We’re excited to announce that ZenQuest has been awarded “Best Martial Arts Academy” in the Berkshires for the sixth year in a row!  The distinction is given by the ‘People’s Choice Awards’ conducted by the area’s largest print and online news agency, the Berkshire Eagle.  Once again, we had nothing to do with promoting this and were notified of the award after the voting had closed and the results were tallied.  We believe that this is the result of years of doing our best to provide the best facility, instruction, and training environment possible. 
Our facility is very functional and ‘user friendly’ for students, families, and visitors.  It is designed to optimize the experience for everyone who goes there.  We are actually in the process of making improvements to the site inside and out and are excited about the future. 
We take great pride in providing world-class instruction in all of the programs at ZenQuest.  With three internationally recognized parent organizations, our teaching standards and methods are guaranteed to be high quality and authentic.  Also, with a combined experience of over 70 years between Senseis Connie and Mark, we’re happy to guide others in their martial arts journey. 
The training environment we’ve created may be our biggest accomplishment and reason why our students and families support us as they do.  ZenQuest is a place of mutual support and respect where anyone who is sincere about learning can thrive.  Instructors and students know that welcoming new people is crucial in maintaining a friendly environment for all.
One more element worth a mention is the fact that we do set high standards and students advance in their chosen arts based on their efforts, progress in their art, and personal development.  The ranks earned at ZenQuest are recognized around the world.  This may seem like a matter of course, but too often in the martial arts world students are herded through a process of memorization and false confidence.   
We would like to thank our staff, students, and families for helping to make ZenQuest the amazing place that it is!  We would not receive the recognition that we have over the last six years without them.  We will continue to do everything we can to make it all even better!  Thanks again Team ZenQuest!!!

Work is well underway on some important improvements at ZenQuest!  Over recent weeks we’ve made progress on no less than three different projects.  Here are some updates on how these are all going.
First, it’s become really obvious that we’re reconfiguring the space for our back training room.  Basically, the space that was our fitness room prior to the pandemic is now being added to the room primarily used for Jiu-jitsu and Thai Kickboxing classes.  This will result in about a 43% increase in the size of that training room. This is being driven by the growing need for additional training space, and the fact that the fitness room has been under utilized over the last 12 years.
As part of this project the entry into the room has been changed, an additional ceiling fan has been installed, and about three new rows of mats will be added.  With the elimination of the fitness room it will no longer be possible to watch classes from there.  However, a closed circuit camera system will be installed soon so that classes can be viewed from our reception area.  This work is expected to be completed in November with minimal disruption to classes.
We also recently began replacing our ‘old school’ florescent lights with new LED fixtures.  The new fixtures will provide the same amount of light but use as much as 70% less electricity when compared to the 40+ year old fixtures.  In addition, the new fixtures do not require bulbs or ’ballasts’ like the old ones, which needed replacement periodically.  With over 70 fixtures throughout the building we were in a constant battle to keep up on replacing these parts. 
The plan is to replace the old lights in stages, concentrating on one room at a time.  This approach will lessen the burden of the costs of the new lights, and provide an opportunity to recycle parts for the old lights remaining.  We expect that it will take about one year to complete this project. 
Improvements are also being made to the outside of the building including repairs to the siding, windows, and doors.  So, join us as we watch the best martial arts school in the Berkshires get even better!

The next round of our ‘Advanced Concepts’ clinics have now been scheduled.  These are slated as follows:
 
Jiu-jitsu - Saturday, December 3 (Blue Belt and up)
Muay Thai - Saturday, December 10 (4-Stripe White Prajiet and up)
Uechi-Ryu - Saturday, December 17 (Brown Belt and up)
 
These all have a start time of 1:15 PM, and should run for about 90 minutes each.  Please note that these take the place of our usual competition trainings on those days.  Eligible students are strongly encouraged to attend. 

Occasionally, the weather will become intense enough during the winter months to present a serious travel risk for our students and instructors.  This can result from a single, severe weather event happening at the time of classes; or from an accumulation of events leading up to the time of classes.  Other indicators can be other major organizational closings and local travel advisories.  If it appears that travel will be too risky during class times, the school will close for that time.  Students can verify these closures by checking the school’s website or Facebook page, checking their e-mail, and by checking for a message on the ZenQuest phone at 413-637-0656. 

The end of the summer season means falling temperatures, shorter days, back-to-school, and a return to our more ‘indoor lifestyles.’  Although we can still enjoy outdoor activities like apple-picking and leaf-peeping, it is also a great time to renew our commitment to martial arts training.  With so many new and returning students it’s also a good time to review some policies and guidelines for success at ZenQuest.  So, let’s take a look at that now.  
 
Attendance - One of the most crucial factors in making progress in the martial arts is setting a schedule of classes for yourself, and then sticking to it. When we set a schedule and make training a routine we will learn, develop, and advance. The martial arts can help us develop discipline and self-control, but we need to have enough discipline to make regular attendance a habit first.  Sometimes it can be challenging to make a regular schedule for training due to work, family, school or other activities. If progressing in your chosen art(s) is important to you, though, you’ll find a way to make it work.  
Arrival and preparedness -  In addition to consistent attendance students should also make a habit of arriving on time for their classes.  Ideally, this means arriving 10 to 15 minutes before each class.  This will provide enough time to get settled, change clothes if needed, and start to get ready for the class.  Arriving late for class once is a while is understandable, but a consistent pattern of this is disruptive and detrimental for the offending student in different ways.  Parents must stay mindful of the importance of not arriving for classes too late OR too early.  Students should also remember to bring all of the gear needed for their classes including proper clothing, sparring gear, and a water bottle.
Rules and etiquette - In each of the martial arts at ZenQuest there are established rules for training.  These include common sense ideas for safety and courtesy in the ‘dojo’.  Each martial art involves practicing self-defense strategies that can be risky if not learned and used properly.  So, in each training room there is a set of rules that help to foster a safe, respectful and enjoyable place to learn. The instructors help students to learn these rules, but students must also be sure to learn and follow them.
Promotions - Each of the primary arts at ZenQuest have ranking systems.  Uechi-Ryu Karate has a belt system for children and adults, Sityodtong Thai Kickboxing has a armband or ‘prajiet’ system, and Demian Maia Jiu-jitsu has a belt ranking systems for adults and children.  There are well established guidelines and requirements for advancement in each of these systems.  These include knowledge of techniques and strategies, personal and martial arts development, and minimum attendance requirements for each level.  Of those the minimum time or number of classes required is the LEAST important.  Progressing in rank is something that students should stay excited about and regular attendance is crucial for that, they should mostly focus on their development in their art and as a person.
COVID and Illness - Students experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms, or suspect that they’ve been exposed to an illness should refrain from attending classes until they know that they will not expose others.  Similarly, students with a serious injury that prevents them from participating in classes should give themselves some time to heal.  Students and parents should notify us when this happens so that we can place their membership on hold until they are well and can train again.
Holidays and Weather - We do close for some holidays at ZenQuest.  This is based largely on the expected student attendance and the needs of our instructors.  We typically announce holiday closures well ahead of time in our newsletter, on our website, and on the bulletin board in our reception room.  Periodically, in times of severe weather (mostly during the winter months) travel conditions can become hazardous and classes may be cancelled.  The decision to cancel in these cases is based on a combination of the conditions prior to opening for classes and weather forecasts.  Notices of weather closures are sent out via email and placed on the school’s answering machine.
Membership - Students who choose to enroll incrementally (i.e. monthly, quarterly, etc.) need to stay mindful about their tuition payments.  These should be made on or before the student’s tuition due dates.  Students should not attend classes when a payment is late.  Reminders are typically noted on the sign-in sheets at the front desk, and if someone is there they may gently remind students. This can all be minimized by enrolling via our EasyPay subscription option, or doing longer incremental enrollments.  Please note that memberships cannot generally be extended due to missed classes.
 
So, make the most of this fall season AND take your martial arts training to the next level at ZenQuest! 

Please note that we’ve made some adjustments to our class schedule.  These include the following:
 
¨ Adult classes will be one hour in duration.  This includes all Adult Karate, Muay Thai and Jiu-jitsu classes.  Monday evening Strength & Conditioning will remain at a 45 minute duration.
¨ The time between classes will generally be reduced to 15 minutes.  This is due to further reduction in sanitizing the rooms between classes.
¨ A ‘Tigers’ children’s Karate class will be added on Mondays at 4:15 PM.  This is to accommodate the current demand for that group.
¨ A ‘LEJJ’ or Law Enforcement Jiu-jitsu class will be added on Fridays at 9:15 AM.  This is to accommodate the expansion of that program and offer another alternative for those students.
 
Our children’s classes will remain at a 45 minute duration.  This is based on the proven success of this class length and consideration of relative attention spans of children in the modern era. 
Some of the adjustments made are a return to ‘pre-pandemic’ practices at ZenQuest.  With COVID metrics trending down, and minor strains dominating new cases, we are comfortable with relaxing some restrictions put in place during the height of the pandemic. 
These adjustments are in effect following the Labor Day holiday on Tuesday, September 6th.  The updated class schedule is available on our website and at the front desk.  For any questions or changes in students’ classes, please contact us.

The ‘back-to-school’ season is upon us again and at ZenQuest that means organizing our children’s classes for the fall.  We do this in order to keep reasonable limits on these classes and insure a positive experience for each student.  After an unusually busy summer it is more important than ever for parents and older students to help us with this at this time.
Parents of younger students (and older students) should notify us at their earliest convenience if they will be continuing with classes in the fall season.  Essentially, we need to know which classes students would like to reserve during this time in order to get you onto the appropriate class lists.  Students aged thirteen years or older are eligible to transition to Adult classes (including Karate, Jiu-jitsu, Thai Kickboxing, and Strength & Conditioning.)  These classes do not need to be reserved. 
With the pandemic metrics and restrictions way down, we are returning to our pre-pandemic approach to class limits on classes this season.  These vary slightly from class to class based on the age-ranges and number of instructors available for each class.  Ultimately, these limits are optimized based on many years of experience on the matter.   
Students and parents can reserve their classes by 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
 
Please remember that class reservations and lists are made on a ‘first come first served’ basis.  Waiting lists will be generated for classes that exceed their set limit.  Students who are not able to attend their first choice for classes right away are encouraged to choose alternative classes until space opens up in their preferred classes.
Also, remember that class reservations will only be effective with an active student enrollment.  Reservations for students not currently enrolled must be accompanied with tuition payment to restart the student’s membership.  Remember, too, that ‘Partial Participation’ discounts are reserved for students age seven years old and younger.
Although the pandemic seems to be winding down, we are continuing to exercise some caution in the gym.  This includes sanitizing, extra cleaning, intelligent personal care, and students refraining from attending when sick.  Face coverings will remain optional and students who are more comfortable wearing them are encouraged to do so.  With these precautions students CAN reap the benefits of the learning, physical activity, and socialization at ZenQuest. 
New class schedules are now available via our website and at our front desk.  Please see page 2 for a summary of the schedule adjustments.  The new schedule takes affect on Tuesday, September 6th.  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!!

We recently started replacing the ‘old school’ florescent light fixtures in the building with LED fixtures.  The new fixtures will provide the same amount of light but use as much as 70% less electricity when compared to the 40+ year old fixtures.  Additionally, the new fixtures do not require bulbs or ’ballast’ like the old ones, which needed replacement periodically.  Having over 70 fixtures throughout the building resulted in a constant battle in keeping up with these replacements.  Overall the new LED lights will be much more efficient and low maintenance going forward.
The plan is to replace the old lights in stages.  Essentially, we will be doing this one room at a time.  This will lessen the burden of the costs of the new lights, and provide an opportunity to recycle parts from the old lights in maintaining those remaining.  We expect that it will take about one year to complete this project. 
ZenQuest is also focusing on some other upgrades for the future.  We recently installed a new air conditioning  system on the east side of the building.  After delays due to supply chain and labor force issues we are happy to report that a new system was installed on August 6th.  This will greatly improve the cooling in the reception area and men’s locker room, and relieve the stress on the system on the other side of the building. 
We are also still perusing the permitting required for expansion of the back training room.  The plans for the work have already been completed and we will begin work as soon as the permits are secured. Once that is in place the actual work should only take days to complete.   
Essentially, the space between the training rooms that was our fitness room pre-pandemic will become part of the room primarily used for Jiu-jitsu and Thai Kickboxing classes.  This is because of the fact that the fitness room was historically under utilized and the growing need for additional training space. 
The work will be done in a way that does not disrupt the class schedule at all.  Based on the timing of the permits the project will likely be completed some time in October of this year.

Karate is a traditional ‘striking’ martial art where the basic idea is to stay on your feet and use footwork, blocking, and striking for self-defense.  Part of being able to make that work is also having the ability to escape common holds.  So, in each of our Uechi-Ryu Karate based programs we include strategies to counter common self-defense situations.
In recent times we have included escape techniques in our ’Kyu’ or pre black belt rank tests.  Each rank level would have two strategies that the student would learn and demonstrate during each of their rank tests.  The intent was to have a systematic way to insure that students received this important part of their training.  However, this proved to be a bit awkward in formal testing and resulted in extending the time required for these events. 
Going forward we will restructure the way that these strategies are taught at ZenQuest.  Now, each student will be given a list of self-defense situations complete with a brief description of the counter strategy.  We will cover these strategies more frequently in classes to insure each student learns them well.  This will be a more thorough way to cover these strategies and save time in formal rank testing.
Copies are now being distributed to students and are available upon request.  For more information feel free to speak to or contact us.

Demian Maia spent several days here in the Berkshires back in August.  The Jiu-jitsu master was in town to hold the first instructor training for his north American affiliates since 2019.  This is normally a annual occurrence but, like so many other in-person activities, was put on hold during the COVID pandemic.  ZenQuest was honored to help get this important tradition back on track!
The instructor training consisted of three days of intensive training between August 11th and 14th.  Among the strategies covered in the four sessions held were: stand up grappling, grip fighting, leg entanglements, pressure in positioning, and advanced submission details.
This is a great way to insure consistency and high quality instruction in Demian’s affiliated schools.  Several of ZenQuest’s assistant instructors attended the training which ultimately benefits all of our own students directly.
In addition to the instructor training Demian offered a three hour open seminar on Saturday, August 13th.  For this the master grappler let the participants choose the material to cover.  Then, for each strategy chosen the 5 time world champion focused on important principles for success.  Over forty students attended the clinic and walked away with a few points added to their BJJ IQ.
      At the end of Demian’s visit he surprised Professors Connie and Mark with promotions.  Professor (teacher in Brazilian) Connie was promoted to 1-stripe  or ‘1st grade’ Black Belt, while Professor Mark was promoted to 2-stripe  or ‘2nd grade’ Black Belt.  These had also been delayed by the pandemic.
      Thanks to everyone who supported the seminar and training, and special thanks to Demian Maia for making the trip!  Congratulations to Professors Connie and Mark on leveling up!!