Birankai North America Teachers Statement of Professional Ethics
Aikido Teachers, guided by a deep conviction of the worth and dignity of advancing the path of Aikido, recognize the special responsibilities placed on them as teachers and guides for their students.
Aikido teachers encourage and support the learning process of their students and demonstrate the best possible standards of the discipline and art of Aikido. They demonstrate respect for the student as an individual and adhere to their role as a guide and teacher. Aikido teachers avoid exploitation of their students for their personal advantage. They make every effort to assure that their evaluation of students reflects their true merit. Aikido teachers are aware of and sensitive to the power differential inherent in the teacher-student relationship.
As a member of Birankai North America, the Aikido teacher is committed to creating and maintaining a community free from all forms of disrespectful conduct including harassment and exploitation.
Aikido teachers and practitioners do not engage in sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is sexual solicitation, physical advances, or verbal or non-verbal conduct that is sexual in nature, that occurs in connection with the Aikido teacher’s activities or role as a teacher and that either:
is unwelcome, offensive, or creates a hostile environment, and the teacher knows or is told this;
is sufficiently severe or intense to be abusive to a reasonable person in the context. Sexual Harassment can consist of a single intense or severe act or of multiple persistent or pervasive acts. Sexual harassment also includes requests of sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s Aikido training or creating an abusive, hostile, or offensive practice or learning environment.
5. Aikido teachers and practitioners do not knowingly engage in behavior that is harassing, discriminating, or demeaning to persons with whom they interact in the dojo environment based on factors such as the person’s age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, or socio-economic status.
6. The process to file a complaint for violation of this statement of ethics follows:
a. Discuss the complaint with your Chief Instructor for guidance and recommendation.
b. If the complaint involves the Chief Instructor, directly contact the Ethics Committee as in (c) below.
c. If the issue remains unresolved, a formal complaint must then be made in writing and sent to the Ethics Committee at the following address:
Maureen Browne
Birankai Ethics Committee Chair
67 S. Juniper Dr.
North Aurora, IL 60542
Committee Members (as of March 2016).
Send email to:
BirankaiNA-ethics@birankai.org
Maureen Browne
Aki Fleshler
Tom Grimaldi