What will Martial Arts Look like After COVID?
The state of martial arts is always in flux, and that has never been more true than now with the onslaught of the COVID epidemic. With many states placing severe restrictions on businesses, there is a great deal of uncertainty in the martial arts community about how dojos and clubs will operate.
In this article, we’ll look at how COVID has affected the martial arts, and what the future of learning martial arts will look like in its wake.
The shift to online martial arts classes
The trend in the fitness industry for online subscription based models has only grown since the pandemic started. Without the ability to hold physical classes, martial arts instructors have taken the plunge into offering live online classes. Many Brazilian jiu jitsu schools, for instance, have moved classes online while they wait to re-open. Fortunately for students, there is no shortage of online jiu jitsu training courses available from well-known instructors. Other martial arts like karate and taekwondo have also started to provide online based curriculums.
There are several pros and cons to this new “self study” or “at home” approach that students have had to adapt. The benefits of at home training include the ability to repeat or watch the lesson at your leisure while staying safe during the pandemic.
However, there are significant challenges to learning a martial art virtually. For instance, depending on your martial art, you may need specialized equipment at home which you will have to buy. Further, instructors cannot provide physical feedback to students in the same way they can in the dojo. Also, because of covid restrictions, you may not have a partner to practice with and you are limited to practicing alone.
It’s very possible that online will be part of the new norm for martial arts. Yet, it’s a safe bet that most students are craving to get back on the mat.
Safety precautions and the new normal for martial arts
So what will martial arts classes look like once the pandemic is over? Martial arts studio owners are having to re-examine every aspect of their operations, from insurance requirements to classroom etiquette. With social distancing as the new normal, many schools are looking to reduce class sizes and isolate the amount of training partners while in the dojo.
Here is a brief look at just a few of the new changes coming to a dojo near you.
Temperature checks
Waivers to confirm no symptoms
Mandatory face masks
Social distancing and isolation of partners on the mat
Emphasis on solo drills vs partner work
Strict clean down procedures both pre-and post class
While these new procedures will make dojos safer, they will arguably make them slightly less welcoming and inviting places.
Fewer Options for Martial Arts
An unprecedented amount of small businesses have closed their doors because of the pandemic. Sadly, martial arts instructors have felt the pinch and had to make tough decisions to shut down their operations. Without a regular student body, it is difficult to pay for things like rent and utilities.
Will the local dojo become a thing of the past? Only if they refuse to learn how to adapt their school. Some instructors have elected to break or bend the law to resume classes. Others are getting creative by holding classes in parks or providing private lessons at their student’s homes.
The instructor in the video below made the tough choice to open despite local regulations to stay closed. His fate is emblematic of so many other schools that hang in the balance as they try to survive by any means. Truly, the survival instinct comes natural for many in martial arts;
Here’s an Owner of mixed martial arts gym explaining reopening under Michigan’s COVID-19 order in May 2020.
While the future of martial arts is hard to predict, the fighting spirit is strong with instructors and students alike. The martial arts world will be forever changed because of this pandemic. However, if the saying “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger” is any bit true, then the martial arts world will continue to evolve, rebuild and get only better in the wake of the pandemic.
Thanks to the team at BJJmotivation.com for contributing to this article.
Thanks for reading
The WoMA.TV Team