I'm writing this surrounded by puppies - I can imagine that this is the kind of joy Dan Bilzerian is searching for in his life. I win, Dan.

Anyway, onto non-puppy-related stuff.

What is the proper etiquette in an Academy?
The places I've trained have been quite relaxed, though etiquette is still central to maintaining a friendly, respectful atmosphere. The issue, however, is that it is generally unspoken - so I'm just putting down a few of my observations.

Source: shierly-c.deviantart.com

First, the simple stuff:
- Be hygienic and free of odours,
- No talons (cut your damn nails),
- Clean your gi after every session,
- Don't roll if you're disease-infested,
- Wear shoes while off the mat,
- Don't bring your shoes onto the mat, and;
- Be polite and friendly when starting a roll, always shaking hands (or whatever you like to do) beforehand, and thanking your partner afterwards.

That all is pretty no-nonsense; I mean, most people should have all of that pretty much understood the moment they walk in the door. There are a heap of other things I could list here, but brevity is nice in a blog post.

I've noticed, however, I few little things around my academy. I've also had a few things told to me after failing to notice (how embarrassing!).

Firstly, I had no idea we were ordered according to grade when stretching - I had apparently sat in the right spot accidentally prior to finding this out,

Next, shaking everyone's hand when entering and leaving (this one was fairly obvious, and is an Australian thing to do anyhow).

Lastly, the most confusing one - half my academy bows to the mat before stepping on, and after stepping off. The other half, including the instructor, does not. I don't know whether it's a habit learnt doing other martial arts or just a less stringently enforced social pleasantry, and I feel it'd be awkward to ask! From what I've heard, it's something that varies widely from academy to academy, especially between Gracie/non-Gracie schools (Gracie Barra in Sydney, for example, bow to both the professor and a picture of Grandmaster Helio Gracie).
Personally, I like the informal style - I think being a pleasant, respectful person on and off the mat should be the extent of etiquette-related discussion.

Every academy is different, and training for the first time at one may bring a challenge - I think following this 'good fella' attitude makes the challenge of etiquette just that little bit easier to navigate - you'll invariably find out if you're doing the wrong thing anyway!

Don't sweat the petty things, just get the sweaty things,
- George