International Martial
Arts Association
International
Professional Martial Arts Association
(Produced
By Jim Mather)
The
International Professional Martial Artists Association (IPMAA)
was founded to establish professional standards of ethics
arid behavior for martial artists, martial arts instructors,
and martial arts administrators and managers. it was also
founded to achieve the following goals:
·
To safeguard tile public
- especially children - from unqualified and/or dangerous
martial arts instruction.
·
To enhance the public's
image of the martial arts and martial artists.
•
To increase the public's knowledge of, and
appreciation for, our traditional arts. To create an informed
public which is capable of spotting an unscrupulous instructor.
·
To raise the standards
of conduct for martial arts professionals.
·
To monitor the media's
representation of the martial arts and martial artists and
attempt to ensure a fair and accurate portrayal.
As
a member of the International Professional Martial Artists
Association, I subscribe to the following tenets:
1.
I will always strive to protect the physical
and psychological well-being of each of my students. I
will never allow a student to be needlessly injured, insulted,
embarrassed, or humiliated.
2.
I will not subject a child to potential
growth retardation by requiring or encouraging the break
rig of boards or and other solid object.
3.
I realize my students may strive to emulate
my habits and behavior - whether good or bad. As such, I
will always model proper behavior so as to serve as a proper
role-model for each of my students.
4.
Because my personal appearance, speech,
and behavior will reflect directly upon the martial arts,
I will always strive to be a model of the highest possible
ideals of my art, both while inside and outside the school.
I will carefully monitor my manner of dress, personal
hygiene, behavior, and speech whenever within public view.
5.
Dating or having intimate contact with a student takes advantage
of the special relationship which is created between student
and instructor. As such, the IPMAA considers such an action
to be unethical in almost all cases. I will not date or
have intimate contact with any of my students.
6.
I will not allow any student to be subjected
to sexually oriented jokes or sexual advances, gestures,
photographs, object, illustrations, literature, audio or
visual materials, inferences, or comments.
7.
1 will not allow the touching of, or even
near, any inappropriate body areas of any student, regardless
of title gender of both parties.
8.
I will treat all of my students with proper
respect regardless of age, race, sex, religion, ethnic background,
physical or mental health or capabilities, or sexual orientation.
I will not allow anything in my statements, tone of voice,
gestures, looks, etc., to reveal anything but my complete
acceptance of any of them, regardless of what at I might
feel.
9.
I will never discuss religion or politics
with my students. Students should not know my own personal
views relative to either of these or be able to draw me
into a discussion about them.
10.
1 will subscribe to the following minimum
age/time it-in-grade requirements for promotion on to various
black belt ranks:
Rank
Minimum
Time-in-Grade
Minimum Age
1st
Degree
3 years total training
16
1st
to 2 nd Degree 1 ½
years
18
2nd
to 3 rd Degree 2 years
21
3rd
to 4 th Degree 3 years
25
4th
to 5 th Degree 4 years
30
5th
to 6 th Degree 5 years
35
6th
to 7 th Degree 6 years
43
7th
to 8 th Degree 7 years
50
8th
to 9 th Degree 8 years
57
9th
to 10 th Degree 9 years
65
Black
belts, which are awarded to those below the age of 16, will
be considered junior grades and their belts will be marked
in a way to distinguish them from actual black belts. For
example, junior black belts will have a white stripe down
the middle.
11.
1 will not claim or infer to hold a rank,
which I did not receive from someone authorized
to
issue such a rank.
12.
1 will not claim or infer to hold, or to
have even held, membership in an organization
which
I do not actually hold, nor have I ever held.
13.
I will not claim or infer to have won a
tournament title which I did not actually win.
14.
I will not give inflated event titles which
are out of proportion to the actual case. For
example,
I will not call a local tournament a "World Championships".
15.
1 will not claim or infer to have taught
any individual, group, or agency which I did not
actually
teach.
16.
1 will not claim or infer to have studied
under anyone who I did not actually study under
for
a length of time sufficient to gain rank in his/her system.
If I studied for a length of time
less
than this, I will always make that clear.
17.
1 will not publicly speak ill of another
martial artist or school.
18.
If I make a commitment, I will abide by
it. My word will be my contract.
19.
I will attempt to educate myself to the
fullest possible extent. This is in keeping with
developing
mental mastery in the martial arts.
20.
I will always strive to be a valuable member
of my community and my country.
21.
1 pledge my loyalty and allegiance to the
United States of America. ( If you are American of course)
22.
I will obey the laws of my community, state,
and country.
23.
I have never been convicted of a felony.
24.
All titles such as master, grandmaster,
renshi, kyoshi, etc., can only be awarded
by
someone of a sufficient rank and title. They cannot be issued
to oneself. And, they are not
simply
part of reaching a certain rank. For example, when one becomes
a 7th degree black belt, they cannot automatically call
themselves a grandmaster. To do otherwise is unethical.
As such, I will not call myself a master, grandmaster, etc.,
unless I have actually been awarded such a title by someone
qualified to issue it.
25.
I will not lie
about the length of time I have been training or teaching.
26.
1 will not claim or infer to teach an art
which I am not qualified to teach. To be qualified to teach
an art, I must be of at least black belt rank in that specific
art, having received my rank from a recognized organization.
27.
1 will not require or pressure my students
to perform anything which is dangerous to their health.
For example, I will not require a beginning student to spar
hard with an advanced student. I will not require students
to push themselves beyond their limits, especially in the
beginning, increasing the probability of them suffering
a heart attack, etc.
28.
1 will always keep my first aid and CPR
cards current.
29.
I will require proper safety and protective
equipment to be worn at all times when engaging in sparring
or paired drills. Proper safety and protective equipment
includes headgear.
30.
Competition, by its very nature, requires
that most of those who take part in it will have a negative
experience (will lose). Also, only 5-10% of those who
enter the martial art are interested in competition. As
such, I will not stress competition or make those who do
not compete, or those who compete and lose, feel inferior
to those who compete arid win.
31.
I will not have students stand at attention
for extended periods of time.
32.
I will teach the martial arts as a way or
path for self-betterment, and not just as means of defending
oneself.
33.
If I have strong religious beliefs, I will
not directly promote or express those views in class. I
will live my life as an example of my views and those who
are attracted to what they see will ask me about my views.
34.
I will not discuss personal problems, including
injuries or illness, with my students.
35.
The proper relationship between instructor
and student should be like that between a good parent and
his/her child. This means that you should always have unlimited
love for your students but not be considered their best
friend. They should always treat your proper.
36.
I will not smoke, drink, chase women or
men, tell dirty jokes, curse, use drugs, etc., around my
students, or anywhere I might be seen by a student, or even
by someone who might carry stories back to students.
37.
I will make sure that classes are always
fun yet challenging and educational.
38.
I will not promote a student who does not
deserve to be promoted. Promotions should be based strictly
upon technical, mental, and spiritual merit. I will never
allow financial considerations to enter into a decision.
39.
If the martial arts are ways or paths towards
self-betterment, then the place where proper respect. My
uniform will always be kept clean arid in good repair. I
will always be fully and properly dressed when I’m in the
school. Scars, injuries, tattoos, etc, will always be kept
covered. Blood on the floor will always be cleaned up immediately.
The school will always be kept clean and neat.
40.
I will strive to always be punctual in the
starting and ending of my classes.
41.
If I utilize disciplinary drills (such as
pushups, etc.), I will never assign them when I am angry
with a student. I will always make lie/she understands why
they are having to perform such a drill, i.e.., to help
them learn to pay attention, to help them remember to correct
a repeated mistake, etc. I will ensure they understand that
I am assigning such a drill because I care about them.
And, the number of repetitions or the length of time will
always be reasonable.
42.
I will always be prepared to teach class.
43.
The martial arts are an infinitely large subject which cannot
be adequately studied even
within
an entire lifetime. As such, I will continually work towards
increasing my professional
Competence
in the martial arts to its highest possible level, both
in breadth and depth.
44.
When at the dojo but not in a gi or uniform, I will always
dress as would a successful
businessman-
neat, clean, and professional.
45.
I will always treat students and guests as I would like
to be treated.
46.
I will never lose my temper or show that someone has "gotten
to me" in front of students
and
guests.
47.
1 realize that I owe a tremendous debt to my students. They
have given me the gift of
respect,
of being allowed to serve a higher purpose in life. This
debt is so great it can never
be
repaid.
48.
If I am having a bad day or feel tired or down, that is
my problem, not my students. My
bad
day cannot effect how I teach my classes or how I treat
students or guests. If I am a true
martial
artist, I am able to keep my true feelings inside and to
show only what I must show
whether
in a fight or while teaching.
49.
Many cultures take great offense to someone touching them
with their feet. I will keep
touching
of students with my feet to an absolute minimum. I will
use my hands, not my feet,
to
correct stances, etc.
50.
Attractive people who enter the
school or walk by will not draw my attention or comment
-
as far as my students or guests are concerned.
5
1. I will not spend an unequal amount of time with an attractive
student.
52.
I will not promote, or promote to a higher level, anyone
based upon physical
attractiveness.
53.
A person's looks will never affect how I treat them. I will
treat everyone as if they were
beautiful.
54.
I will not sell a course to a student which is beyond his/her
realistic ability to pay it.
55.
1 will not offer a course which promotes or infers to
promote the attainment of any belt
rank,
especially black belt. No reputable educational institution
would ever guarantee
graduation.
56.
If I take cash for a multiple month course, I will deposit
the entire amount into a special
reserve
savings account and withdraw only a proportional amount
each month. This is to
enhance
the probability that there will be sufficient funds to keep
my doors open at least until
the
student's course is completed, until he/she receives the
course for which he/she paid. (To
determine
the correct proportional amount to withdraw each month,
divide the amount paid for
the
course by the number of months it covers.)
57.
No one who truly wants or needs the martial arts will
be denied instruction simply
because
of a lack of funds. Where there is a real need, I will find
a way for them to receive
instruction.
58.
I will not take part in, or support,
any presentation or representation which presents the
martial
arts or martial artists in a negative light. I will not
attend or recommend my students
to
attend any film, tournament, etc., which I or the Media
Board of the IPMAA deems to be
unacceptable.
