We have such plans for 2020 it was going to be a great year for making memories and it is, just not in the way we thought it would be. This time away from the dojo has been great to reflect on what we want, how we see the world and what we can put our minds to. This year didn’t know that we are resourceful, determined and ingenious, we know that although this year isn’t what we expected, we’ve changed the plan.

It is great to use this time to reflect and acknowledge everything we can sometimes take for granted like the freedom to dress up and go for dinner, have someone else cook for you and have a great time out. Or, those family events we all dread knowing you’ll be asked the same question by all our relatives. Well now we haven’t seen anyone in months and can’t wait to see everyone, to know what they have been getting up to. We miss the sweaty, red face of ending a class in the dojo. Usually we come to the club, do our hour lesson and wait until next week until we return, however, since we have been away, we didn’t realise how much we loved it, the hype and adrenaline rush. We cannot wait to go back.

During this time, some of us have spent our days taking up a hobby, well, another one.  We have learnt to keep ourselves busy and become resourceful, this isn’t quiet the year we expected but we are making the most of it. We now have time that normally we wouldn’t have to complete tasks that have been on our mind and take up new skills that normally are just on our mind before Monday comes around again and we put it on the back burner. Some of us have had a DIY kick and renovated our homes to take a spring clean to the next level, while others have been divulged into their creative sides with painting, drawing and endless puzzles. Hopefully, this time has been enlightening to see how much we can achieve when we are taken out of our normal routine.

It is important to stay motivated while we are under these government guidelines, it’s easy for the days to roll into each other and the next thing we know we can’t remember what day it is, what does the word ‘weekend’ mean anymore. Before, we knew it was Monday because the kids would go to the Little Champs class, or Thursday, because we would gear up and be ready to spar with Sensei Judah – but now!? Who knows what day it is without the dojo? Being away from the clubs doesn’t mean our training stops, Xen-Do has done it’s best to keep a bit of normality by giving us Virtual Training and who doesn’t want Sensei Nathan shouting at us from our front room?!

Besides keeping up with your training make sure you are still going outside and getting your daily exercise in the form of a walk or run as well. It can be hard in this new normal to keep ourselves busy, but we need to make sure we are taking care of ourselves mentally not just physically.  Without a way to manage stress in these uncertain times, you can easily find yourself suffering from symptoms related to anxiety and depression. We know that through a high intensity work out this releases endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals produced by the body to relieve stress and pain. Studies have shown that regular exercise can have a very positive impact on your mental health.

Finally, stay in touch, it is so easy to become a social recluse while we are staying at home but Xen-Do is still here with you. Remember we are all in this together and we are resilient as a club and hopefully the end is near. Be sure to use all your resources to contact your friends and loved ones, call, message, skype, facetime – even a Zoom quiz. There are so many ways to reach out to the people you know it is easy to stay connected until we can all be together again.  To all our students, don’t hesitate to contact us through our social medias or email to keep connected.

Keep happy and healthy everyone! We look forward to seeing you all again back in the dojo as soon as we can.

Ouss!