Privacy Policy

1) Our commitment to privacy

We respect your privacy and are committed to handling personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information, and how you can access or correct it or make a complaint.

2) What personal information we collect

“Personal information” is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

  • Name, email address, phone number, and (where relevant) address

  • Class bookings, attendance, membership status

  • Skill level/progression notes (if used for teaching)

  • Information you provide in waiver/intake forms, which may include injury history, health conditions, limitations, medications, pregnancy status, or other safety-related details

  • Purchase details, payment confirmations, refunds (if any)

  • Website usage data on device and usage information collected via cookies and analytics tools (see section 10), such as IP address, browser/device type, pages visited and interactions

3) How we collect personal information

We collect personal information when you:

  • contact us (in person, phone, email, messaging, social media or website)

  • register, book, attend, or purchase classes, workshops, private lessons or events

  • complete online or paper forms (including waivers/intake forms)

  • use our website (including via cookies and analytics)

4) Why we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information

We collect and use personal information to:

  • provide Taijiquan training services

  • manage bookings, memberships, attendance and customer support

  • support safety in training (including identifying relevant limitations/injuries)

  • communicate operational updates (timetables, cancellations, venue changes)

  • process payments, refunds and provide receipts

  • improve our services and website (including analytics)

  • meet legal, accounting, insurance and regulatory obligations

  • manage incidents, complaints and disputes

5) Sensitive information (health information)

Some information collected in our waiver/intake process may be sensitive information (including health information).

We only collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for our activities—primarily to help manage safety and suitability of training—and we generally do so with your consent (for example, by you voluntarily providing it), unless an exception under the Privacy Act applies.

You can choose not to provide sensitive information; however, this may affect our ability to safely provide training or may limit participation in certain activities.

6) Anonymity and pseudonymity

Where practical, you may interact with us anonymously or using a pseudonym (e.g., general enquiries). However, we usually need your name and contact details to provide bookings, membership services, receipts, or safety-related support.

7) Who we disclose personal information to

We may disclose personal information to third parties where reasonably necessary to operate our services, including:

  • Payment and point-of-sale providers (to process payments and manage refunds/chargebacks)

  • Form and data collection providers (to collect and store waiver/intake responses and other submissions)

  • Website and analytics providers (to host, operate and measure website performance and usage)

  • IT and security service providers (to support and secure our systems)

  • Professional advisers (legal, accounting, insurance) where needed

  • Government agencies, courts, law enforcement or emergency services where required/authorised by law, or where necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to life, health or safety

We do not sell personal information.

8) Direct marketing

We may send you communications about classes, workshops or events where permitted by law. You can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe option (where available) or by contacting us using the details in section 14.

9) Photos and videos

We may take photos/videos at classes or events for community and promotional purposes (e.g., website, social media). Where appropriate, we will seek consent or provide an opt-out method.

If you do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please tell us (or your instructor) before the class/event.

10) Cookies and analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to help it function and to analyse how visitors use the site (for example, traffic patterns and page interactions). You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Blocking cookies may affect website functionality.

11) Overseas disclosures

Some third-party service providers we use may store or process personal information outside Australia (for example, via cloud infrastructure located in multiple countries).

Where we disclose personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient handles the information in a manner consistent with the APPs, or we rely on an applicable exception under the Privacy Act.

12) Security and retention

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Measures may include access controls, staff training, and secure systems and providers.

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy and for legal, accounting and insurance requirements. We then take reasonable steps to delete or de-identify it.

Where the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme applies to us and an eligible data breach occurs, we will comply with our notification obligations.

13) Access and correction

You may request access to personal information we hold about you and request correction if it is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

To request access or correction, contact us using the details in section 14. We may need to verify your identity. In some cases, we may refuse access or correction where permitted by law; if so, we will explain why.

14) Privacy enquiries and complaints

If you have any queries or are concerned about how your personal information has been collected, used or disclosed and you wish to make a complaint, please contact the Privacy Officer on the information below:

Email: practicalmethodau@gmail.com

Website: www.practicalmethod.au

We will acknowledge receipt of a complaint as soon as practicable. We will then investigate the complaint and respond to you within 30 days. Some complex matters may require an extension to thoroughly investigate the complaint and bring it to resolution.

If you are not fully satisfied with our response, you can contact an external body. In cases of privacy related complaints, this is generally the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

15) Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time by publishing the updated version on our website.