Taking Pause
THE BIG UPDATE: 12/3/20
Dear Warriors, I personally spoke with the Oregon Health Authority yesterday, and I wish I had better news for our students and community. Under the new guidelines our school is in a bit of a precarious place. “Gyms” and fitness are one of the most restricted activities at the moment and that looks to continue at least for two more weeks.
The Governor has instated a risk based approach to assess each individual county and we’re all starting off at extreme risk. The first week will be an evaluation to see what the case load will be like moving forward. The subsequent week the state will use that evaluation to see if they can lower the risk level and increase the economic and social activities. Essentially the previous pause we all went through was preparing for this new agenda as a reset. If that sounds confusing and ambiguous it’s because it is. OHA couldn’t give us any more information other than check back in two weeks, it’s left me personally concerned for the health and well being of RCW as a place to train.
First and foremost I’d like to thank every single one of you who have supported us during this difficult time. We literally would not make it without your contribution to ensure that the school exists in the future. Thanks is not even enough, and Coach Erik and I are looking for more ways to serve our community and give back to you all. We currently have ZOOM classes going on each week (info below!) and any suggestions you have during this time would be more than appreciated. All I know is that we will return the favor for the so many of you who have given us a leg to stand on as we watch all our neighboring competitors permanently shutter their doors.
Lastly, we understand the impact of Covid is well beyond our sphere of influence. If anyone has any need, whether it’s putting a membership on hold, or just needs some help to get through this situation please reach out to us and we’ll respond right away. In the meantime, check back here and on Facebook, as we’ll be following the restrictions very closely to open the first chance we get. As soon as we know any further details, they’ll be posted right here ASAP.
Thanks again, grateful to you all,
Coach Joe
Looking ahead…
We’re thankful this pause is brief, and hopeful that we can get back to training right after the Thanksgiving break. We know that wearing masks diminishes the spread, but it isn’t bulletproof. All of the coaches at RCW have someone in their family that has an underlying condition or is in a high risk category. We appreciate you looking out for us and doing your part during this time. Our school is a community, one that’s reflective of our city, our state, and not separate from it. Please consider your holiday plans carefully and let’s follow the advice of science and health experts as best we can. We care about you too, and hope you’ve seen us ardently cleaning and maintaining health and safety protocols at the academy during these past few months. It looks like several potential vaccines are on the way in the coming year, and we’re asking you to hang in there with us a little while longer. If you need anything, have any concerns about the school, or your membership, please feel free to contact us any time.
During the break…
We’ll be back on ZOOM and YouTube sprinkling in a few sessions in the interim. Stay tuned to the blog here for the latest update. By Wednesday 11/18 we’ll update this page to reflect our plan for virtual lessons. Stay tuned.
UPDATED 11/30/20
ZOOM times for the next two weeks are as follows, all classes will be restricted to the 45 minute ZOOM time window, and to allow us to prepare for the next class. Kids are welcome! Partners are encouraged! Even if they’re not a member at the school, the more the merrier, we’d love to see you online and in class.
Monday and Wednesday THIS WEEK!
6pm: Standup Striking – Coach Joe and Erik will be blending JKD, Boxing, Kali, and Muay Thai skills into one session. You don’t have to have any equipment but if you have a simple stick, or a kitchen spatula, or a training knife that would be a benefit as we’re going to warm up with hand held tools. We’ll be demonstrating and focusing on shadow boxing, but if you have a heavy bag in your home gym that’s definitely a bonus to amp up your class.
7pm: BJJ – We’ll be using the grappling dummy, and also doing general movement workouts that are specific to aid and benefit your Jiu Jitsu. If you went through the course during the last lockdown there should be some familiarity to you. Since we can’t train with each other our goal is to how we can effectively teach our body to move, stretch, and function in a way that has a positive impact on and off the mat.
ZOOM Details: you’ll need the ID and code to enter, along with being a current active student, it will be the same for all sessions. If you haven’t used it before ZOOM is really straightforward and most smartphones can capably run the app, as well as any laptop or other device you might have around the house.
Meeting ID: 678 877 2943
Passcode: together#3
Still You-Tubing:
We’re producing a lot of online content right now to help supplement these workouts and expand your curriculum. Nearly everything we post online is something we cover in class. This is a great way to continue training right now if you can’t make it to the ZOOM class times. If you haven’t checked it out yet our Youtube channel is stacked with videos, we’ve been producing content for it all year long and there’s quite a collection now across all the arts.
You can check it out —> HERE <—
We’ll be right back! (UPDATED 11/30/20)
December 2nd is right around the corner, and if the current plan holds true that’s when we’ll open. River City Warriors is in Washington County, which means we won’t be on pause as long as Multnomah County if everything goes according to plan. We’ll keep you updated Warriors, thanks again for all the grace and understanding that our community is known for, you are the best.
Highest regards,
Professor Joe