Help Beginners
If you have experience and your partner does not, slow down and help them learn. The favor will come back to you over the years.
Coach Respect
Listen During Instruction
When the coach is teaching, listen. Phones away. No side conversations.
Ask Questions Appropriately
Save technical questions for the appropriate moment in class. Coaches will answer; just choose the right time.
Follow Coaches' Directions
Coaches structure class for a reason. Follow the structure even when you would prefer to drill something different.
Time Etiquette
Arrive On Time
Arrive 10 minutes early to your first class. Arrive on time to every class after. Walking in late disrupts everyone
Stay Through the Cool Down
Leaving before cool down is rude to the coach and your partners. Stay through the bow-out.
Do Not Linger After Class
After class, hang out as long as you want. But move off the mat to make space for the next class warming up.
Locker Room Etiquette
- Clean up after yourself
- Do not leave wet gear on the floor
- Respect other members' space
- Phones with cameras off when others are changing
- Use deodorant
Communication And Culture
Use Each Other's Names
Learn the names of your regular training partners. Small detail; builds community.
Greet People
Walk in with a smile and a hello. Walk out the same way.
Avoid Gym Politics
Skip gossip about other students or coaches. Gym culture is built on respect.
No Talking About Sparring Outside the Gym
What happens in sparring stays in sparring. Bragging about submitting someone or being submitted is bad form.
When You Are Sick
If you are sick, stay home. Coming to class with anything contagious affects every training partner. Skin infections, colds, and stomach bugs all spread fast in close-contact sports.
Ready To Train Right?
The best way to understand what Fight Ready is about is to walk in and take a class. Your first one is free.