This Friday the Town of Milton will be going into phase 3 of opening back up, and while this is great news for businesses and public events, it is still our individual responsibility to keep ourselves safe, clean, and protected.

At the dojo we are working diligently to build procedures and processes to keep both our staff and our students safe.

• Thorough cleaning using hospital grade disinfectant before we open and close.
• Disinfecting surfaces, equipment, and mats with a sprayer between each use.
• Cleaning bathrooms between each use.
• Restricting access to the premises
• Some facilities will not be available such as the change rooms and the lobby waiting area.
• We will continue to keep social distancing in place and mask usage as required by law.

As we work through the procedures with our test group and instructors, we ask for your patience and understanding. We are doing these things for you at our cost in time and revenue for your safety.

How does all this affect the karate training?

We are fortunate that our martial art is as flexible as it is. Basics can still be practiced in a restricted space and there is still a variety of ways it can be drilled. Kata can be performed synchronized as a group to maintain distance, and sparring drills can be practiced without contact.

For your part we ask:

• If you are feeling any symptoms of any illness, COVID-19 or otherwise, stay home and join the class via remote video.
• Keep your socks on while on the mat (please make sure they are fresh and clean)
• Wear a mask as required by the new bylaw and be aware of your distancing (we are aware there are exemptions)
• Arrive in uniform
• Remove shoes upon entry and head to a designated individual training space. A coach will guide you.
• Bring your own water bottle and sweat towel.
• Use your home bathroom before coming. Our facilities will be open for emergencies.

Some of the concessions we have had to make due to these changes have affected our schedule.

• Class times have been shortened to allow for cleaning.
• Available class days have been reduced to allow a staggering of classes so each group can work out without crossing paths.
• And of course class sizes have been reduced due to social distancing.

As of phase 3, we will technically be allowed groups of 50, however practically we can still only hold classes of 16 due to the distancing measures. This means you will need to reserve a space for class each week going forward. This can be done on our student portal which is linked in the menu on our website or through the app. Please note the portal username and password is separate from the website. If you need assistance logging into the portal please email the dojo or use the contact form on the website.

As discussed in previous communications we will be adding more age groups to the class schedule as we progress through stage 3. Starting with our Adults and finishing with our 3-6 year olds. If for any reason you don’t believe your child will be able to follow both the COVID rules above as well as our standard dojo rules pleas keep them home. They can continue to participate via video.

Emails will be sent out, and social media posts will be made, as new age groups are added.

Sensei