Viral Blog Post

This is a strange time. As a history nerd it’s easy to find dramatic parallels: It’s the Spanish flu of 1918, the stock market crash of 1929, and the dust bowl of the 1930s, all squeezed into a contentious election year and with the exciting addition of the internet. There’s never been anything exactly like this before, but there have been many things near enough to this that it makes people nervous.

I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I do know that everyone is facing the same three challenges. First, and most importantly, we need to protect people’s health. Second, we need to provide an economic safety net for the most vulnerable among us. The third goal is something I’m struggling to put into words. As we take dramatic action to address the first two concerns, our lives and communities are going through tumultuous upheaval. I think everyone is struggling to hold onto some sense of normalcy, of continuity. We are struggling to secure the parts of our lives, relationships, and routines that we value; the activities that we use to define ourselves.

This is a blog about martial arts.

Right now, the best thing for everyone’s health is to practice social distancing. That means not getting together with your friends, working out, and sparring. That’s a difficult thing for people who define themselves in large part by those activities.

Right now every martial arts school, gym, and niche athletic club is struggling. The safest thing for their members is to shut down until this all blows over. Almost no gym can afford to go without revenue for that long. If people aren’t willing to pay their gym dues, when they can’t use the gym, then a lot of gyms simply won’t exist when this is all over. That’s a terrifying thing for people who have built their lives and livelihoods around those businesses.

I don’t have a panacea to offer. Everyone’s circumstance is a little different. I urge people to take care of their health and take care not to endanger the health of others. I hope everyone can weather these financial disruptions. If you’re okay financially, please help those who are struggling. Support small businesses in your community. Get takeout. KEEP PAYING YOUR GYM DUES.

This is a blog about martial arts.

So, what’s a martial artist to do when they can’t train with their friends?

Solo drills, exercise, taking time to rehabilitate and heal nagging injuries, watching videos, and reading books are all good options. I’m going to have more time to write than usual, for the next few days at least, so I’m going to make the most of it by sharing some new blog posts.

There are several articles that I’ve had mostly finished for some time, but have simply been too busy to sit down & complete. Now I have the time to work through that back log. I’m also going to compile a list of resources I think are useful for martial artists trying to make the most of their time stuck at home.

If you have books, articles, or videos you’d like to recommend, send me a message and maybe I’ll add it to my list.