Community Guidelines

Our Philosophy

MartialLineage.org exists to preserve and document the rich history of martial arts lineages. We recognize that the martial arts community is diverse, with many styles, traditions, and perspectives. We also recognize that passion for one's art can sometimes lead to heated disagreements.

These guidelines are designed to balance respect for individual schools and traditions with maintaining a welcoming public environment for all practitioners.

Private School Spaces

Your school, your rules.

Content shared within private school walls on MartialLineage.org — including private forums, posts, videos, and discussions visible only to school members — is governed by the leaders of that school.

School owners and instructors are free to:

• Set their own standards for conduct within their private spaces
• Moderate discussions as they see fit
• Establish expectations for their students and members
• Share content according to their own traditions and preferences

MartialLineage.org will not moderate content within private school spaces except where required by law (e.g., content that is illegal, contains threats of violence, or exploits minors).

Public Spaces

Shared spaces require shared respect.

Public areas of MartialLineage.org — including public profiles, public forums, comments on public content, and any other spaces visible to the broader community — are subject to platform-wide standards.

What We Encourage

• Healthy debate — Discussing techniques, history, and lineage questions respectfully
• Knowledge sharing — Contributing accurate information to benefit the community
• Constructive criticism — Offering feedback that helps improve understanding
• Asking questions — Seeking to learn, even about sensitive topics
• Correcting misinformation — Politely setting the record straight when errors appear

What We Will Not Tolerate

• Harassment — Targeting individuals with repeated unwanted contact, insults, or intimidation
• Personal attacks — Attacking the person rather than addressing the topic
• Defamation — Making false statements intended to damage someone's reputation
• Discrimination — Attacks based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, or other protected characteristics
• Doxxing — Sharing private information about others without consent
• Threats — Any threats of violence or physical harm
• Spam — Repetitive, irrelevant, or promotional content that disrupts discussion

Lineage Disputes

We understand that lineage claims can be contentious. When disputing someone's lineage or credentials:

• Use the platform's built-in dispute mechanisms (rejecting student links, requesting verification)
• Present evidence rather than accusations
• Avoid public callouts — use private channels or admin reports for serious concerns
• Remember that the verification system exists to establish trust over time

Public accusations of fraud, fake credentials, or illegitimate lineage without supporting evidence may be removed and may result in account action.

Enforcement

Violations of these guidelines in public spaces may result in:

• Warning — A reminder of community standards
• Content removal — Offending posts or comments removed
• Temporary suspension — Loss of posting privileges for a defined period
• Permanent ban — Removal from the platform

Severity of action depends on the nature and frequency of violations.

Reporting

If you encounter content that violates these guidelines, please use the Report function or contact our moderation team. Reports are reviewed by humans, not automated systems.

We do not disclose who made a report.

A Note on Tradition and Respect

These guidelines may be updated as our community grows. Members will be notified of significant changes.
Last updated: February 26, 2026