After a break of over a year, due to the Covid pandemic, we are delighted to announced that full contact judo will resume from Tuesday 27th April!
In the short term, classes are available for players aged under eighteen only. Hopefully adult classes can resume from June.
We will be running a reduced schedule initially, with two classes on Tuesday nights ONLY. We hope to return to two nights a week from beginning of June. Class times remain as previous, 6 and 7pm. Class duration will be slightly reduced to allow for mat cleaning between and after sessions. Look out for a future post where we will detail all the steps we are putting in place to make it a Safe Return to Judo, and the steps you and your children will need to follow to enable this to happen.
As you will be aware, easing of Government covid restrictions means that we can start to consider (again!) a return to training.
Outdoor training is permissible from 29 March, with gyms allowed to reopen from 12 April.
We have decided NOT to take up the option of starting outdoor sessions from Monday. Instead, we are targeting the reopening of gyms as a possible date to return our junior (under 18) players to the mat. As the draft guidance (still awaiting sign off from Department of Culture Media and Sport) issued by the BJA on Friday indicated that outdoor training with full contact was possible, for players aged under 18, we are hoping that by time we return to the mat, this will also be possible indoors.
We have been in contact with the school and the Headteacher is happy for us to return from Tuesday 20 April. Hopefully this will be indoors, mat based training for our junior players – decision needs to be ratified by school Trustees, based on the risk assessment we submit. Adults will need to wait a little longer to get back on the mat. If we are not able to return to the mat, we will commence outdoor training from Tuesday 20 April, using the school site.
The graphics below indicate the BJA’s understanding of the current situation:
It is still an evolving situation, all dates remain provisional and are dependent on the Government being satisfied that :
the vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated
infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS
our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern
We will keep you informed as we approach the target date.
Please make sure your licence is in date for when you return to training!
Yesterday, 12 March, marked the anniversary of our last sessions on the tatami. When we closed down the club in light of the just declared Covid pandemic, we thought we would be back in a few weeks…
However, thanks to the successful vaccination programme being rolled out across the country, it looks as if a return to training is on the cards soon. Whilst we await details from British Judo, who are in consultation with Department of Culture Media and Sport, the potential return dates remain as in our earlier post. Please note, these are all earliest dates, they could be put back if cases or hospital admissions rise again – as sadly we are seeing in Italy and Germany. Full details of the Government roadmap can be found on Gov.UK
29 March – possible resumption of outdoor training. We are talking to the school to see if we can use the school grounds for this – it offers more parking, more privacy and may enable us to access equipment we have stored at the club. If this is possible, it will not be until after Easter.
12 April – gyms can reopen. This may enable children’s indoor sessions to recommence, or this may be delayed to 17 May, when gym classes can recommence. Presumably at this point indoor non-contact training for all can recommence. Contact only allowed between members of same household.
21 June – social distancing requirements removed. Although what this means for contact sports is still unclear, it seems reasonable to assume that kata and uchikomi at least will be allowed between members of different households.
We can’t wait to get back into training, and back on the mat. In advance of this happening, please make sure your licence is in date!
Keep watching and we will update you as and when we get news.
When we closed the club in March 2020, a week before the first national lockdown, none of us really envisaged that 10 months later our mats would still be empty.
We were lucky enough to be able to run some sessions outdoors over the summer, but our return to indoor training has been knocked back – first from November 2020 to January 2021, and now indefinitely in the third national lockdown. We remain committed to opening when it is safe to do so.
Like everyone else, we await the lifting of Covid restrictions. Infection rates are falling, but are still high; and hospital admissions and deaths show no signs of abating. Sadly, Covid related deaths have even affected Portsmouth’s judo community.
We hope you are taking advantage of the online sessions organised by British Judo. These are FREE to licensed members – another reason to keep your British Judo membership in date. You can book on to these sessions here.
Thank you for your continued support of the Club via Portsmouth Lottery and Easyfundraising. With online shopping our new normal, this is a great way to generate donations to the Club, at no cost to yourself. Funds raised will help us to weather the current pandemic and return stronger when we can get back on the mats, with whatever restrictions may still be in place. Judo, martial arts and other indoor contact sports will be the last to return to normal.
Please remember it is OK not to feel OK! The last year has been extremely testing for everyone. British Judo has published a list of organisations who can offer support if you or members of your family are struggling. Alternatively, you may find suggestions in Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s book ‘Feel Better in 5’ helpful. The Morning and Evening Flows are great stretching and relaxation processes, whilst guidance on daily gratitude list, affirmations and breathing practices may also be of benefit.
Finally, stay safe, look after each other and we look forward to seeing you all back on the mat when it is safe to do so.
British Judo has updated it’s guidance following the introduction of the new Stay at Home Tier 4.
As expected, no indoor training is permitted, hence the reopening of the club remains on hold.
Portsmouth’s Tier 4 status is due to be reviewed on 30 December, but with other areas of the country today also being put into Tier 4, it seems unlikely that we will see any immediate easing of restrictions.
The Prime Minister’s announcement on Saturday that Portsmouth was being moved to the new Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, after only a day in Tier 3, was unexpected.
We are still awaiting full guidance as to what Tier 4 means for community sports club; however we understand that it is equivalent to the national lockdowns imposed in March and November.
We hope that this will only be for a short period of time, but the Health Minister made clear on Sunday that these new restrictions could b ein place for several months – presumably by which he meant over the winter period.
It seems unlikely that our announced re-opening date of 12th January will be possible, however we will keep you updated with news as and when we can. This is incredibly frustrating, however the safety of everyone especially the most vulnerable must come first, and we continue to be patient.
It was confirmed today that Portsmouth (along with Havant and Gosport) are entering Tier 3 restrictions in the fight to contain the spread of coronavirus.
We have been in contact with the school to confirm what this means for our planned Return to Judo.
British Judo guidance is that
With the correct social distancing rules enforced in venues and the current non-contact nature of the training schedules, we are effectively classified once again as an “organised exercise class”.
Tier 3: Classes for under 18s can restart indoors. Sessions for ages 18+ must remain outdoors. Same Household sessions permitted.
Tier 2: As per our Phase 1 Guidelines for A “Safe Return To Judo”.
Tier 1: As per our Phase 1 Guidelines for A “Safe Return To Judo”.
The school have confirmed that they are still happy for us to proceed under this basis, however they have a new Headteacher commencing on 4th January who may wish to review this decision. With this in mind, we have delayed our planned reopening to Tuesday 12th January.
We will post further details of our planned Return to Judo over the Christmas period.
After the longest break in the Club’s history, we are delighted to announce that training will recommence at the Club on the evening of Thursday 7 January 2021.
It has been a long wait since we announced we were closing our doors due to the coronavirus pandemic; our planned return in November was delayed due to Lockdown 2.0.
Hopefully, Portsmouth won’t be put in a higher tier after Christmas, or another national lockdown imposed.
Keep an eye out for for updates as to what this return will entail, please reset assured it will be in line with British Judo’s Return to Judo plan as signed off by Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
Whilst we are still awaiting official guidance from British Judo regarding last night’s announcement of another English lockdown, it seems unlikely that our return to training on 10th November will now be countenanced by the school, even if permitted under coronavirus regulations.
Thank you to all those who registered their support for a return to training, and several new prospective players or parents/carers who registered their interest.
To that end we are now proposing, and are in negotiation with the school, to make a new start in the New Year.
Full details will be published at a later date.
It is frustrating, but important that we continue to abide by the rules to manage the spread of the virus.
We appreciate your ongoing support via our fundraising programmes, and hope you all continue to keep safe and well.
The school has given us permission to return to training from Tuesday 10th November.
Please note that this will be in line with Phase 1 of the British Judo Return to Judo plans. The emphasis will be on movement and fitness, as non-elite contact sports are still prohibited under Covid regulations. As anticipated, the school has also put some requirements in place.
We are of course aware that Covid cases are rising around the country and that further restrictions are possible.
Before we commit to a return to training, we are seeking your views – to that end, we are running a poll in our Parents and Players Facebook group, to see whether you support a return to judo related (but not judo) training in the current situation. Please take a few seconds to vote. You can also comment below.
