Academy Rules

 

All Clarke Academy of Martial Arts students automatically agree to abide by these academy rules when you enrol as a member, and endeavour to uphold these academy rules throughout your tenure with Clarke Academy. The academy rules are subject to change without any prior notice, and it is your responsibility to ensure you are familiar with them by checking the academy rules regularly.  Clarke Academy reserves the right to refuse entrance to our classes, events, and/or cancel your membership if the below rules are not adhered to.

Clarke Academy endeavours to:

• Preserve and promote Kwang Jo Choi’s traditional Choi Kwang Do to the highest quality standard possible;

• Create a fun, friendly and action-packed community environment to allow you and all the other Clarke Academy students to learn and grow in a safe and comfortable environment; and

• Treat your Clarke Academy Instructor, fellow Clarke Academy students, Special Guests, and prospective Clarke Academy students who come in for an introductory Clarke Academy class with utmost respect and honour.

It is your responsibility as a Clarke Academy student to ensure that you have read and fully understand the academy rules to uphold and respect them to your highest value.

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School Etiquette

Clarke Academy prides itself on creating a fun, friendly and action-packed community environment to allow you and other Clarke Academy students to learn and grow in a comfortable and easy environment. Horseplay of any kind will not be tolerated, and will lead to dismissal or refusal of enrolment into Clarke Academy.

During Clarke Academy classes, your Instructor will call out some voice-commands in South Korean. Please observe these carefully at all times. The Clarke Academy voice commands are as follows: –

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Class Commands

 

Chah-ryut Attention

 

Gyung-yeh Bow

 

Joon-bee       Ready

 

See-jahk       Begin

 

Bah-roh               Back to Ready

 

Guh-mahn Stop

 

Heh-sahn Dismiss

 

General Terms

 

Pil Seung School Motto: Certain Victory

 

Dojahng The School: House of Discipline

 

Doh Bohk Uniform

 

Ki Hap Loud yell to bring out mental and physical strength

 

Bo-Sabumnim “Teacher”. Formal address for all instructors

 

Choi Kwang Do The Art of Grand Master Choi

 

Korean Counting

 

Hah-nah One

 

Dool Two

 

Set       Three

 

Neht Four

 

Class Etiquette 

 

All personal belongings to be put neatly to the side of the Dojahng wall.

 

Please remove all items of jewellery when getting changed and place safely in your bag as jewellery is not to be worn when training.

 

Socks are not to be worn on the Dojahng floor. Light training footwear is optional or bare foot is fine. 

 

No eating or chewing gum on the Dojahng floor.

 

Class Discipline

 

All discipline, is self-discipline.

Please note, we have a zero tolerance policy on all horseplay. Horseplay of any kind is strictly prohibited in the dojahng. If excessive behaviour is not immediately corrected after being addresses by the instructor you may be restricted from continuing in your training session and may also lead to dismissal.

Please note, when a student is dismissed, the student forfeits his/her monthly training fee.

Arriving at the Dojhang!

On entering and leaving the Dojahng, students should come to attention and bow towards the flags saying “Pil Seung!”

 

Please turn up 10-15 mins before your class is due to start so that you can get changed, greet your fellow students and be ready to line up for the start of class.

 

All black belts and members of the instructor team shall be referred to as Mr., Miss etc and be addressed formally as “Sir” or “Ma’am”. 

 

Students that arrive late should not join in the class until they have completed 10 press ups then wait to be acknowledge to join the line up.

 

 

Uniform

All Clarke Academy of Martial Arts students must wear the full Clarke Academy uniform as a condition of membership. You can purchase your Clarke Academy uniform during the sign up process and it must be worn from there on in.  

 

Only Clarke Academy printed official T shirts should be worn when not wearing the Doh bohk jacket. Plain white T shirts can be worn under the uniforms jacket.

 

Students should follow good hygiene practices and maintain a clean and well pressed uniform at all times. 

 

Students should not face the flags or the instructors when adjusting their uniforms and belts.

 

If for whatever reason you do not have your full uniform available for your  Clarke Academy class, then please speak to your Instructor before the class starts.

Training Equipment

You can only purchase your Clarke Academy training equipment directly from Clarke Academy, as all of our Clarke Academy training equipment is observed by our insurer, as well as being tried and tested by the Academy and of the highest quality, available through your Clarke Academy Instructor at competitive prices. On this basis, third party equipment is strictly prohibited for use in the Academy, unless your Clarke Academy Instructor has given you prior permission at his/her discretion.

Hand safety is required from White Senior onwards. Foot safety is required from Yellow belt onwards.  Always bring your safety equipment with you every class.

 

Grading

How long will it take for me to reach Black Belt?

All of our students with regular training can earn their Black Belts within 3½ years. The duration is dependant upon regular training attending classes at least twice a week and taking certified Gradings. If training once a week then the Black Belt can be earned in approximately 5 years.

 

When and where will I take my certified Grading?

You will be eligible to grade for White belt Senior (first promotion) after 1 month and all subsequent belts up to Black Belt every 2 months training twice a week or every 3-4 months training once a week based on regular attendance. All gradings are held during your usual class with your instructor.

 

Holidays

Clarke Academy of Martial Arts aim to run through all national bank holidays. At Clarke Academy we observe annual 4 weeks holiday throughout the year, which are inclusive of all fees. Your Clarke Academy membership is based on 48-weeks, allowing 4 weeks holiday per year for all Clarke Academy students and your Instructor to rest, relax, recover and reinvigorate. As they say “rest is equally as important as training”.

If the Clarke Academy venue is closed or we are unable to train in the insured venue for any out of our control reason, then Clarke Academy class will be cancelled. We will of course make every effort to offer you an alternative class where possible. Unfortunately no refunds or rebates are given in such unforeseen circumstances. 

For the record, Clarke Academy usually take 2 weeks off during the Christmas and New Year festive period, and the other 2 weeks are taken at the end of August when classes are at their most quiet.

If you decide to go on holiday, then you can opt to freeze your membership with one full calendar months notice, which means you owe one more months fee from the time you serve notice. See ‘Freeze Membership’ section for more information.

Missed Classes

It is your responsibility to attend as many Clarke Academy classes you have signed up for. As they say, “the more you put in, the more you get out”. In the event you miss any Clarke Academy classes, no refunds will be given, and you cannot rollover any Clarke Academy classes. Your Clarke Academy membership works exactly like a mobile phone contract. If you decide not to use your mobile phone, you still have to pay for the service which is available for your use.

Payments

All Clarke Academy of Martial Arts membership fees are collected automatically by electronic Direct Debit (eDD), so you do not have to scramble for cash each class, and more importantly it frees your Clarke Academy Instructor up so s/he can spend more time giving attention to you, the student and your teachings before and after class. If the venue & time permits, your Clarke Academy Instructor may decide to give you extra Martial Arts teaching and coaching at his/her discretion.  Please speak to your Clarke Academy Instructor if you need additional coaching &/or help.

All direct debits are collected by a professional martial arts school collections agency, which have been appointed by Clarke Academy since 2018. Their details are shown below: –

Educational Funding Company (EFC)

7 Barton Court

11-12 High Street

Swindon

SN6 7AG

01793 764550

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If you have any enquiries regarding your payments, please kindly honour and respect your Clarke Academy Instructor and contact us directly at Clarke Academy and we will endeavour to resolve any issue(s) promptly, and help find a solution for you.

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Freeze/Unfreeze Membership

In the event you cannot train but intend to return, such as going away on holiday, sustained an injury, or for any other personal reason, you can freeze your membership for a nominal monthly fee with one months notice period – which means you owe one more months fee at the time of serving notice.

The benefits of freezing your membership are:

• You maintain your attendance record, else your attendance record gets deleted and you have to start all over.  Your attendance record is also taken into consideration to qualify for gradings and receive invites to special events for long-standing students;

• You continue to receive school communications and teachings;

• You do not have to re-enrol and fill out all the paperwork to sign up again,

• You get invited to school events,

• You can take advantage of all the school special offers and discounts on products and services we offer, and

• You do not need to be re-issued a martial arts license.

The nominal membership freeze fee also covers the administration costs to maintain these services in the background, as well as continue to provide you with access to the private ‘Members Area’ so you can stay current with the Clarke Academy teachings whilst ‘off’, and able to benefit from the member discounts and offers on seminars, events, and much more.

In the event you have sustained an injury, then a medical report or doctors note is required to be submitted at the time of your request to freeze your membership on this basis.

As per the electronic Direct Debit (eDD) agreement, any changes to your membership payment requires one full calendar months notice period – which means you owe one more months fee at the time you serve notice.  When you request your membership to be frozen, please specify the date when you want to resume your training (if you know it at that time) in writing by email to Clarke Academy.  Please note, membership freezing/unfreezing notifications can only be accepted & actioned from Monday to Friday within normal business operating hours of 09:00 to 17:00 hours.  Please note, you will not receive any response during weekends, public holidays, official Clarke Academy holidays and when your Clarke Academy Instructor(s) is/are on holiday. From the date your notice has been accepted by Clarke Academy by confirmation communication by SMS or email, you will owe one more payment at the usual rate before the membership drops down to the nominal membership freeze fee. If you have provided a date on which your membership is going to resume, then this will be actioned automatically without any further notice.  Should you require any changes to your unfreeze date, this is also subject to a one months notice period.  Any other forms of communication other than email will not be accepted.

Please note, the one full calendar month notice period is required by our collections company EFC Billing, and the freeze/unfreeze process is outside of Clarke Academy’s control. To avoid any misunderstanding and disappointment during a freeze/unfreeze process, please note you owe one more months fee at the current rate regardless of what date you provide notice, even if it is on the 31st or the 1st of the month. Please ensure that you take full control & responsibility for providing a minimum of one months notice.  We understand that you don’t always learn about such changes with ample notice, but that is outside of our control and we cannot bend our rules / process, because it still takes us one month to process your request effectively.

Once acknowledged, your freeze/unfreeze will be handled automatically by Clarke Academy of Martial Arts, so no further action is required. You will receive a confirmation email or text message, stating when your final payment will be collected, which date you will be able to train till, and what date your membership will resume (if that information has been provided at the time of freezing your membership). Your direct debit will automatically be amended by EFC Billing, who will also issue a letter of confirmation to this extent.

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Cancel Membership

We are always sad to see students go, but we understand people need to move on. 

If you do decide to leave Clarke Academy of Martial Arts, (usually when students relocate for a better career opportunity), then as per the direct debit agreement, any changes to your membership payment requires one full calendar months notice period in writing by email direct to Clarke Academy of Martial Arts – which means you owe one more months fee from the date you serve notice. Please note, membership cancellation notifications can only be accepted & actioned from Monday to Friday within normal business operating hours of 09:00 to 17:00 hours.  Please note, you will not receive any response during weekends, public holidays, official Clarke Academy holidays and when your Clarke Academy Instructor(s) is/are on holiday. From the date your notice has been accepted by Clarke Academy by confirmation communication by text or email, you will owe one more payment at the usual rate before the membership is cancelled. Any other forms of communication other than email will not be accepted.

Please note, the one full calendar month notice period is required by our collections company EFC Billing, and the cancellation process is outside of Clarke Academy’s control. To avoid any misunderstanding and disappointment during a cancellation process, please note you owe one more months fee at the current rate regardless of what date you provide notice, even if that is on the 31st or the 1st of the month. Please ensure that you take full control & responsibility for providing a minimum of one months notice.

Your cancellation will be handled automatically by Clarke Academy of Martial Arts, so no further action is required. You will receive a confirmation email or text message, stating when your final payment will be collected, and which date you will be able to train till. Your direct debit will automatically be cancelled by EFC Billing, who will also issue a letter of confirmation to this extent.

In the event you accidentally cancel your direct debit without serving your one full calendar months notice, then when EFC Billing attempt to collect your payment and it fails because the direct debit does not exist, then EFC Billibg take the necessary measures to obtain your fees owed as per your agreement, which may include legal recourse, potential damage to your credit history and additional legal expenses. To avoid such problems, please notify Clarke Academy of Martial Arts immediately. Once a failed payment is detected, the matter is outside of Clarke Academy of Martial Arts control, so please keep an open communication with Clarke Academy. In the event of any payment issues, please speak to your Clarke Academy immediately for a prompt resolution.

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Medical Conditions

Your health & safety is paramount, and given Choi Kwang Do is a martial art, we take every reasonable effort and measures to carry out a risk assessment to ensure you can train safely. To that extent we kindly ask you to carefully and honestly fill out a Health and Safety Questionnaire and Informed Consent before you start your Clarke Academy training.  

In the event you suffer from a moderate Medical Condition, you MUST provide an official Doctors Consent Form clearly stating that you are able to partake in a martial arts class, and understand the risk of injury (as mentioned on your Health and Safety Questionnaire) due to the nature of the activity.

Clarke Academy of Martial Arts reserve the right to refuse to teach new and existing students.

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Injuries, Illnesses & Ailments

It is the students responsibility to let the instructor(s) teaching the Clarke Academy class know of any injuries, illnesses or ailments you have at the beginning and throughout the Clarke Academy class on the day of attendance.

The instructor(s) will endeavour to offer any adaptations to the exercises, drills, workouts and activities in light of your injury, illness or ailment during the Clarke Academy class, to help you train safely and effectively so the student gets the most out of their Clarke Academy class.

It is also the students responsibility to let his/her training partner(s) know of any injuries, illnesses or ailments so that they can also adjust their training/activity accordingly.

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Instructor Sickness

Martial Arts is the life-blood of our Clarke Academy Instructors, and through sickness and health, we endeavour to provide you with fun, friendly and action-packed community Martial Arts Classes classes. In the event your Clarke Academy Instructor is taken ill, they usually endeavour to keep going, as they say, “The show must go on”, in order to avoid cancelling any Clarke Academy classes.

However, once in a while your Clarke Academy Instructor maybe forced to take time off sick to rest, relax and recover, as well as prevent spreading contagious illnesses to you and the rest of your Clarke Academy class. During such unforeseen cancellations, no rebates and refunds are offered, but your Clarke Academy Instructor will endeavour to make it up to you and offer an alternative class where possible.

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