As an amateur sport, fencing has a long history of courtesy and good sportsmanship.  We believe that history is important to the enjoyment of swordplay.  Therefore members of the Salle and visitors are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the following Salle customs and courtesies:

(1)  Members should greet and introduce themselves to any guest, or visitor or new member, and make very effort to make the visitor feel welcome.

(2)  Members should willingly fence with anyone who requests a bout.

(3)  Fencing lessons and bouts start with the salute and end with the salute, a handshake, and thanks for the opportunity to cross swords.

(4)  Fencers are expected to acknowledge when they are touched by their opponents and to point out the location of the hit.

(5)  Fencers are expected to fence in an honest and courteous manner.

(6)  If a fencer is accidentally disarmed, the fencer doing the disarm should not attempt to hit the unarmed opponent and should make a point of picking up and returning the dropped weapon.

(7)  Hard hitting is not permitted; apologize immediately for any accidental hard hit.

(8)  Individual touches and victories should not be celebrated at the expense of the opponent; yelling, doing victory dances, or other such manifestations of poor sportsmanship are inappropriate.  Similarly, disappointment at the result should never result in throwing weapons or equipment or similar displays of bad temper.

(9)  If a borrowed weapon is broken (including Salle weapons borrowed for open fencing), the individual who borrowed the weapon is responsible for the replacement of the blade.

(10)  When fencing bouts, votes of the judges and decisions of the referee, director, or president of the jury will not be questioned.  At the end of the bout, fencers will thank their fellow salle members for serving as officials.

(11)  Members using training equipment such as lunging pads or spadassins should relinquish the equipment to others who wish to use it on request after a reasonable interval of use.

(12)  The instructions of the Salle Maitre d'Armes or other professional coaches should be followed without hesitation or resentment.

(13)  Each member is responsible at all times for stowing his or her equipment neatly and for not creating disorder on the fencing floor that inconveniences others or presents a bad impression of the Salle to visitors.

(14)  Spills of liquids should be cleaned up immediately by those spilling, and trash should be deposited in trash cans to keep the Salle neat and safe.