With our first month of training in the books we’re happy to say that things are going well and attendance at ZenQuest is good under the circumstances.  Classes have been modified and several safety measures are in place, but many students are training and learning again.  In these uncertain and challenging times having the ability to enjoy some physical and mental exercise, and continue to train can be crucial to our overall health and well being. 
As long as we follow intelligent strategies to minimize our risks, we can make that work.  Our current safety measures include social distancing, temperature checks, face coverings, limited class sizes and durations, controlled foot traffic, positive ventilation, extensive cleaning and sanitizing, and activities appropriate to the situation.  We also closely monitor the coronavirus cases in the area (which are extremely low), and require students feeling ill or returning to the area after travelling to refrain from attending classes until they are safe.
Each of our classes have been modified to fit the current situation.  Each martial art offered presents unique challenges specific to the way it’s usually practiced.  So, right now our Uechi-Ryu Karate classes consist of individual drills like calisthenics, hojo undo, kata practice, and ‘virtual’ two-person exercises.  Our Jiu-jitsu classes consist of calisthenics and conditioning, various fundamental drills, and work with ‘grappling dummies’ including throws, escapes, positioning and submissions.  For Muay Thai we are focusing on general conditioning, variations of shadow boxing, individual drills, and combinations on punching bags.  We’re mostly doing ‘bodyweight exercises in our Strength & Conditioning classes, and our MMA trainings consist of roadwork and general conditioning.
Although it is a bit more challenging to train under these conditions, many people are content to train differently rather than not train at all.  This requires a mental shift to accept a new type of training, in spite of possibly training a certain way for many years.  Staying optimistic and focusing on the positive aspects of things is also key in making that work.  Once we have a positive outlook and accept the new challenge, the rest is easy, and training and learning can continue. 
In reality, there are many good things about training differently in your chosen martial art.  Being more isolated in class provides the opportunity to focus more on the techniques and strategies of our art.  Learning to perform well in ‘virtual’ partner drills, and working with targets or dummies allows us to explore the moves without concern about any risk to a partner.  Even having to follow multiple safety measures requires us to be more mindful about how we’re doing things, which is one of the most important life skills that we can learn.  In the end, being taken out of our ‘comfort zone’ and learning to adapt is amazing mental training.
As of now, we are waiting for the Governor’s office to provide more information and guidance on the duration of this initial phase and details on what follows.  Of course, we will keep you up to date as more information becomes available.  For now, we are just happy that we can continue to provide classes and see people enjoy the training that they love. 

With the current restrictions we are required to follow, it is important that all students stay mindful of a few things to keep things running as smoothly as possible.  First, knowing and following all of the safety precautions is crucial to the safety of everyone.  This includes arriving for each class 5 to 10 minutes prior to it’s start.  After a temperature check, shoes must be carried to the ’fitness room’ and placed on one of the shoe racks.  Next, sanitizer must be applied to hands and feet at the training room entry door, then students should proceed to a ‘social distancing’ spot in the room for their class.  Water bottles and spare masks can be placed at a corner of their space.  Once the class is finished, students can gather their belongings and exit the training room in order  to pick up their shoes.  Shoes should be put on near the exit door, then the student may proceed to the playground area and walk to the front of the building.  Parents should be ready to receive their children at that time.  
Transactions for tuition or gear can be made in the front area, but making payments online or over the phone is preferred.  Since, instructors are signing students in it is VERY important that students or parents pay close attention to when their tuition payments are due.  In some cases reminders may be sent by email if needed since normal reminders are not available to students and parents at this time.    
Since classes are currently limited in size it is also very important that students and parents keep their class reservations up to date.  Many classes are at capacity at this time with waiting lists for other students to join.  If a student can no longer attend a class that they had reserved, they should notify the instructors ASAP.  Students who miss three classes in a row will be assumed to have made a schedule change and adjusted accordingly.
Please call 413-637-0656 or contact us via email at [email protected] with any questions or adjustments.   Thanks!

With the return to our 'in-person' classes, we have adopted a routine of intense cleaning and disinfecting in the gym.  Training room mats and surfaces are disinfected after each class.  Similarly, common area floors and surfaces are cleaned on a regular basis.  Positive ventilation and the use of a dehumidifier helps keep the environment fresh and dry, too. 
  Students are also required to keep their own gear clean and follow all safety precautions.  Many of these are designed to keep the dojo as clean as possible.
In addition, a professional cleaning service is used at the beginning of each week.  Our own Stephen Tremble of ’Priority Cleaning’ uses a fogger to disinfect the entire facility on top of all of the other cleaning rituals currently in place.
We appreciate everyone’s efforts in helping with the new cleaning routines.  Please remember that bringing your own sanitizing wipes to use is very helpful, as these tend to be in short supply lately.  As always, thanks for your support!