We started this website as a result of the shutdown due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. In the 23 years that Sage Arts Studio has been open, there has never been a circumstance that so directly affected our ability to reach students and sustain our facilities.
When the pandemic hit the U.S., we, like many people watched as the virus began to spread. When it became apparent how communicable it was, we took steps to protect our students. First, we ceased our Brazilian Jiujitsu classes, to limit close personal contact. We put into place a rigorous cleaning schedule, using approved cleaners and disinfectants to clean our school each day. We added hand sanitizer and an alcohol spray for students shoes, and discussed ways to minimize the spread in class.
When the orders came through the state to reduce public gatherings, we opted to move to a private-only based training model. Students would come in once per week, and we geared our training towards what could be done at home. Further, we limited contact to sticks and kicking paddles, and other training methods that could be done while maintaining the recommended safe distance.
Unfortunately, when the order came down to shut down non-essential businesses, this hit us hard. We were forced to suspend our classes. It is because of this situation that we are asking for your support. If you feel that the things we do are valuable, and understand the ways in which our school benefits the community, we ask that you make a donation to help us weather this trying time.
Even after the shut down is removed, and life begins to go back to normal, we expect that there will be an extended period of Social Distancing, and more importantly, time necessary to regain the public’s trust in participating in classroom environments. Then there is the matter of our economy, and whether people will have the means to train, due to their employment status.
In all likelihood, it may be over a year before the school can host group classes like we did before the pandemic. This will be dependent on the public availability of a vaccine. We will likely return to private based training as we did before the shutdown, for a period of time.
Your support will help us bridge the gap between then and the recovery, to sustain our school’s facilities, and enable us to continue bringing students content online. We have no doubt that our school will survive, the question is what will life look like after this experience.
Currently, we are in the process of putting the majority of our curriculum online, including new video instruction elements, as well as additional content for our students. If you are interested in seeing this material, you can also sign up for an online membership, and have access to it 24/7 online. We greatly appreciate your support.