The following rules apply to all participants in any Liberty Sword Club event, class, private lesson, organized activity, or community space (including online spaces such as Facebook groups).
- Treat others with respect and patience. We all have different levels of experience, different backgrounds, and different learning and communication needs, and these may occasionally conflict. You are expected to engage with others in good faith, to treat all other participants equitably, and to care for your training partners’ safety in addition to your own. If you behave in a manner that endangers or harms others, you will be asked to stop, and may be subject to disciplinary action.
- When referring to another participant, use their correct personal pronouns (e.g. she/he/they). If you are not sure what pronouns someone uses, ask them. Deliberately using incorrect pronouns for another person is considered harassment and will result in disciplinary action.
- All activities are opt-in: you can choose when, and to what extent, you participate in a class or activity. Shaming anyone for not participating or for asking for accommodation is considered harassment and will result in disciplinary action.
- You are responsible for your safety and are the best authority on your own physical and psychological limits. You are encouraged to tell your coach(es) and/or training partner(s) about any injuries, disabilities, or other risk factors that may affect your training. If an activity you are participating in feels unsafe or like it’s harming you, you may stop at any time.
- Calibrate your level of resistance, force, and aggression to an appropriate level for your training partner and the current activity. If in doubt, ask your partner or instructor what they expect.
- You are welcome to ask questions and give each other feedback (especially to help your partner calibrate correctly); however, only LSC coaches may provide instruction. Limit peer coaching to activities where it is explicitly requested.
- Prior to sparring with a new weapon, you must receive a safety orientation and be cleared to fight by a coach. You must follow any posted sparring safety rules, and must follow all safety directions from coaches.
- You are responsible for the storage, transport, and maintenance of your personal training gear. If a coach judges any piece of your gear unsafe, you may not use that item until it has been sufficiently repaired, modified, or replaced, and cleared for use by a coach.
- Any training gear you borrow from the school remains the property of Liberty Sword Club. You must return it at the end of the activity it was loaned for, in the condition in which you received it (excluding normal wear and tear). You may be held financially responsible for missing or damaged equipment that was left in your care.
- Discriminatory behavior and harassment is prohibited, and will result in disciplinary action. This includes—but is not limited to—discrimination based on race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic or religious background, and ability; as well as verbal, physical, and sexual harassment.
- You may not participate in training or sparring while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Reporting
If you see someone violating the above rules, or something happens during a Liberty Sword Club activity that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, please let our staff know as soon as possible. The following reporting channels are always available:
During in-person activities: speak to your coach(es)
During online classes: use the “chat” feature in Zoom to send a direct, private message to your coach(es)
Anytime: send an email to libertyswordclub@gmail.com ; this email address is monitored by Dan Halliday.
Discipline
Any disciplinary action taken will depend on the nature, severity, and context of the behaviour that has been reported.
At minimum, any inappropriate behavior will be stopped as soon as it is noticed, and the perpetrator will be told how to correct the issue and expected to do so immediately. They may also be removed from the activity or training space, and may also lose future training privileges.