The Border City’s martial artists will soon be able to train at Nor-Alta Jiu-Jitsu again.
Nor-Alta Jiu-Jitsu has set September 1st to officially start welcoming students back into the dojo. Registration will begin again on August 27th for all classes. All age ranges will be welcomed back, but everyone who is learning there will have to follow physical distancing and health guidelines where ever possible. Class sizes will also be limited to 12 per session.
Owner David Woods says they will have masks available for spectators and parents to use, but he will not be asking athletes to wear one at this time.
“It’s not realistic, nor is it practical for my students to wear masks because they’ll overheat quite easily when we’re doing 100 jumping jacks, pushups and sit-ups, and then grabbing each other and throwing each other around. If they want [to wear masks,] I won’t discourage it. ”
Aside from smaller classes and strict booking rules in place, the dojo will have health guidelines in effect. This means everyone who comes in has their temperature screened. From there, standards that were already in place will be followed, like frequent handwashing and everyone sanitizing their mats before leaving. Students will also be given a sparring partner and a training space, physically distanced from other fighters.
Woods adds that he has been in contact with the City of Lloydminster to best come up with a plan on how to continue combat sports while keeping students safe.
“When talking to [the City] they agree that it’s just not possible to this kind of training from six feet apart. So, again, that’s where we have the option of masks if they want. We want to make sure they’re healthy before they come into the school, and we want to make sure they have no symptoms or any potential contact with the virus outside of the school.”
Students will also need to sign a waiver before joining the class saying they agree to engage in close combat sports. People wanting to find out more can find contact and class information are encouraged to reach out to Nor-Alta Jiu-Jitsu.