Purpose

The purpose of the code of conduct is to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for participants to learn. It exists to make all participants aware that there are expectations of appropriate behaviours consistent with our belief in safety and inclusivity. We support equal opportunity, oppose discriminatory behaviour and practices, and treat people with respect.

Expectations and Responsibilities

Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Transphobia, White Supremacy and Fascism will never be tolerated. Any actions, speech, or social media posts exuding the above mentioned ideology will result in ejection.

This activity is meant to be enjoyed by all.

The inherent nature of our chosen activity, as a martial art and sport, comes with inherent risks.

The following expectations and responsibilities are listed to create the proper learning environment:

All participants are expected to:

• Demonstrate respect to individuals regardless of body type, physical characteristics, athletic ability, age, ancestry, colour, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, creed, disability, family status,marital status, gender identity, gender expression, sex, and sexual orientation
• Refrain from behaviours that constitute harassment as outlined in the Canadian Criminal Code: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-264.html
• Respect the property of others, ask before using others’ equipment, and replace any equipment you borrow if it gets damaged
• Ask for consent before engaging in any partnered exercise, do not assume it. This includes but is not limited to: touch/bodily contact, level of intensity, training goals
• If someone says or does anything other than “Yes,”or enthusiastically joins in, stop and check in. Example: “Do you want to skip this for now/Would you like to come back to this later?” This absolutely includes social interactions outside of class.
• Respect everyone that comes in to train
• Address people by their pronouns
• Advocate for your safety and well-being
• Advocate for others’ safety and well-being
• Respect your space, respect your surroundings
• Respect others’ space, respect others’ surroundings
• Respect your safety (physical, mental, emotional)
• Respect others’ safety
• Respect others’ boundaries, don’t be pushy
• Respect your boundaries, don’t be pushed around
• Treat every training tool as though it were a “live” weapon and capable of injuring someone
• Be aware of your surroundings and the space your weapon takes up
• Clean your body, clean your gear. This keeps everyone’s health and safety, especially your own, a top priority

During training these behaviours include:

• It is your responsibility to keep your training partner safe
• Communicate expectations of regarding level of force, intensity, and speed during a drill; it expected that we will modify our behaviours to help with our training partner
• Execute actions with control and at the speed requested by one’s training partner
• Communicate injuries or other limitations to others to ensure training falls within the participant’s level of comfort
• Gear is deemed appropriate for the type of training or sparring the participants are engaged in
• Gear is regularly inspected and maintained for use
• Cease using any equipment that gets broken or damaged
• Halt all activities when a call is made to stop, this could be communicated as: car, dog, halt, pedestrian, stop
• Refrain from interrupting the provision of instructions during classes
• Refrain from interrupting participants while they are drilling in class
• Ask the instructor if a drill is unclear
• Learn to accept failure as part of the learning process, frustration from failure must not manifest as behaviour that makes you a risk to others’ safety

During sparring these behaviours include:

• It is your responsibility to keep your sparring partner safe
• Communicate injuries or other limitations to others to ensure sparring falls within the participant’s level of comfort
• Communicate expectations regarding level of force, intensity, allowable techniques, and use of grappling/wrestling during sparring; and modify behaviours to accommodate those expectations
• Keep other participants safe, this includes preventing others from moving into unseen tripping hazards, pedestrians, dogs, and other participants
• Gear is deemed appropriate for the type of training or sparring the participants are engaged in
• Gear is regularly inspected and maintained for use
• Cease using any equipment that gets broken or damaged
• Halt all activities when a call is made to stop, this could be communicated as: car, dog, halt, pedestrian, stop
• Learn to accept failure as part of the learning process, frustration from failure must not manifest as behaviour that makes you a risk to others’ safety

Injury Protocols

In the case of injury, there will be a halt to all activity to assess the severity of the situation.

First aid attention will be provided and the situation will be assessed to determine whether a hospital visit or ambulance are required.

Where injury was caused by one participant on another participant, both will be consulted to assess whether interpersonal mediation is required. They need to be separated.

In cases of case of life threatening injury:

• All activities will cease
• The instructor will be informed
• Someone will be delegated to call emergency services, if necessary
• We will deal with the bleeding and ensure the injured person is breathing
• We will stay with the injured person until emergency services arrive, or arrangements are made to get them to medical attention

In case of suspected head injury:

• All activities will cease
• The instructor will be informed
• Someone will be delegated to call emergency services, if necessary
• We will stay with the injured person until emergency services arrive, or arrangements are made to get them to medical attention
• Assume the likelihood of concussion/CTE especially if the injured person presents:
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Flashing or “stars” an any point during or after an impact
  • Blackout/loss of consciousness
  • Fainting
  • Incoherence/amnesia
  • Falling/losing footing as the result of an impact to the head of any kind
  • Head connecting with the ground due to a fall or throw
  • Back or neck pain

Infractions and Unacceptable Behavior

There are different kinds of unacceptable behaviors, but also varying degrees of them. While listing out some specific examples, this list is to be used as a guideline, and not intended to be exhaustive.

“Background” or “Contaminating” offenses:

These might be more subtle, less overt, possibly even unintentional, yet they are still unacceptable as they can degrade the learning environment over time.

These include:

• Casual use of slurs
• Repeated and ongoing misgendering
• Unwelcome sexual comments/attention; “jokes” in poor taste
• Repeated minor safety violations or negligence

Background offenses will result in:

• Class stopping if needed
• Instructor(s) will correct student on behavior
• Instructor(s) will gather any necessary statements from all parties involved through appropriate Incident Report Forms
• Instructor will take actions to resolve situation, follow up with all parties involved and record steps taken through Incident Resolution Form

Red Flag offenses:

Red Flag offenses are bannable offenses, and the likelihood of termination or discontinuation of membership is determined mainly by the actions, attitudes and willingness to adjust behavior(s) displayed by involved parties.

These include:

• Repeated major safety violations
• Repeatedly displaying lack of respect for training partners or control of force
• Verbal harassment
• Bullying
• Hazing
• Deliberately humiliating a fellow student
• Deliberately sabotaging drills
• Deliberate, malicious sabotage of a fellow student’s learning environment or experience
• Deliberate misgendering

Red Flag offenses will result in:

• Class stopping
• Any eyewitnesses alerting the Instructor
• Involved parties are separated and removed from training floor
• Instructor will provide for safety of involved parties
• Providing medical treatment if necessary
• Instructor(s) will gather any necessary statements from all parties involved through appropriate Incident Report Forms
• Severity of incident will determine whether or not involved person(s) membership will continue or be temporarily suspended
• For membership to be continued all involved parties must be able to reach an agreement of reconciliation and take steps not to repeat offense while training safely together
• Instructor will take actions to resolve situation, follow up with all parties involved and record steps taken through Incident Resolution Form

Bannable offenses

Bannable offenses will result in termination of membership of any offending parties.

Bannable offenses include:

• Assault or threat of assault or harm
• Repeated or egregious disregard of safety/negligent or careless behavior, whether or not someone else is at risk
• Repeated or egregious excessive use of force or lack of control, intentional or not
• Repeated or egregious disregard for or lack of consent
• Harassment of any kind:
  • Bullying
  • Retaliation against anyone bringing forward concerns or complaints in good faith
  • Stalking
  • Hazing
  • Repeated or egregious unwelcome/unreciprocated teasing/comments/observations/attention
    • Consent includes advice.
  • Value judgements/comments about anyone’s body
  • Repeated or egregious unwelcome/unreciprocated sexual or romantic advances/interest
    • Practice consent!
    • Please consider that this is a space of vulnerability for many people
    • Please consider that this is a space where power and violence are explored
    • Please consider that this is primarily a space of community and learning, not dating
    • Please consider the impact and intention of building relationships (platonic or romantic) within a small community/network. Be thoughtful, considerate and respectful
• Hate Speech; Hate Symbols:
  • White nationalist, white supremacist, gender essentialist/trans exclusionary, racist or bigoted speech and/or symbols are not tolerated in any way. These will be assumed as an intent of threat to harm/inflict violence, injury or assault, and will be dealt with accordingly.
  • This includes:
    • Fascistic or nationalist symbols or rhetoric include, but are not limited to:
      • Symbols/or rhetoric used by Nazi, Neo-Nazi, Neo-Fascist, Volkish/Neo-Volkish (as opposed to heathenry) groups
      • Confederate flags
      • Gadsden flags (its origins are in slave-owning)
      • “America First” or Patriot Front style paraphernalia
      • Punisher skulls/“Thin Blue Line” paraphernalia
      • “III%” paraphernalia
      • Membership in any groups that employ such paraphernalia
  • Gender essentialist language
  • Misogynist/Misogynoir/Transmisogynist behavior/speech/rhetoric
  • Anti-LGBTQ paraphernalia/speech/rhetoric
  • Anti-Black paraphernalia/speech/rhetoric
  • Anti-Indigenous paraphernalia/speech/rhetoric
  • Anti-Semitic paraphernalia/speech/rhetoric
  • Ableist rhetoric or behaviors
  • Any political phrases, rhetoric, symbols or images meant to incite fear or upset of a person of minority demographic
  • Any rhetoric encouraging or promoting xenophobic sentiment
  • Any of the above shared to social media platforms while being a member of Toronto Historical Combatants
• Inappropriate relationships/power dynamics:
  • Current Instructors/Coaches may not date or pursue romantic relationships with current students, regardless of whether or not they have a direct student/teacher relationship
  • Provisions:
    • Any current Instructors/Coaches or currently enrolled students may bring in a romantic partner as a student under the condition(s) that:
      • The relationship has been established prior to the student(s) enrollment at Toronto Historical Combatants
      • Current Instructors/Coaches may not dismiss, expel, or otherwise unenroll the romantic partner on the grounds of personal differences/ending the romantic relationship
    • Any current Instructors/Coaches of Toronto Historical Combatants must fully relinquish their titles, positions, responsibilities, salaries, and tips before pursuing a romantic relationship with a student. A minimum time period of three (3) months must elapse between the relinquishing of position and start of relationship.
      • Example: A currently enrolled student and currently enrolled Instructor/Coach wish to pursue a romantic relationship. The currently enrolled student does not want to quit (and shouldn’t!).
      • In the above instance, the Instructor/Coach must allow one (1) calendar year to elapse before resuming any responsibilities, roles (formal or informal), salaries/tips
    • A minimum time period of one (1) full calendar year must elapse between any student having ended training at Toronto Historical Combatants before pursuing a relationship with a current instructor
      • Example: A FORMER student and currently enrolled Instructor/Coach wish to pursue a romantic relationship. The time period MUST have elapsed PRIOR to this.
      • FORCING OR COERCION OF A STUDENT TO QUIT IS GROUNDS FOR AND SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL.
    • These provisions apply to all instructors and experienced students up to and including the Owner/Proprietor of Toronto Historical Combatants

Bannable offenses will result in:

• Class stopping
• Any eyewitnesses alerting the Instructor
• Involved parties are separated and removed from training floor
• Instructor will provide for safety of involved parties
• Providing medical treatment if necessary
• Instructor(s) will gather any necessary statements from all parties involved through appropriate Incident Report Forms
• Membership of offending party will be terminated, and Instructor(s) will inform this decision in writing
• Instructor will take actions to resolve situation, follow up with all parties involved and record steps taken through Incident Resolution Form, providing records for all parties involved in the case of legal action

Mediation:

• Instructors/Coaches are not going to handle interpersonal disputes unless:
  • There is an instance of harm done (physical, psychological, mental/emotional, sexual as opposed to “This training partner annoys me”; needs/wants being in conflict)
  • There is a dispute concerning learning styles/class behavior
• If a behavior(s) interrupts class, disrupts the learning environment, or affects the ability of a student to learn in some way, disciplinary action (including and up to expulsion) may result
  • Depending on the details/severity of an infraction, a professional dispute mediator may be enlisted to assist. If a situation requires this form of intervention, failure to engage with such a process is grounds for expulsion or termination from the school.
• If you need assistance in mediating a dispute, bring it to the attention of an Instructor/Coach
• If you have a dispute with an Instructor/Coach or the Owner/Proprietor, seek one (1) to two (2) students or Instructors minimum to assist you in mediating it. Even if it is a minor dispute, this increases the likelihood that everyone feels heard, advocated for and safe.

Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge the contributions of our allies whose input has made this document possible:

• Josias Arcadia of Ram’s Head Fencing
• Constance Frazier of Medieval European Martial Arts Guild
• Andre Hajjar of Club d'escrime historique Destreza Nova Laval
• Connor Kemp-Cowell of Philadelphia Common Fencers Guild