Last night the inevitable happened, and there has been a ban placed on all gyms and indoor sports activities (among other things) from midday today in an attempt to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the broader community.
I understand that this can be everything from mildly upsetting through to deeply distressing, as we are pared back from much of the routine of our lives, and distanced from the activities that are deeply supportive such as the face-to-face community of the dojo and its ability for us to be able to leave the worries of the broader world at the door with our shoes. It affects our income earning capacity, and our familiar ways of tapping into the support networks we rely on to keep us sane and healthy.
However, I want to provide a clarion call to everyone who feels a little isolated or a little lost with what to do over the coming weeks, as we as a society attempt to flatten the rate of infection so as to keep underneath the threshold of what our medical services can provide support for.
Even physically separated, our community is strong. You are only as far away as a phone call, a text message or a video chat. In between continuing my studies via Zoom for the next few months, I will be looking to provide some virtual dojo sessions across the arts I teach so that we can continue to keep the pot that is filled with our basic skills simmering and ready to go once we are again able to train physically with each other.
Be calm and do suburi! Your back yard, garage or lounge room can easily be turned into your corner of the virtual dojo. I will be posting some instructions regarding how this can be managed in the coming days, as well as some times I’ll be online so that we can train together, alone, in solidarity.
Remember to reach out and check on each other too. This is actually what our community is about — caring for each other when times seem uncertain.
I will post an update once details become clearer. At a minimum, we can expect that everything will effectively be shut down till at least after Easter, and most likely beyond that.
Take care, be safe, wash your hands, and I will look forward to seeing you over the video link, or eventually back in the dojo soon!