How has COVID-19 affected your training and other parts of your life?

Absolutely. It's a symbiotic relationship that benefits each party.

 

Aikido is now off until at least April 6th which is totally understandable given how much of aiki is hand/wrist grabs. I've seen photos of the state of work and part of me is glad I'm stuck in the house while another part of me is still annoyed that I can't get in and actually do something about it. Until Saturday though, it's suspension trainer, beastmaker, revising the aikido syllabus, and loosening off my back.

I might even get around to some diy and decorating, but I seriously doubt that

 

my school announced 2 week initial closure.
Understandable and everyone is supporting his decision. I'll still be paying my membership, i want to get back on those mats as soon as it's open again!

 

For those grapplers not able to train Bernardo Faria has done an incredibly unselfish thing on both his bjj fanatics and judo fanatics Facebook pages over the weekend look it up and make sure you thank him

 

It was a great move from Bernardo! I have already purchased my free instructional.

I noticed Stephan Kesting also offered free instructional. He was very vocal about students not training during this period, it's commendable for him to stand up and announce to everyone to stop training.

I also read that John Danaher is in the process of creating a solo drills instructional for free.

 

Mandatory minimum of 50% reduction in the state workforce......IT is considered essential so we may not be sent home. But if everyone else is, I got noting to do.

And why does this song keep running in my head

 

And now it is ALL non-essential employees...... I am essential...so everyone goes home and I spend the next week, until knee surgery, doing this...



The school I last trained Xingyiquan at has just closed for the week too. They will be taking this on a week by week basis

 

My wife is closing her TCM office on Thursday

 

My job is an essential service. It's non-customer facing but still. It's unlikely to be shut down. Kind of have to take transit to work for the moment. Not happy to stay working during a pandemic. Also wouldn't be happy to put my new training on hold.

 

At this point, I think it is safe to say, New York State, including New York City, is closed.

 

Have a Family Restaurant. Official government advice from Boris Johnson is not to go to pubs and Restaurants, but has not put out a government mandate to shut us down, meaning we have to keep open and limp along, unable either way to forward plan for next few months. The slashing of council rates is barely life support for maybe a few weeks. I just wish he would be coherent in his strategy. Ill be surprised if the company doesn't go insolvent in next few weeks.

Meanwhile the organisational machine that is British fencing has been slightly more forthcoming, well...drip feeding information I suspect because Uk government provides no firm guidance so the are relying on FIE, international body:

International comps- Abandoned

Shaking hands after bouts - Temporarily suspended (formely black card offence)

Equipment to be wiped down (fencing sword grips and masks). Club kit such as gloves to be washed more often.

British Youth Championships- Delayed, Shame as we had quite a few kids medalling this years in the regionals and representing the West Midlands in the Nationals

If Leisure centres shut down, we will have to shut the fencing club, but at least we wouldn't be charged for the use of Badminton courts.

As for my Kickboxing lessons I have been back at it for two months, but from next week on I will have to consider if its 'essential travel.' Not that my instructor needs the dough, it was on the side earning.

 

So the tkd school my kids go to still planning to run the grading in a week from now. The said that classes will be on as long as schools are still open (where they currently run classes).

I can't help but think that this is because the organisation makes a lot of money from gradings. I personally have said that the children that they will not be going to classes for the next few weeks, we can do things at home.

Thinking about all the discussion, especially with an activity which heavily focuses on physical interaction, i think that given an the developing announcements, it is unacceptable to remain "quietly" open, and also continuing to run a number of high attendance events (grading), over the next 2 weeks makes me feel that the health of students has been put below the profit of gradings.

Unless i see any announcements otherwise I'm considering taking my kids to another club.

Has anyone else seen the behaviour from large martial arts organisations?

 

June is probably a more realistic timeframe before we will see the situation begin to calm down.

 

I'm still seeing photos on Facebook of the state of work and I'm itching to get back and do something. Instead I'm stuck indoors until Saturday. Managed a nice aikido session in the living room this afternoon though. I put a guitar lead down the middle of the room to act as a centre line and studied the first few grades, focusing on keeping centred, a good posture and being either side of the line (a few things I noticed I'm not doing as well as I should at 2nd kyu, even if I've been out for seven years). I used a bokken as an improvised arm for shiho nage work and for "unbendable arm" stuff. I think Thursday I'll do the same as I work through the third kyu grading as it seemed to work well.

Tomorrow would normally be my climbing wall day so this one is going to hurt. Suspension trainer and Beastmaker, with some knot practice too to work the grey matter.

 

My dojo remains open, but with some stricter precautions. No more sparring or partner drills. No massively intense classes for a while, plus we disinfect all equipment immediately after use as opposed to after class.

Tonight’s class was a light warm-up, Kihon basics, bo basics with steel bar, and a Kata.