Quarantine Karate – May 2020

KIMAA instructors hope all students and their families remain in good health, physical and mental, during this challenging year.

For KIMAA, the COVID-19 global pandemic meant a cancelling of the March Japan group tour (including a tournament), and of course all dojos closing down in-person training for a time, in adherence with the NSW and QLD Health guidelines.

Sensei Ben Ng leading basics over Zoom.

Turramurra, Lismore and Ballina dojos offered remote learning opportunities. Broadcasting once a week from Sydney, Hanshi Howard Lipman encouraged all KIMAA students to engage in the online Zoom classes open to the whole organisation, from the North Coast to Brisbane and Young dojos. Sensei Ben Ng did an outstanding job leading training each week. Some of these classes focused on kata and technical precision, while others were a mix of basics, kata and fitness.

Sensei Ben Ng and Hanshi Howard Lipman at Turramurra Dojo. Sensei Ben led techniques while Hanshi Howard watched students over Zoom, adhering to the social distancing rule where ‘personal training’ was allowed.

All students displayed great adaptation and flexibility in the unusual circumstances.

As regulations changed allowing for group outdoor training in varying sizes, Shihan Rick Cunningham offered outdoor Karate and Kobudo training at the park adjacent to Annangrove Dojo. These classes proved a popular return to in-person training for many students, regardless of the winter weather.

All dojos have been reopened for training since June, following appropriate COVID safety protocols. For further questions on these protocols, please contact the head instructor of your particular dojo.

We encourage all students to return to training, and to feel safe and confident in doing so. Let’s punch our way through the rest of 2020 together. Osu!