​ZenQuest has been voted the ‘Best Martial Arts Academy’ in the Berkshires AGAIN!  This is the fifth year in a row for ZenQuest going back to 2017.  We believe that this is simply the result of doing everything possible to provide the best martial arts programs, instruction, facility and training environment possible. 
This distinction is awarded by the area’s premier news agency, the Berkshire Eagle, and is based solely on voting by it’s readers.  This makes the award even better and we are humbly proud.  It’s nice to know that our students and community appreciate what we do, and we will continue to do our best to make things even better going forward in every program that we offer. 
This award would not be possible without the dedication and support of our students, families and parent organizations.  To them we say Arigato, Khupum, Obrigado, and THANK YOU!
 

​ZenQuest’s new Law Enforcement for Jiu-Jitsu program has 10-23’d…or arrived!  On Monday, October 18th a group of over twenty officers attended the first ‘LEJJ’ class.  Sixteen of those are from the Pittsfield Police Department, including Pittsfield Chief Mike Wynn.  The balance of the group are from other local agencies, including one New York State Trooper. 
Chief Wynn and the Pittsfield Police Department recently made an agreement with ZenQuest to kick off the program.  The training includes positioning, escape and restraint strategies from Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. The idea is to reduce risks in such situations for both officers and the people that they restrain when the need arises.
At the time of this newsletter there has already been an instance where one of the officers has used some of the strategies covered in the first two weeks of the LEJJ classes to safely neutralize a subject’s aggression and restrain them until additional officers arrived at the scene.
 For years Chief Wynn and other officers would have discussions with Senseis Connie and Mark about the benefits of Jiu-jitsu training for Law Enforcement Officers.  After training for some time, it was obvious to them that Jiu-jitsu training is tremendously beneficial to anyone whose job requires them to engage with people physically at times.  Aside from being better equipped with strategies to safely deal with physical aggression, this training gives officers the ability to ‘scramble’ or move intelligently and maintain control of chaotic situations.  Being able to control these situations better also tends to reduce stress levels for officers, which makes them calmer and less likely to wind up in escalated confrontations.   
      Getting a program like this started was difficult in the past due to general skepticism and the resulting lack of funding.  However, in recent years several Law Enforcement agencies have had great success with similar programs.  There is now documented proof that this training helps to reduce injuries for both officers and the people that they have to engage with.  There is also proof that it actually reduces the need for officers to use the tools on their belts such as a baton, pepper spray, taser or firearm.    
At present one class per week is specifically for officer training, and the participants are encouraged to attend additional classes at ZenQuest.  A second class is already being considered with the success of the program so far, and new developments in funding.  Thanks to all of the officers for their interest, and special thanks to Chief Wynn for his part in launching the LEJJ program.  
 

​Now that we’re settling into the fall and winter season we’ve made some adjustments to our class schedule based on the needs of our students and programs.  At this time the following adjustments will be made:
 
·    The Monday evening adult Jiu-jitsu class at 5:15 PM is now designated to Law Enforcement Jiu-jitsu training.  The 7:00 PM adult jiu-jitsu class will still be available to all.
·    Our early 9:15 AM Saturday morning Muay Thai class has been converted back to a ’Tigers’ children’s karate class (at 9:00 AM) to accommodate an increase in this program.  As another consequence of this our 9:00 AM ‘Pythons’ children’s Jiu-jitsu class is moved back to 9:15 AM in the back training room.  The later Saturday Muay Thai class at 11:45 is still available. 
·    Lastly, we have returned to our pre-pandemic practice of providing some ’No-Gi’ Jiu-jitsu classes.  For now, this means that our Monday 7:00 PM and Friday 10:30 AM classes have now returned to ’No-Gi.’

These adjustments all took effect the 1st of November.  Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.  Happy training!
 

At the time of this newsletter the COVID19 metrics are trending downwards in the areas surrounding ZenQuest.  If this continues we would likely be able to train maskless...again...within a matter of weeks.  Until then, though, we are required by the ‘Tri-Town’ board of health to mask while indoors.  This means that anyone entering our indoor space is required to wear a face covering.  
Recently we have had some instances where parents or relatives of younger students have resisted this requirement.  Trust us, we understand the frustration of wearing the masks over an extended period of time.  This is especially true when trying to train or do physical activity.  However, throughout the pandemic we have done our best to keep everyone safe and prevent a situation that results in a shutdown, and further strain on the gym.
For people who do not want to wear face coverings we simply ask that you drop your child off at the door and we will be happy to sign them in and help them prepare for their class.  In a case where making a payment is needed, payments can be submitted over the phone, via our website, by submitting information via email, or even by having the student bring it to the front desk.
We sincerely appreciate the students who’ve been willing to tolerate the masks when this was required.  Although this can be annoying, training with a mask on actually improves the wearer’s cardio-pulmonary capacity.  Many top athletes wear something called an ’altitude mask’ when they train for that very reason.  This gives them incredible endurance which can make the difference between success and failure.
Over the long term ’Mask Fatigue’ is mostly a psychological challenge for us.  This is especially challenging given the fact that we had a period during the summer of this year when we were able to go maskless in our classes.  A martial artist should view all of this as ‘mental training’ or something that makes them tougher mentally in the long run.  After wearing a mask for some time, our body adjusts to it and we can actually forget that we have it on.
Here are some tips that may help with ‘Mask Fatigue’:

Find a Mask that Fits - Finding a face covering that fits properly is essential.  Not only will this insure that the mask functions the way that its supposed to, it will be less of a distraction when you aren’t constantly adjusting it.
 
​Focus on Breathing - Doing physical activity while wearing a mask will go better if the wearer makes a habit of breathing more deeply.  Many martial arts incorporate breathing exercises or patterns as part of the training.  There are many benefits to mindful breathing, so being more aware because of the mask is another positive.

Take Breaks - Experts recommend frequent breaks when exercising with face coverings.  Students who have been attending classes at ZenQuest with this situation will know that we do incorporate several breaks into our classes for ‘water and oxygen.’ 

Wear a Fun Design - We’ve seen some great face covering designs in recent months, especially from the kids.  Let’s face it, if its something that we have to do for now, we might as well have fun with it. 

​Keep Masks Handy - We’ve all been in situations where we’ve forgotten a mask when going somewhere that requires one.  It pays to keep extra face coverings handy (in the car, our pocket, our purse, etc.) to prevent these situations. 
 
We are hoping that the extra safety requirements related to the pandemic are soon a thing of the past.  Ironically, until then, THEY will actually help us get there!

The ‘back-to-school’ season is upon us again and at ZenQuest that means organizing our children’s classes for the fall.  Parents who are planning on having their kids continue with, or enroll new students in any of our children’s classes should contact us ASAP to reserve the appropriate classes.  Students age thirteen or older are eligible to attend Adult classes (including Karate, Jiu-jitsu, Thai Kickboxing, and Strength & Conditioning) and do not need to reserve classes. 
Although we are operating with fewer restrictions than last year, we are setting limits for the maximum number of students allowed in each class.  These will be based on about a 30% reduction from our pre-pandemic limits for each age group.  Given this, it is more important than ever to be sure to reserve the appropriate classes for your kids. 
Please remember that class reservations are made on a ‘first come first served’ basis.  Waiting lists will be generated for classes exceeding their limit.  Students who are not able to attend their preferred classes are encouraged to choose alternative times until space opens up in their preferred classes. 
Parents can choose to reserve classes for their kids in any of the following ways:
¨    By speaking to someone directly at the front desk
¨    By sending an email to train@zenquestmac.com
¨    By calling us at 413-637-0656
 
We are also in the process of setting up an online link for this and will make that available as soon as we can.  Once set up we will send a separate email with a link on our website where parents can indicate their class choices. 
Please remember that class reservations will only be effective with an active student enrollment.  Reservations for students who are not currently enrolled must be accompanied with tuition payment to restart the student’s membership.  Also remember that ‘Partial Participation’ discounts are reserved for students age eight years old and younger.
With some lingering affects from the pandemic, we are continuing to exercise caution in the gym.  This includes face coverings, sanitizing, extra cleaning, and ‘respectful distancing’.  As always we ask that any student who suspects that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus, is experiencing symptoms, or has travelled to an area with high rates of transmission withdraw from attending classes until they are certain that they are not infected with the disease.
Over the last eighteen months many children have been faced with reduced activities, sports and socialization.  Children CAN reap the benefits of physical activity and socialization though, with the proper structure and safety precautions.  At ZenQuest we have worked hard to strike a balance between safety and intelligent training for our students during the unprecedented challenges we’ve all seen recently. 
Current class schedules are available electronically upon request, and hard copies are at the front desk.  We don’t expect any changes to the children’s classes at this time.  Once the class lists and waiting lists are generated we will look at possible adjustments to the schedule to accommodate as many students as we can.      
As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns going forward. We will look forward to another great season of fun and learning at the oldest and best martial arts school in the Berkshires!!

On August 9th based on a significant uptick in the COVID metrics the CDC designated Berkshire county as ‘high risk’ for COVID19 transmission.  The Center for Disease Control, the nation’s leading authority on infectious diseases, also recommends that people in high risk areas wear masks indoors in public areas to reduce the risk of transmission of the new ’Delta Variant’ of the disease.  Based on this we will, once again and unfortunately, require all students to wear face coverings indoors at ZenQuest (effective August 10th.)
All Students should also sanitize frequently and be mindful of 'respectful distancing'.  This means keeping some space between themselves and other students and refraining from any unnecessary touching.  We are not returning to ‘social distancing’ areas at this time, but instead adopting a ’pod training’ strategy.  So, all students will be limited in their partner work to a maximum of two partners (including for drills and sparring.)
This is all very frustrating for everyone.  After months of slow and steady progress going backwards with the disease and the safety measures to counter it can conjure up anxiety, despair and anger.  However, the best thing to do is to try to stay relaxed and focused, and keep moving forward.  One way to battle the frustration is to make sure that we are all doing EVERYTHING possible to get control of the virus so that we can all return to normal ASAP.  
Students and parents with remaining concerns about this situation may choose to exercise additional precautions like opting out of partner drills or other parts of classes that they are uncomfortable with for now.  Students not comfortable with face coverings or any other aspect of the current situation may also choose to pause their membership until things return back to normal again.  Of course, any student experiencing ‘flu like’ symptoms (or any other illness) should not attend classes until the issue has passed.
We will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as needed.  We are hopeful that things improve again soon and no additional safety measures are needed.  
As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns going forward. Thanks for your continued cooperation and support.

For sparring in our striking programs students are required to wear a minimal amount of protective gear.  This includes our children’s and adult’s Karate and Muay Thai classes, and our adult’s team sparring.  The required gear varies slightly based on the specific program. Here are the requirements for each program:
 
·   Children's Karate - A full set of sparring gear for any of our children's Karate classes includes gloves, boots, headgear, mouthpiece and cup. Purchased as a set the cost is $116 plus tax. Students can wear additional protection for sparring such as shin or chest guards if they want.
·   Adult's Karate - Adults are only required to wear gloves, foot protection, mouthpiece and cup for sparring. The price varies for this depending on exactly what they get, but a set of standard gear costs about $83 plus tax. Students can wear additional protection for sparring such as headgear and shin guards if they prefer.
·   Muay Thai - For Muay Thai sparring students are required to wear gloves, shin guards, mouthpiece and cup. A set of these will cost about $68. Muay Thai students also need to wear gloves and shin guards for day to day classes.
·   MMA - Since our MMA sparring training sessions consist of a mix of different martial arts happening in that session the gear required can vary.  Generally, if the focus is actual MMA, students wear smaller fingerless MMA style gloves, shin guards, cup and mouthpiece.  When the focus is on ’stand-up’ sparring students default to that required for Muay Thai sparring.  In grappling mode ‘no-gi’ clothing is worn along with MMA style gloves, cup and mouthpiece.  
 
At present we are returning to focusing on sparring or Kumite the third full week of every month in our Karate classes.  In Muay Thai we are returning to sparring or 'technical sparring' more often at the end of classes.  Team sparring will also be held on a weekly basis.
Students who may not already have the required gear for their classes need to make sure that they have a properly fitting set of the required gear.  Remember that we provide big discounts on all gear purchased at ZenQuest. Plus, we are more than happy to steer you toward the right equipment and insuring the proper fit.
Please let us know if you have any questions going forward. Once again thanks for your continued support!

During the pandemic we’ve had to train with social distancing, modified class formats, extreme safety measures, and face coverings.  Based on the progress being made with vaccinations and the resulting improvements in the COVID metrics in Massachusetts we’ve been gradually relaxing these requirements and returning to normal. 
Now, after additional progress and speaking with local health officials we are happy to announce that face coverings will be optional for all youth students at ZenQuest.  This includes all children under the age of 12 and is effective Monday, July 12th.
All students are still expected to be respectful of each other’s space and follow class etiquette and protocols including sanitizing hands and feet before each class.  Students and parents with remaining concerns about COVID19 may continue wearing face coverings, and may opt out of partner drills or other parts of classes that they are uncomfortable with.  Of course, any student experiencing ‘flu like’ symptoms (or any other illness) should not attend classes until the issue has passed. 
We appreciate everyone’s patience in this unprecedented situation and, as always, thanks for your support!

Our ‘Advanced Concepts’ clinics recently restarted after over 15 months off.  The pandemic made it nearly impossible to do these special training sessions for intermediate and advanced students. After months of improvement in the COVID situation we can periodically focus on high level techniques, strategies and tips in Muay Thai, Jiu-jitsu and Karate at ZenQuest.
Our first advanced session back was for Uechi-Ryu Karate on June 12th.  After some discussion on leadership the group focused on ’Yakusoku Kumite’ or sparring drills with an emphasis on realism and speed.  Advanced promotions are done separately in this art and are not included in the advanced trainings.
Next, on June 19th we held ‘AC’ Muay Thai.  There we worked on advanced footwork and combinations.  At the end of the clinic several students were promoted including: Glen Giumarra to Blue Prajiet, Matt Moreau to 4-stripe Blue Prajiet, Tilo Jackson to 1-stripe Purple Prajiet, and Chris Bradley and Chris Kupernik to 3-stripe Purple Prajiet.
Lastly, on June 26th we conducted advanced Jiu-jitsu training.  For this we covered some No-Gi ‘De La Riva’ guard strategies.  This involves entangling an opponent's legs to improve positioning and set up submissions.  At the conclusion of the training promotions were given as follows: Todd Dort, Shawn Maschino and Sadie Giumarra to Blue Belt; Matt Moreau to 3-Stripe Blue Belt; and Matt Gerlitz to Brown Belt.
Thanks to the affected students for your patience with this and congratulations to all of those who leveled up!

For well over a year now we have been thrown into a situation that has required us to change many aspects of our lives.  In the gym we were forced to modify the way we trained and avoid any contact with partners.  Now that we’re returning to pre-pandemic training and able to drill with partners again we need to adjust back to how to work with other people.  After all, the martial arts are all about interacting with others.
Here are some things to be mindful of when working with partners in the dojo:
Personal hygiene - One of the most important rules of etiquette for training with others is maintaining good personal hygiene.  This includes regular bathing, using deodorant, keeping nails trimmed and grooming hair so that it doesn’t interfere with training.  Students must also keep all uniforms, shorts, shirts and gear clean.  This includes bringing changes of clothing, as needed, if doing multiple classes in one day.
Distancing - An important aspect in growth as a martial artist is developing a sense of distancing, or how far away from someone you should be to make a strategy work.  In addition, we all need to respect other students’ personal space.  When doing a group exercise like laps or line drills each student needs to maintain a distance behind the person in front of them to be safe and respectful.  We all just spent months practicing ‘social distancing’ so, this should be easy.  Also, remember that it’s not appropriate to ‘play fight’, horseplay, or even touch other students in off moments in the gym.
Control - Working with a partner requires us to stay under control at all times.  Its not OK to be careless, reckless or overly aggressive.  This is especially important when sparring or ‘rolling.’  Sparring is NOT fighting.  It is an opportunity for students to practice the strategies they’ve been working on in real-time for the purpose of LEARNING.  Part of sparring should be training yourself to be calm under pressure and to use your resources intelligently.   
Respect - To create an environment that is constructive for all every student needs to respect everyone else in the dojo.  This means following established rituals like bowing, fist bumps, and using titles for instructors.  In addition, students should try to be courteous with their actions, words, tone, and body language.
Talking - Unlike mainstream gyms, martial arts facilities tend to have a friendly and supportive environment where people can socialize and make lasting friendships.   During training though, its important for students to also focus and learn as much as possible.  So, it’s important to strike a balance between having fun sharing a common interest with others in the dojo and getting the work in.  Students should also avoid assuming the role of ’the expert’ and not bombard others with words in an effort to help them.  Students must be given a chance to learn a martial art on a physical level once they understand a technique or strategy.   
Sticking to the plan - When doing situational drills students need to try to ‘stick to the plan’ and avoid branching off into variations of a strategy, or doing things the way THEY think it should be done.  Part of the instructor’s job is to keep everyone on the same page based on their experience.  Once students start going off script the entire training environment can break down into a disorganized mess with no team unity.  Students who prefer their own way should probably just train at home.
So, optimize and enjoy the opportunity to train with partners again!  Following these rules will create an environment where everyone can thrive in their chosen martial art.  See you on the mats!