COVID-19 cases are currently twice the previous record in West Virginia, and hospitalizations are beginning to increase as well. While it is encouraging that the death rate is not currently tracking the increase in cases, it may be too soon to tell what the full impact of this latest wave will be. Given that we’ve already seen outbreaks in the schools and major employers in the county, I do not believe it is prudent to hold in-person classes at this time. We’ll hopefully pick back up the first week of February.
Many people assume that the difficult parts of Taekwon-Do are learning the patterns, or the sometimes-grueling amounts of push-ups or drills we do, sparring, or some other physical aspect of the martial arts. I believe that those are the easy bits; it is far harder to act with integrity, to always demonstrate self-control.
It’s easy to look at this situation as a setback; we don’t have the opportunity to train with others, to work on step sparring or self-defense drills or simply enjoy working out with others. However, I encourage you to use our current situation to your advantage. We’ve been given an opportunity to work on different skills. Can I force myself to do a bodyweight workout at home, even when nobody is telling me to do it? Can I do patterns in the snow, in the cold wid? Can I take the time to go through my Taekwon-Do notebook and write down questions for the next time we do have class? Can I demonstrate perseverance and integrity?
Keep training.