Coronavirus - WMA Update

CovID-19

At WMA we take the health and well-being of our students seriously and feel that a plan should be put in place to protect our students and their families to the best of our ability.

What are we doing?

The Worcester Dojang is professionally cleaned on a monthly basis, we will review this if the situation worsens in Worcestershire, as we currently have very few cases of the virus in the county. In between professional cleans we will keep on top of cleanliness at the Dojang.

The Droitwich Dojang is professionally cleaned regularly due to the village halls policies but they are now providing more soap in the toilets etc.

We are for now restricting the use of the focus mitts and will be opting to use just the Thai pads and kick shields which are easier to clean. All equipment will be wiped down regularly.

We will not be allowing people to borrow sparring gear from the school for the time being (to be honest you should all have your own anyway).

We also request that students are washing their hands/using hand sanitiser before and after class. We would also remind everyone that hand wash is available in the toilets so please use it when you go to the toilet.

If you are feeling at all unwell that you do not come to class and you call 111 if you are feeling unsure about your illness.

At this moment in time we have no plans to close any of our classes, we ask that people keep on top of their hygiene etc and stay sensible about attending classes if feeling unwell.

EMAP Open Championship Results!

Another fantastic performace from #TeamWMA

🥇 15 Gold

🥈 12 Silver

🥉 6 Bronze

Sally Gleaves - Gold Patterns

Amy Pullen - Bronze Patterns & Sparring

Luke Holland-Bowyer - Gold Patterns, Sparring, High Kick & Long Kick

Greta Greiciute - Silver Patterns & Sparring

Kieran Hodgson - Gold Patterns

George Scott - Gold Sparring

Kirsty Leanne Denslow - Gold Patterns

Finley Jones - Silver Sparring

Macey-Jane Semini - Silver Patterns & Sparring

Holly Hulston - Gold Patterns & Sparring

Valentin Vizitiu - Gold Sparring, High Kick & Silver Patterns

Robert Vizitiu- Gold Sparring

Zaria Fudger - Gold Patterns & Silver Sparring

Gianluca Fudger - Silver Sparring & Bronze Patterns

Mike Fudger - Silver Sparring

Rois Perkins - Bronze Sparring & Patterns

Nic England - Gold Sparring & Silver Patterns

Theo Dixon-England - Silver Patterns & Sparring

Pippa Jones - Bronze Sparring

Claire Solman - No medals this time but did her very first competition!

A big shout out to our amazing sponsors! The Big Badge Theory Momentum Consultancy Group

If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

Much of the time when beginners look to join a martial arts class, they are put off by the price of the classes, or search for cheaper option. Cheaper is not always better, but over priced and franchised is not always the quality you expect either - so what are you paying for?

Instructor Experience

It’s sad but true, the martial arts industry is full of people claiming to be experienced instructors, a good instructor should be completely transparent about their experience, qualifications and training history. Quality instructors have devoted hours of time and money to their continued professional development. Instructors need to be qualified and experienced in lesson planning, linking sessions, SMART goal setting and have the ability to deliver classes in a concise and engaging way. None of this professional development comes cheap but it is all for the benefit of their students, quite simply if you want the best instruction & experience.....you get what you pay for.

Instructor Minimum Standards

Any coach or instructor should be following a set of minimum standards outlined by their National Governing Body, for example, Worcestershire Martial Arts instructors have the appropriate level teaching/coaching qualification (minimum of Level 2), a highly competent skill set i.e. senior graded/experienced martial artist, public liability insurance, first aid training, a DBS check in place and are trained in safeguarding. These qualifications and checks take time, dedication and money. You are paying for safe training from fully qualified instructors.

Quality Venues

Hiring out a quality venue doesn't come cheap, where martial arts are concerned a safe and bright training space is paramount to students having an enjoyable experience during their training. would you prefer to be barefoot on a floor covered in debris and glass or a room with a polished sprung wooden floor or floor mats?

Instructors have a duty of care for their students, a good instructor takes a great amount of care to make sure their students are covered by the correct insurances, they are safe while at class by conducting healthy & safety and risk assessments and most importantly they are responsible for safeguarding!

High Quality & Safety Checked Equipment

A good instructor wants their students to have the best experience in their classes! High quality and varied training equipment are expensive. Equipment allows instructors to be more innovative about their lesson planning and the students benefit from modern training techniques while keeping the ethos of traditional martial arts. Equipment wears out, and needs to be replaced, instructors take time to keep their equipment in safe order and constantly replace bits that are unsafe to use, this comes at a cost - students respond better to good quality equipment - quality you pay for.

Remember......