Dear Friends,
I hope this finds you and your loved ones healthy amidst these challenging times.
I am writing to let you know that our dojo has been authorized to begin to hold outdoor classes for adults again now that the City of New Orleans has entered Phase 1 of re-opening.
Children’s classes must remain online for now but will resume in person at the dojo once we are allowed to do in accordance with the recommended safety precautions.
For the outdoor adult classes:
- They will begin this coming Monday, May 25th.
- They will be be held in City Park near the two stone bridges by Café du Monde on the City Park Ave. side of the lagoon.
- Please arrive at least 5 minutes early, and we will walk to a nearby spot under one of the live oak trees for shade to practice.
- In the event of rain I will text everyone who is registered for class, and we will make alternative arrangements.
- There tends to be ample parking along both sides of City Park Avenue.
- They will follow the same schedule and formats as the Zoom classes have over the past two months, and these are always kept up-to-date on our website.
- Keiko gi/hakama are optional, but welcome.
- Please bring your own bokken and jo if you have one.
- You may also borrow a bokken or jo from the dojo; I will have several on-hand to loan out, and students may keep them at home for home practice and bring them to each class until we are back in the dojo itself.
- For out-of-town dojo members and those not comfortable coming to the park to practice, these classes will also be live-streamed, via Zoom and/or Facebook Live (more details on this to come.)
For all of our safety, and In accordance with the regulations set by the City of New Orleans for Phase 1 of re-opening, the following 3 requirements will be strictly adhered to:
- do not come to class unless you are feeling completely well
- classes will be limited to 10 people (1 instructor plus 9 students), and must be pre-booked via our website, or by simply texting me at 504-644-7351 or emailing met at [email protected]
- masks must be worn by all instructors and students at all times while we are together
- a minimum of 6 feet distance must be maintained between all instructors and all students at all times
I am very much looking forward to seeing all our adult students in person again starting Monday!
And I am excited to continue our online Zoom practices with all of our younger students and looking forward to our return to practice in contact together on the mats, once it is safe to do so.
For home practice, I want to once again share a link to our YouTube channel which now contains numerous instructional videos for both children and adults.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email, text, or phone with any questions, suggestions, or requests you may have.
I am grateful for our dojo community and for the ways in which we have stuck together these past two months, practicing online together, connecting with each other through various physically-distanced means of communication, and offering support to each other.
This dojo is something we all continue to create and sustain together. While this is a challenging period, I believe in our community and our practice, and I am very heartened by how we are finding ways to keep practicing and supporting each other.
Please stay safe and healthy, and see you at practice!
With gratitude and in this together,
Brian Levy
Chief Instructor
NOLA Aikido