Code of Conduct
Swordwind members should remember that their conduct inside and outside of Swordwind reflects upon the art and the school. Because the well-being of Swordwind members is paramount, members are expected to conduct themselves in a way that is respectful of other people’s physical, mental and emotional health.
Discipline may be imposed for certain types of misconduct, including but not limited to:
● Criminal offenses of any sort
● Conduct that imposes inherent danger to the safety or well-being of another person.
● Derogatory or offensive conduct, including but not limited to rude or disrespectful language or actions about another person’s ethnic background, race, age, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation.
● Inappropriate / threatening physical or verbal behavior, including sexual harassment ● Theft or purposeful destruction of training equipment, Swordwind assets, or other personal property
● The purposeful misrepresentation of the intellectual work of another as one’s own without proper citation, including plagiarism or theft of intellectual property
Disciplinary Process
Students, instructors, club officers, or other members who discover a violation should report it immediately to their instructor. Instructors will then report violations to the President and Board of Directors. Members may also report violations directly to the President or Board. Criminal violations of any sort should be reported to the appropriate authorities.
Swordwind will open an investigation into all violations and will have full authority to impose disciplinary measures, up to and including revocation of membership. Determination of the appropriate action for the incident will be based on the nature of the misconduct and other relevant factors. Members in violation may immediately be asked to leave club meetings, property, or classes if inappropriate behavior threatens the mental, emotional, or physical well being of other Swordwind members. Previous violations will be taken into consideration in making disciplinary determinations. Unless an incident involves serious harm or illegal behavior, a first offense will generally involve a warning or other corrective action.
Investigations that recommend termination of Swordwind membership are referred to the Board, which will schedule a Board hearing to discuss the member’s case. Once a termination hearing is scheduled, the member in question should be notified and given the opportunity to present his or her case in writing to the Board. The member will be notified of the Board’s decision and may appeal the decision within one year, provided he or she can produce new evidence that warrants reexamination of the case.
Investigations into the conduct of prospective or non-members may recommend dismissal from the club without a board hearing, given appropriate circumstances. In such cases, the prospective member should have the opportunity to provide information about his conduct concerning the issue. The circumstances of the violation, as well as statements of witnesses should also be documented and considered, and the Board should be notified of the incident.
Academic Atmosphere
At Swordwind we believe that an inherent part of a robust academic atmosphere is a preference for healthy intellectual skepticism over unquestioning acceptance of unsubstantiated hypotheses.
As such, we encourage all members to question techniques, research, and theories discussed by other members, including those presented by instructors. However, members should offer this criticism in a respectful way that is not disruptive to classes, demonstrations, or other instruction.
Likewise, we encourage members to be respectful in their disagreements with other organizations that are sincerely seeking to understand historical martial practices.
AFFILIATES
We are a member of the...
Historical European Martial Arts Alliance (HEMAA).
We are a part of the ...