Consent & Etiquette in Acro Spaces

SAFETY & CONSENT

• Please remove all jewellery before starting acro or tape over earrings that cannot be removed.

• Calibration! Running through a quick internal checklist can easily minimise the risk of injury and upset. Have you worked in this configuration before - and recently, or not for a while? Do you know your partners’ skill level, injury conditions, and communication style? Get to know these (and any other that apply to you! Triggers and fears? Goals? Experience?) before jumping into tricks, big or small.

•  ⁠⁠Invite a spotter to your practice. Offer to spot others around you. We all know how easy it is to do something just that bit more dangerous than necessary and with one too few spotters. Let’s keep each other safe and appreciate each other’s efforts to spot safely and generously.

• “Down” means STOP! Down is immediate and is non-negotiable. Calmly, safely get everyone to the floor, no questions asked. Anyone can say down at any time (base, flyer, spotters, teacher). Please make sure everyone is safely on the floor before having a conversation about what happened or what people need differently to make the trick safer on the next rep. 

• Exit plan! Before starting a skill, make sure everyone involved (base, flyer, spotter, liner) knows what the exit plan is intended to be for this move, and what the failure/emergency exit plan is (they may be very different outcomes!)

• Partner acro is a collaborative activity and I encourage you to question what you could do differently to help the trick before making a specific request from others in your team. Acro is about working together, everyone putting their full focus and attention into each trick, not blaming anyone.

• “No, thank you” is a full sentence. Consider whether you might be agreeing to tricks that aren’t right for you at that moment. I ask myself:

  • Why do I want to do this skill with that person? And why right now?

  • Am I overwhelmed? Do I have the capacity to try this skill safely right now?

  • Am I only asking/being asked to train with this person because there are certain expectations or perceived level of skill or experience? Will this be a fun interaction for everyone involved? 

  • Can I comfortably say “No” to this person/everyone in this group?

• You can change your mind! It’s normal to agree to doing acro with someone and after a few reps it isn’t working for you. Try to communicate to your partner/group what is happening for you, even if that stops the interaction. That could sound like:

  • “I’m not as focused as I thought I was and this doesn’t feel safe. Can we try another time?”

  • “I’m finding this challenging, could we…” (go slower, do some pre-exercises, break down the components of this trick, invite an additional spotter, ask the teacher for advice)

  • “I don’t respond well to that kind of communication, please can we…” (use polite language, use non-violent communication, lower the volume, not blame each other) or “I find the way you communicate to me unkind, I don’t want to do any more tricks together right now”.

• Keep your nails short and clean to prevent accidental scratching or discomfort and if you have long hair, tie it back to prevent it from interfering with your practice or your partner's experience.

• If you are feeling unwell, particularly if you have a contagious condition, please refrain from participating to prevent the spread of illness. Some of our members have auto-immune related health conditions, we ask that you consider this when choosing to participate and communicate your health status if you are unsure.