How BBKS is Preparing for Coronavirus & COVID19
Dear Black Belt Karate Studio Families,
We all have a new heightened awareness that the Coronavirus has made its presence known in our state, and we would like to address any fears that may begin to develop regarding the environment we now find ourselves in. We are keeping abreast of the developing situation and will swiftly modify training as needed to ensure every BBKS family is comfortable that we are taking this situation seriously.
We are 100% committed to ensuring BBKS remains a safe training environment.
What are we doing ?
Hand Sanitizers will be available at our entrances. We are currently sourcing the sanitizers. Once we have them onsite we will ask that you use them upon entry to BBKS. Carrying your own sanitizer would be very helpful. Get in the habit of using sanitizer after you enter BBKS.
Effective immediately we are asking that EVERY STUDENT washes their hands BEFORE coming to class. NO EXCEPTIONS! If you forget to wash your hands before you come in you can use the bathroom to wash your hands before entering the mat.
All drills and activities will be modified to “Limited to No Contact”. Students will have limited to no contact with others during class. We will now give “air high fives and fist bumps” vs making contact. These changes will require a class or two to get everyone focused on a new way of training. Please be patient as we work to modify drills, etc. We do not want students to be fearful of anything, but we do want everyone to do their best to keep everyone healthy.
All door handles will be frequently wiped down during class times. All chairs and surfaces will be wiped every day before classes. The mats will continue to be sanitized daily. Feel free to bring your own wipes to wipe your chair if you feel you need that protection as well.
Any student or family member inside BBKS who shows ANY signs of illness will be asked to leave and return when they are 100% healthy. We need ALL of you to respect our efforts to keep EVERYONE healthy. Please help us by doing your part.
We will begin adding discussion during your class mat chat that will support our efforts to keep everyone focused and healthy. We will be reminding students to wash their hands frequently. We will be reminding everyone to stay home if they feel even a little bit ill. We will also be discussing the need to be compassionate and not seek to single anyone out who might appear to be ill.
This isn’t new, but not something we have ever felt the need to discuss with our BBKS family, until now.
The health and safety of our entire team and student family remains a TOP priority for us. Some of the above may seem extreme, but we want everyone to feel safe to train without any concern that we are not doing everything we can to ensure our BBKS family life continues in its normal rhythm.
Please speak to your children about why some of the new changes are happening. As parents, you are best suited to have age appropriate discussions with your kids about what our community is currently facing with the arrival of a new viral strain creating so much concern in our community and around the world.
While we are presently continuing to hold in-person classes, we will make modifications down the road if necessary. We are working towards putting in place virtual & online classes for you to take at home if needed. This will give you the ability to still take class while at home, earn attendance stripes, test & graduate to your next rank if we need to temporarily close.
If you have ANY questions or concerns, please reach out to us.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to keep everyone healthy and focused on their martial arts journey with us.
-Your Team at Black Belt Karate Studio