Update: Stop training Jiu-Jitsu during coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has convinced me that I should stop training Jiu-Jitsu at the gym right now.
I didn’t want it to come to this. I need to train. My life is so much better when I train jiu-jitsu. It sucks when I can’t.
But I’m not going to train jiu-jitsu at the gym anymore. At least, not for now.
How did I arrive at this decision?
I have written about the coronavirus elsewhere on this website before. And I have been reading the data and listening to a lot of smart people. Some of the people happen to be high level jiu-jitsu practitioners. Here’s what two of those people have to say:
John Danaher
You should now by now, that I am a big fan of jiu-jitsu mastermind John Danaher. His cerebral, systematic approach to jiu-jitsu has changed the way a lot of people approach the art. I’ve posted one of his instructional videos here. I have even argued that he is the best teacher in Jiu-Jitsu today in my article here.
On Thursday, March 12, 2020, Danaher posted to the BJJ Fanatics Facebook page that he anticipates Jiu-Jitsu schools will close by Monday, March 16, 2020.
I’m not waiting until the gym closes. I’m not going anymore.
Here is a screenshot of Danaher’s post:
As you can see, Danaher isn’t quite as committed as I am. Not yet. But I assure you he will be. My position that it is time to avoid rolling with everybody at class due to the coronavirus, is not a popular one. I can understand that. I do not want to take a break from training at all.
Stephan Kesting
Let’s consider the position of another excellent Jiu-Jitsu instructor. You should know that I am also a fan of Jiu-Jitsu black belt Stephan Kesting. I have written about the value of the instructional videos that he posts to YouTube here.
Today, March 12, 2020, Stephan published a post to his blog. Here’s what he wrote:
And I don’t think we should be training, at least not in the way that we normally do.
Stephan Kesting 3/12/20
As you can see, to advise people not to train is such an unpopular position in the Jiu-Jitsu community, that even Stephan tempers his stance. He say he is not training…..at least not like normal. He goes on to explain that he will continue to train with a very select few training partners. I assume he will be doing this in a private or home gym. Either way, he’s not rolling at the gym in regular class. See for yourself. You can read his entire post here.
The COVID-19 Pandemic is a problem for all of us. I hate to admit it, but this one last thing that Stephan wrote in his article hurt my ego:
Thirdly, the less fast this thing spreads the more time society and the medical system has to prepare, so don’t be a selfish douchebag.
Stephan Kesting 3/12/20
I’m not going to be called a douchebag by anybody, especially not a guy who looks like Sloth from the Goonies.
In all seriousness, I want to express my gratitude to Stephan Kesting for his leadership on this issue. Sorry about the Sloth comment. You helped me not be a douchebag. More importantly, your leadership on this helps prevent the spread of this disease and keeps us healthy.
I’m not going to the gym. In the meantime, I’ll be working out on my little mat at home. I urge you to do the same.
