Jiu-Jitsu and Coronavirus: WHO declares pandemic
If you are a serious jiu-jitsu praticioner, you likely have some concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he has been “deeply concerned” by the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Infection cases outside of China continue to surge on Wednesday.
Leaders from the European Union are promising to do “whatever it takes” to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Professor Danaher weighs in
If you visit MatMartial often you already know that I am a fan of Renzo Gracie black belt and elite Jiu-Jitsu instructor and mastermind John Danaher. I have written about him here and featured his instructional videos here.
Danaher weighed in on a Facebook post to the BJJ Fanatics page.
Still somewhat non-committal, Danaher suggests that Jiu-Jitsu schools around the world will be shutting their doors in the near future until the pandemic is under control. I suspect that by Monday, March 16, 2020, Jiu-Jitsu schools will be closed or closing unit the pandemic is under control.
The coronavirus continues to spread in the United States. The virus also appeared in new countries including Bolivia, Honduras, and Turkey. Meanwhile, Indonesia, Bulgaria, and Sweden have recorded their first deaths from COVID-19.
“We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear,” WHO Director General Tedros said on Wednesday.
What is a “Pandemic”?
According to A Dictionary of Epidemiology, a pandemic is “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people.”
The declaration that the COVID-19 outbreak has become a pandemic doesn’t change any facts about any characteristics of the disease. The declaration of pandemic reflects the effort on the part of the WHO to get the world to take notice. Tedros and other world leaders want all the world to respond to the pandemic with the seriousness it deserves.
“WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock, and we’re deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized by ‘pandemic,’” Tedros said. The General Director of the WHO added that the designation did not mean the situation was hopeless. He said, “All countries can still change the course of this pandemic.”
The COVID-19 coronavirus has spread all around the world rapidly, infecting more than 120,000 people in 114 countries.
Cancelled Events
By Wednesday, March 11, 2020, countless sporting events had been cancelled out of precaution. The IBJJF has cancelled the Pan American Championships that were originally scheduled to take place from March 18 – 22, in Irvine, California. This cancellation follows on the heels of the cancellation by the UAEJJF of its biggest event of the year, the Abu Dhabi World Pro.
The Golden State Warriors basketball team in San Francisco said they will be play Thursday’s home game against the Brooklyn Nets without fans, becoming the first NBA team to have a game affected by the coronavirus. The decision was announced shortly after the city and county of San Francisco announced a two-week ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
Similarly, the NCAA announced today that fans will not be permitted to attend the March Madness basketball tournament. The World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal have been cancelled. Harvard University has told its students not to return to campus following Spring Break. Rock band Pearl Jam and pop star Miley Cyrus have cancelled their tours. Countless other schools have been shuttered out of precaution. The list goes on and on.
Should you train Jiu-Jitsu at your local gym?
I am not a doctor or an epidemiologist. From what I can tell, my stance on the coronavirus pandemic is more conservative than most in the jiu-jitsu community so far. I am taking my cue from the World Health Organization and Director General Tedros, and I am urging caution.
In my most recent post, Jiu-Jitsu and Coronavirus: 8 Graphics to Consider, I urged my readers to practice self-defense.
Especially if you live in an area where the infection rate is high, you need to think twice about your jiu-jitsu practice for the immediate future. Or if you live in an area where you have no faith in the government’s data about the disease, you should also proceed with caution. Again, there are now confirmed COVID-19 cases in 114 countries. I’m skeptical that some countries have not reported infections. For example, how can there not be any reported cases right next to China in the Central Asian countries?
What you need to know about COVID-19?
The virus is spread through close personal contact with infected individuals and by coughing and sneezing, therefore it is perfectly reasonable to assume that infections can occur while grappling. Coronavirus also has a long incubation period of fourteen days. This means that if infected, you may not exhibit symptoms for up to two weeks. It has become increasingly clear, now a pandemic, the coronavirus should not be taken lightly.
For more details and statistics about the coronavirus, please visit the World Health Organization website. If you want to see my thoughts, please take a look at my last post Jiu-Jitsu and Coronavirus: 8 Graphics to Consider.
Jiu-Jitsu in the time of Corona
Now that COVID-19 has reached pandemic proportions, I believe all jiu-jitsu practitioners should take a moment to reflect before they attend their next training session.
Start by asking yourself these questions:
- Why do you train jiu-jitsu in the first place?
- To live a healthy life?
- So that you can take care of yourself and others?
- To defend yourself?
If defending yourself from the virus means avoiding the gym for a few days, or even a few weeks, then you have do it. Not going to the gym, is utilizing the right technique at the right time.
Practice self-defense
The coronavirus affects Jiu Jitsu practitioners in the same way it impacts everyone else. Which means we all have to remember about hygiene and prevention no matter what we do.
If living in a region with outbreaks, you should avoid people who are sick. You should consider not training for a few days, or as long as necessary, until the COVID-19 pandemic is under control. Unfortunately, in the immediate future it seems like it is likely to get a little worse before it gets better.
All the more reason to heed the call of the WHO and General Director Tedros and do our part to change the course of this pandemic.
Practice self-defense in the face of this virus, and wait for the pandemic come under control before you return to the gym.
If you are in a safe area and you absolutely must go to the gym, be a responsible training partner. If you are feeling sick,if you have a fever or coughing or sneezing, please stay home.
Check back often for updates
For more from MatMartial on the coronavirus see Jiu-Jitsu and Coronavirus: 8 Graphics to Consider.
I will soon be posting some exercises to maintain your strength, flexibility, and mobility at home. So check back in with MatMartial often.
If you would like to reach out to me, please leave a comment below or use our Contact Page. Please let me know what you are doing to stay healthy. Also let me know what you would like to see more of from MatMartial.
I remain confident that this is only a temporary problem if we all do our part, and we will all get back to our regular training soon.
