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Title [Martial Arts Globe] Kenya Against COVID-19 / How COVID-19 has affected Martial Arts

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  • Date
    02-06-2020
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This photo is not directly linked to the writing, photo (c) Ev

Lona Abiero


On 11 March 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered Coronavirus. The best way to prevent or reduce infections is by following the government’s directive on how to stay safe during this pandemic by staying at home, maintaining a social distance, putting on a mask and sanitizing.


Kenya registered its first COVID-19 case on 12th March 2020. As at 10th May 2020, we have 672 confirmed cases, 239 recoveries and 32 deaths. In order to minimize the spread of the virus, the government put in measures which include closing all borders, a 7pm to 5am curfew, cessation of movement in and out of worst hit towns and closure of gyms, schools, and hotels.


Martial arts is a combat sport which at times requires two or more people to practice together. With the closure of gyms, dojos, and social parks to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, a lot of martial arts practitioners are left with nowhere to train. In order to stay active, most martial arts athletes and trainers have taken to jogging every morning. But this too, is not safe. Not only does training outside increase the chances of getting infected with the coronavirus, but the crime rate has also increased due to difficult financial states.


Other martial arts practitioners do their training individually in open fields, empty buildings and unused roads within the estates. Coaches, through social media have been supportive by posting specific workouts to be practiced at home so as to ensure continuity; however, this is only for the advantaged people. With poor infrastructure, there is no access to the internet for average people in Kenya. To have online access to these workouts, one has to buy mobile data or pay for the internet, but this is not a  priority right now. The most important thing is putting food on the table and paying rent.


Provided by Sportdata, a platform for providing e-tournaments, an online Karate competition was held throughout the world. Participants only needed to record 3 videos of them doing a Karate demonstration and upload the video for the judge to see. Though this has gained interest in many other countries, only a very small number of Kenya's Karatekas  took part in this competition because of lack of access to the internet.


According to the WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros briefing on 22nd April, he stressed we have a long way to go and this virus will be with us for a long time. And since the world cannot go back to the way things were, there must be a new normal. As martial arts athletes, we need to adopt new methods of training and keep up with other athletes in different countries.


The creative way I use to stay on course with my teammates is by constantly checking up on each other. Instead of using online sources, we send text messages and make phone calls. These are comparatively cheaper and we can make sure everyone is physically, mentally safe and healthy, and no one is sleeping hungry since some of us lost jobs.We also try to focus on the positive side of life.


Because we maintain good communication, we can still do things together while keeping the instructed social distance. Our coach, through text messages, sends us a daily workout routine. For instance, the text message would suggest you do a 10km run for the day. The next day he would suggest you focus your workouts on speed, footwork and agility. It is up to you to follow the guidance, but as a disciplined martial artist, a persistent workout even in a difficult situation is a show of commitment.


The government directives insists people wear masks in public, but this is risky when working out. So we try to train more from home which also helps in reducing the transmission of the coronavirus. Training alone in the house is not enjoyable, but you have to try. And when this pandemic finally ends, it is important we all work together to return to our daily training. With all of our teammates and coaches, leaving no one behind.


 In conclusion, from this worldwide pandemic, all of us get to learn the virtues of appreciation. We never appreciate our coaches and their efforts in providing dojos for us to work out in a good environment. Also, we should be open minded enough to embrace changes as soon as they hit. Martial arts is a sport that teaches and requires us to be keen and fast all the time, the same way we should train our minds to adapt to the situation as they hit.


Lona Abiero is a commitee member of the Kenya Kare Fedration, metropolitan region. She is a Kenya national Karate and Tong-il Moo-do athlete, and works as a personal trainer and instructor at Smart Gyms in Kenya. She is also a participant of ICM's Martial Arts Research Initiative for Experts project held in 2018.


※ This writing does not reflect the ideas of ICM.