Excited to Be Back!

With life starting to return to a little bit back to normal, I am sure there are a lot of new routines and habits that many of us are looking forward to going away. With that said, there are probably a few new habits that crept into your lifestyle that may be helping you in a positive way. If we take a closer look at the past 16 months, I am sure there has got to be some good if you look hard enough to find it.

Last March the world was turned upside down in the blink of an eye. People were forced to stay at home, work from home, avoid other people and reduce social interaction. This was quite the opposite of what we as humans strive to do. Naturally, we are social creatures that look to build and foster relationships as we strive forward and do better for ourselves and our families. This seemed like backwards thinking and whatever your opinion is, it was the reality we unfortunately faced.

On a personal note if you could take out all the stresses of Covid there were some good things, we had to do at First Choice Martial Arts that improved our program. We created virtual curriculum, we learn how to teach and execute virtual classes, we created a new graduated Black Belt Program, we conducted Outdoor Classes and tried to improve our communication with each student. I laugh sometimes, when my kids say “Dad, you’re posting too much!”, but to me it was and is a necessary form of communication to stay connected to our wonderful students and parents. How this affects us going forward is yet be seen but I am sure it is going to have a positive affect on not only the students but the school and atmosphere of our dojo.

At home I am sure you witnessed as I witnessed our children go online day after day, week after week, month after month to do their schoolwork in front of a screen. It was disheartening to watch however it was also inspiring to see the self-discipline building each day as kids started to do a lot of those tasks without being told. I am sure every parent had their challenges, but we should not forget the mental toughness required to sit in front of those screens for so many hours doing schoolwork. Moving forward I am sure as kids get into class with the other students, they are going to be better prepared to tackle the challenges ahead.

Perhaps there is some thing in your life that has become a new routine that you may not want to see disappear when Covid goes away. It might be a little harder to do that morning walk every day when you are running out the door, but if it has served you well for these past many months you may need to dedicate time and find away to make it happen. If it is positive and it is helping you in the worst of times, then it can only augment you further in the best of times

We are so excited to see our students back in class and reconnect on a one-on-one basis with each and everyone of you. Looking forward to the months ahead we are excited to bring back all the social things that we used to do at First Choice Martial Arts. From graduations, camps movie nights, and extracurricular events it is only going to make our community stronger and classes better. Stay tuned for an exciting summer and an exciting fall as we ramp up and conquer our quest for Black Belt Excellence with you.

Excited to be back!

Sensei Chris.