Getting close …

And then it was the final week of the University/School holidays …

I hope that this morning finds everyone well rested from the weekend and thinking to the second half of the year ahead of us. I don’t have to labour the point that we have all experienced drastic change to our regular routines over the past few months. While we are still a long way from our pre-COVID habits, the announcement by the State government last week moving us to Stage 3 of the ease in restrictions is both a very welcome development, and presents ongoing challenges.

The biggest issue, of course, is our safe return to face-to-face classes. In aid of that, I have been drafting our Club’s COVID Safe blueprint, which covers all disciplines. Once that has been finalised, we will be making a copy available on the Club’s website, as we need for all Club members to be part of the team that allows us to get back into the dojo.

First some big announcements. We are now scheduled to make a return to face-to-face classes from the week of 20 July. We still need to confirm days and times, as there will have to be some inevitable changes to accommodate our requirements for maintaining a safe training environment in the face of the ongoing pandemic. As the Victorian experience illustrates, things can change very rapidly in the current environment, and we need to keep on top of this.

The second even bigger announcement is that the Club is set for a return to the USQ Toowoomba campus. After negotiating with Jenny Rix, the new CEO of the Student Guild, we look set to be able to run all of our pre-COVID classes at the Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre (CBRC), on Baker Street. The last time the Club was training in any capacity on campus was the last Kendo class we held in 2016, and for the bulk of the Club’s classes it was 2011. Coming back to campus significantly increases our ability to fulfil one of our primary charter items of servicing the University community, and especially disciplines like Kendo and Judo that feed into the Division 1 Australian University Games.

I want to thank Jenny for the opportunity to return to campus, and for her obvious vision and enthusiasm for the renewal of the Student Guild’s relationship with the University community. We are still finalising some of the necessary planning for the start of classes, and in next week’s Bulletin I hope to be able to provide full details of what this will mean for both instructors and students at the Club.

So this is definitely a case of watch this space closely. For me, I am probably equal parts excited and nervous with all of the change ahead. We are certainly getting close …

Policies and procedures refresh (And Kendo face shields)

I have very much enjoyed my first week of a less frenetic pace, restarting the remedial massage business after its COVID-19 hiatus, getting to projects around the garden and home that have been on the back burner for the past few months, and diving back into the important work of ensuring that the Club’s policies and procedures are up to date.

In particular, I will be working through a full update of the Club’s Risk Assessment and Management Protocols (RAMP) document for both organisational level risks/hazards and activity specific risks. We will be ratifying these at the next Executive meeting, and will make them available on the Club’s website.

Brady in this bulletin has outlined some of the requirements that we will need for all disciplines as we return, and each discipline will require its own specific control procedures. For instance, we will be following the AJKF and QKR guidelines for kendo in that we will need for folk to have a internally fitted face shield in their mengane to reduce the spread of droplets during practice. This will be a requirement for participation at any QKR-sponsored event for the foreseeable future, and indeed for BBRD club-level training. I am also of the understanding that John Isaacs sensei, will be making an identical requirement for training in Brisbane at the Kenshinkai. We are still discussing the need to use an additional mask (cloth or otherwise), and have received some medical advice in that regard. Rest assured, kendoka will be informed of what they will need to do well in advance of our return to regular training.

I have put in an order for face shields with the QKR, which has arranged for a bulk discount on both unit cost and shipping fees. They ought to be around $11 each for Club members.

Have a great week everyone! I’ll hope to see you at one or more of our online sessions.

Many thanks Prof. Peter McIlveen

I would like to write a quick note of thanks to Prof. Peter McIlveen for his generous donation to the Club of his kendo equipment.

Peter has always been an enthusiastic supporter and promoter of Kendo in Toowoomba, and a former Executive member of the Queensland Kendo Renmei. He was known for a style of kendo I would describe as quick, fluid, and beautiful. Over the years he has regularly supported the Club at public events like the Toowoomba Languages and Cultures Festival and Harmony Day. On a more personal note, it was Peter that introduced me to Kendo and reignited in me a passion for the martial arts that had almost been extinguished by the time that I had moved to Toowoomba in 2007.

In recent years Peter has experienced significant ill health, and while broadly recovered, he has said to me that kendo keiko is a physical step too far for him. That said, I will continue to encourage him to consider taking up Iaido so as to continue his connection to the practice of the Japanese sword.

Peter’s bogu, keikogi, suburito, and shinai will be added to the pool in the Club kit, and my hope is that they will continue to inspire beginners to pursue the practice of Kendo.

COVID-19 Return to Play for the Club

Hi everyone,

What follows are some of the processes that the executive has actioned so that we follow the COVID-19 regulations for returning to training – the government’s COVID-19 Return to Play policy.

Every person must be aware and play an active role in ensuring these routines are strictly adhered to at all times. Doing so will help to minimise the risk of transmission. I encourage you to read the following and familiarise yourself with the new routines we must follow.

1.      We encourage you to consider downloading and using the government’s COVID Safe app.

2.      You are encouraged to bring your own water bottle, that is full of water, to eliminate the need to use the school’s bubblers.

3.      You must ensure that your equipment is in good repair and that you are the only person who uses them, because it limits the chance of transmission.

4.      You must ensure your personal hygiene, which means:

a.      Being clean before coming to training.

b.      Only coming to training if you are in good health, otherwise we need you to stay at home and rest to limit the possibility of transmitting infection.

c.      Bringing a clean uniform that has been laundered and dried after previous use. We recognise that this is normal practice, but it is even more important in our current climate.

d.      Wearing footwear (more details on that below).

5.      Entering and exiting the dojo will mean:

a.      Entering through the normal door (door closest to the bubblers on the southern side of the MEAC).

b.       Clean your hands at the sanitising station near the entry point.

c.      Maintain physical distance in regards to setting down equipment and preparation to train.

d.      Wear footwear at all times when you are outside of the red lines of the floor.

e.      You must wear footwear to the toilet.

f.       Footwear must be removed within the red lines.

g.      Exit the dojo through the side door. This refers to the double doors on the eastern side of the dojo.

h.      As you exit, use the sanitising station provided.

6.      Cleaning procedures for the area within the red lines:

a.      The tatami (mats) must be cleaned before and after use to minimise the risk of infection.

b.      The mats must be towelled down after mopping.

c.      Shoes must be worn when unpacking and packing the mats.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the executive for clarification.

Regards,

Brady

Congrats to everyone for getting through Semester/Term 1!

I am writing this morning, aptly the day after the Winter Solstice, having completed my last exam before transitioning to the next phase of my study that will be focussed on clinical placement and Honours project. It felt both a great relief and somewhat dislocating to know that, for now, formal class-based learning is over, and for the next 18 months will be focussed on honing my clinical skills to become a registered Physiotherapist.

Moments like the Solstice provide satisfying punctuation for mark significant rights of passage, and I want to congratulate everyone who has been studying for having got through the highly disrupted and unusual circumstances of our education journey over the past three months. All of you deserve to be able to take some time out to enjoy the successes of this past period, and build focus to look at the path forward for the rest of this year.

From my study perspective, it looks like I will be commencing my first placement toward the end of August, though this may change if I have one of next year’s scheduled placements brought forward (in which case it will be back to back placements from 20 July through to 30 October). Regardless, I will be spending a bit of time over the next three weeks sorting out some Club systems and, most importantly, putting our return to activity planning into action to enable us to get back into the dojo.

One of my first tasks will be to update all of the Zoom class details on the website. In general we have done well with these classes, getting healthy, consistent, numbers across out current offerings. In Iaido specifically, it has been excellent to get the regular input of Tom Johnson sensei, who has made the point that everyone seems to be progressing well in spite of the limitations of training online.

I do not think that we have seen the back-end of disruptions for this year. The recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Victoria and the extension of lockdown measures there is a reminder that situations can change very rapidly. However, I think that we will continue to be well placed to deal with what the second half of this year holds in store.

I will look forward to seeing folk either virtually or in person over the coming weeks. Have fun, stay safe, and please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have any specific questions about the Club or training!

Thank you, Tomoko Sneath!

After a long period of deliberation, Tomoko Sneath has made the decision to step down from the co-coordinatorship of Toowoomba Taiko. She will still be actively involved in the Group and help to teach Taiko through the Club.

I want to pay a special thanks to Tomoko for all of her efforts in the role since the initial thoughts were put together to set up a Taiko group in Toowoomba. Over the years, she has been central to the creation of the group, a driving force behind the amazing donation of wadaiko by the City of Takatsuki, and a lynch pin of the group’s public performances.

I would also like to thank her for all of her personal support over the years in my role as President, and her thoughtful contributions to the Executive committee. While we will all miss your presence there, I will be comforted by your continued involvement with the Club, and look forward to the creative direction that Taiko will take.

Michelle Wiersma will be going forward representing the interests of Taiko at the Executive, and as the first point of contact for people interested in taking up the practice of Taiko in Toowoomba.

One more week (and pause for breath) …

I am currently hitting the straps of my final week of exam period, with two more clinical exams to go before I can take a slight pause and refocus on Club matters.

The most immediate consequence of this will be my absence form online Jujutsu classes this week, as they are the night before each of my final two exams. However, Brady will be ably covering those classes, so please attend if you are able.

I have also received my draft clinical placements for the latter half of the year. My first block of five weeks is set to be in Toowoomba starting late August, and the second following immediately afterwards at the CQUni clinic based in Indooroopilly. This will meant I do get to have some time before these start around the point that we expect to be transitioning back to face-to-face classes, and can get some policy and procedures updates done for us too. And while there may be a little bit of disruption from late September through to the end of October, I am certain that we will easily absorb that into our schedule.

I will also plan to be in Bundaberg the weekend of the 11th July to finalise a few things up there, which will mean that Gin Gin will most likely have the opportunity to have returned classes with me before we officially start back in Toowoomba.

In aid of our return, the Executive Committee has been activity planning for all the things we need to cover regarding our COVID-19 related obligations, and Brady will be providing more information via the Budo Bulletin next week regarding what we are doing, and what you will have to do to help us facilitate our return.

As mentioned by Sean last week, now it the time to put some serious thought into preparing yourself to come back to training. For those who haven’t been regularly attending online classes, you will need to be considered regarding how far you push yourself. After an extended break callouses fade, specific strength and endurance diminishes, and technical skills become blunt. The great news is that with careful preparation you can quickly get back to your pre-shutdown performance.

But you need to be starting now.

None of us want to experience injury, minor or major, during our return. So start with regular aerobic activity (150 minutes a week, 30 minutes a day, 10 minutes minimum each block in a day, for 5-6 days a week of medium intensity exercise is the recommendation for adults). Then start doing some barefoot training to condition your feet, even if that is just walking around your house barefoot. Check all of your equipment/uniforms and repair/replace as necessary. And start doing some of the technical drills/suburi that will resharpen your skill set.

You have about 6 weeks to get ready. So … GO!

And finally I want to wish best of to all our members, regardless of where they are studying, who are sitting exams or in the process of awaiting results. Gambatte kudesai!

COVID-19 return to activity

Today marks the start of both the USQ and CQU exam periods, and I’d like to wish everyone all the best over the next two weeks. This semester has been particularly difficult for students normally accustomed to face-to-face delivery, and even those who usually engage in an online mode have had changes to the way that they are both studying and are assessed.

As mentioned previously, we have been working behind the scenes to bring our return to usual dojo activity as quickly as is possible. At the moment, we are hampered by the fact that we are unlikely to be able to hire indoor facilities for the bulk of our classes till the State government progresses us to stage 3 of eased restrictions.

That being said, we are looking to stage returns to our own face-to-face classes as soon as we can. Taiko are currently looking at what specific hygiene protocols might mean for their practice, especially the use of the wadaiko and keeping them cleaned. Systema have pencilled in an in-the-park training session for Saturday 20 June where social distancing can be maintained, and Matsuyama Dojo (For those that may want to head down to Pine Mountain to train with Tom sensei) is back to iaido and jodo on a Wednesday night and Saturday morning.

We are continuing to work through the Club’s COVID-19 plan, including developing the necessary protocols to keep our training areas clean, and the equipment to do so. Brady, as Club Secretary, will be updating us soon and what the coordinated Club plan will entail for our return to activity.

So be well, keep safe, and good luck with everything you have to do over the next couple of weeks. And remember that we are still running our virtual classes for Jujutsu, Systema, Kendo, Iaido and FlexiFit through the week (and will do till things return to more normal).

Covid-19 Update

It is shaping up to be a relatively warm start to winter here in Toowoomba today, with a cold front expected to arrive tomorrow, bringing with it a crash in the temperature. However, our spirits ought be buoyed with the early relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in Queensland, and the prospect that we are getting even closer to a restart of out regular classes.

The new stage of our journey back is due to begin at 12 pm today, two weeks earlier than initially announced. What this means is that for non-contact community sport and cultural activities, we are permitted to have up to 20 people in one indoor space, so long as we are able to maintain social distancing of 1.5 meters per person, a floor space of 4 meters squared per person, and can guarantee that all people and the facility can maintain hygiene and decontamination protocols.

As we have mentioned earlier, at this stage it means a return to Taiko, Iaido and ZKR Jodo is possible, while the other Club activities will have to go on hold till restrictions are relaxed to Stage 3.

We will be finalising plans this week to stage our return to training. However, there are a number of factors that will need to be resolved before we can do this. This includes:

  • Finalising our COVID-19 components of the Club’s Risk Assessment and Management Plan (RAMP), and getting all Club instructors and discipline coordinators to understand our obligations under it

  • Obtaining all of the cleaning equipment and supplies necessary to fulfil our obligations under the restrictions

  • Providing clear advice to members so that they are clear about their obligations in a return to training

  • Establishing with the owners of the facilities that we use (specifically the MEAC and the Hear and Say Centre/TRC) what their protocols are with respect to hygiene so that we can be sure that our members are not at risk through the use of their facility.

We all need to be vigilant at this time. While we have collectively done extraordinarily well to keep community infection rates low, four weeks of inattention would be enough to spark a second wave of infections that would have us locked down for many more months to come.

Every one of us has a part to play in getting us to the point where we can return to the activities we love. Things that you can do include:

  • Continuing to maintain social distancing when out and about in the community.

  • Only make necessary travel, particularly to places that are crowded, and minimise your time there.

  • Maintain good hygiene, including hand washing

  • If you feel unwell, stay home. This is especially important once we do go back to classes. If you have a cold, a sniffle, a cough, a sneeze, a temperature, a sore throat, an unusual or unexplained headache, enlarged lymph glands, or you just “feel funny”, please stay away till the symptoms resolve. We will love to see you there, but only when you are well and not posing a risk of infecting someone else.

Just remember that there are a number at the Club who work in the fields of health and disability/aged care support, servicing vulnerable patients/clients. We do not want to be in a position where we are forced off work, or worse still we pass on something to someone who becomes critically ill as a result.

I will post another general update next week once we have a clearer picture of our pathway for return. At this stage, we will still be continuing with our online classes till at least we reach Stage 3. Again, as I have mentioned in previous Bulletins, we are looking to continue our video feed to support the broader Club diaspora that have rejoined our classes over the past couple of months.

So exciting times ahead! Stay tuned, keep safe and I’ll look forward to seeing you soon!