In this weird way of living we now find ourselves in, it is easy to fall in bad habits. We understand that it is easier to stay in pyjamas when you have nowhere to go and without our normal routine our motivation is at an all-time low. This is why we urge everyone to find little pleasures anyway you can.

Do something that makes you happy and keeps you active (as if we needed a reason not to go to the gym before) run in the park, online training, even if it’s a dance party in your bedroom! Take advantage of the good weather and go for a walk, or train outside!

We hope everyone is staying safe and keeping updated with the government guidelines, but we would also suggest make the most of the allowed daily exercise, get those sun rays on your face, with a change of scenery and a bit of fresh air will help towards a fresh mind. These times are uncertain and when asked how we are doing we’ve now said “good, just keeping busy” for the 100^th time. There is only so much we can do to keep our mind and body active, the jobs we needed to do are now done and we are searching for the jobs we didn’t know existed yet to complete them too. Find simple pleasures instead, put your trainers on, with your favourite guilty pleasure song on repeat and go run in the sunshine! It may not be a loud intense dojo but why not find a spot in the park and practice your basics and combinations, or shadow boxing? Imagine you’re standing in the dojo; you are standing face to face in the sparring class with Sensei Nathan while Sensei Richard gives advice and encouragement from the side.

We need to take the time to do thing that spark us joy (take a page out of Marie Kondon’s book) take up a hobby that you never got around to but always wanted to try, finish the book that has been sitting on your shelf for months. For one day decline all the Zoom quiz invitations, tell them thank you but you’re busy and your general knowledge is now at a pretty high level so you would probably win anyway. Instead, use this time to bond with your family, friends, roommates!

Sensei Patryk has been using this time away from the dojo to create his own Xen-Do army at home, he has been training his family in the garden using pads, practicing the combinations, circuit training whilst having fun together.  Sensei Patryk like many of us has been missing the dojo but he is making the most of the environment we are in right now.  He has been showing his mum, brother, aunt and girlfriend that Xen-Do can be anywhere until we can all be back together. Using the virtual training at home will give your family and roommates an idea of why every week we look forward to going to our classes.

We hope that you have a great day and you are all happy and healthy! Keep up the good work and we look forward to seeing you back in the dojo as soon as we can.

All the best,

OUSS!