Columbia St. Quiet and deserted.
In the Dojo: Movement Within Stillness
In the Dojo Volume 2 Issue 5
By Josh Paul Sensei, AOSB head instructor
In the dark hours approaching midnight on May 14, 2020, NY State governor Andrew Cuomo extended NY's stay-at-home orders until May 28. The orders were set to expire on May 15. He also extended his emergency executive powers to make such decisions until mid-June.
Subsequently, there have been some signs of hope, and several large areas of upstate NY have gradually started to implement Phase I of the state’s reopening strategy. However, New York City remains on lockdown, and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday, May 18, that the lockdown will continue until at least “mid-June.”
For all of NYC, the lockdown extension was upsetting. It indicated that the virus and its attendant tragedies persisted, and undermined the hopes of small businesses like AOSB. Early on May 14, before any announcements were made, the prospect of the dojo reopening in June seemed like a realistic possibility. That now seems unlikely, although, as is too well known, uncertainty is the rule of the day.
Martial artists and yoga practitioners often refer to the concept of stillness within movement, and movement within stillness. In aikido, when moving, and when confronting multiple attacks (literally or figuratively), we aspire to move from the literal center of our body, while maintaining a calm, meditative state of mind. When in stillness, be it literal meditation or waiting for a bus (remember casually waiting for a bus?) our bodies may be still, but our minds continue to move, reaching out, perhaps surveying our surroundings or unknotting a problem (like how to prevent a certain song from ever appearing in your Spotify Discover Weekly playlist).
While NYC and much of the world remains stuck in stillness, AOSB is nevertheless moving forwards. Currently, AOSB is devising a multistage strategy for reopening the dojo once state and city officials permit businesses like ours to reopen. Because of the fluidity of the situation, it’ll be sometime before a final, publishable strategy is available; however, any strategy will incorporate several key components:
Ira learning to sweep. He already knows “no shoes on the mat!”
A waiver acknowledging the inherent risk of contracting or transmitting a communicable disease during aikido practice. To contextualize: COVID-19 is obviously a new disease, but the possibility of contracting (sometimes serious) infections during physical activities has always existed
Temporarily limited class sizes
Temporarily shorter classes to prevent large congregations of people in the dojo and to allow adequate time for cleaning and sterilization between classes
Only active students will be allowed in the dojo. Parents, siblings, partners, guardians, etc., will be asked to wait outside
Hand washing/sanitizing before and after classes
For the first phase of our reopening, practice will focus on flexibility, conditioning, and solo weapons practice. There will be no partner practice during the initial reopening
Of course, if any reliable health or government agencies provide specific measures, we will follow those recommendations, as well. We’re continuing to maintain the space, and hope to return soon. In the meantime, we’ll continue to provide you with updates and news (if there is any). Remember to wash your hands and to get your information from reliable sources.