Today I'm going to talk about Acro Etiquette or sportsmanship, whatever you like to call it...
Essentially how to behave and how not to behave in acro spaces.
This is a topic that I feel quite passionate about if I'm honest.
Because I want everyone to have a great experience when they come to acro jams, classes or spaces.
It is the responsibility of the community and everyone present to provide the right environment for that to happen of course.
What bothers me is that sometimes it only takes a few individuals to impact this negatively or create a bad experience for someone.
I have seen or had feedback from individuals about bad experiences they had in jams.
Sometimes I've invited someone to acro and they are hesitant because of a bad experience they have had previously...
They got dropped or injured.
They were thrown around without consenting.
Someone was pushy and kept insisting they do something that they didn't feel comfortable doing.
These are all real complaints I've heard from people about different communities, including ours in Bali.
Which is pretty sad to be honest...
Acro should be a fun enjoyable and uplifting experience for people, and we as a community should strive to keep that a consistent reality.
As I said this isn't everyone's fault, it's usually just a few bad apples that spoil the cart.
But if we as a community locally and globally have the same ideals and attitude with regards to "acro etiquette" then these negative experiences can be easily avoided.
So here's a few things YOU can do, if you don't already...
That will uphold a good acro etiquette and ensure we create amazing experiences for everyone including ourselves.
Safety above all else!
This is and always will be the no.1 rule for acro activities.
Acro requires 3 people or more, flyer, base and spotter.
All are equally important and everyone has a responsibility for safety.
Most of you probably already know this, so the more important points are:
- Ask for a spotter when you feel unsafe.
- Ask others if they need a spotter when something looks unsafe to you.
- Say "down" if you dont feel safe or want to come down from the pose.
I can and will talk about this topic in great detail in the future, because there is honestly so much to discuss here.
But ultimately you are in charge of your own safety and the safety of those you work with.
If you get injured or someone you're playing with gets injured you have to deal with the emotional and physical consequences (which trust me you don't want to happen).
So always keep safety as your no.1 priority!
2. Consent should be asked for but never expected or assumed
Most of us are pretty good at asking someone if they want to play.
Which is a great first step.
What's important is continuing that conversation of asking if that person feels comfortable doing certain moves.
If they are new, asking if they are okay being touched in certain places.
If they feel comfortable and safe doing this.
The even more important point of this is saying no when you're asked and also accepting that no.
If you ask someone "do you want to play with me", and they say no that is the end of that topic.
There shouldn't be any neogtiation, persuasion or manipulation to make that person do what you want them to do.
That is the nature of consent and it should be respected so everyone feels comfortable.
3. Share the space and share the fun
Selfishness sticks out like a sore thumb in acro because this practice is all about teamwork and the opposite of selfishness.
It is very obvious when people are being selfish and not so keen to share or play with others.
Maybe they jump in to play with someone when it's clear someone else was waiting to play with them.
Or maybe they don't care about how they are using the space and making room for others.
Either way it's really obvious to others, and if you're doing this it's a fast way for people in your community to dislike you.
The good news it's a pretty easy rule to follow and simple to address.
Practice patience and be aware that everyone wants to play and have a good time too.
Offer to spot or help others rather than always rushing to play how you want to.
If you consider the needs of others first I guarantee it will pay you back in more people wanting to work and play with you.
Plus a more enjoyable experience for the community as a whole.
Also if you desperately want to play with one person over and over then arrange a session with them individually (that way you don't need to deal with selfishness in community spaces)
Also by setting up in a space to allow ample room for others to practice with enough space is good manners.
Plus being willing to move if someone asks you to to help create some space is nice too.
For now I believe these 3 points I covered are the most important foundational rules we can focus on.
But just know there are even more topics for acro etiquette such as clothing, communication, community building, welcoming new people, teaching/training in jams and so on.
I'll make sure to cover some of them in a future blog too. So keep an eye out for that one.
What do you think about acro etiquette?
I would love to hear your feedback about your own community and experiences, so please drop me a reply.
Cheers,
Cas
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