Happy Holidays from Bayshore BJJ

The holiday season is a time for family, friends, giving, and appreciation. Sending love and cheer out to all of our students, families, and our local and BJJ communities!

.Please Enjoy this short holiday message from us to you! Have a safe, and happy holiday, and we’ll see you (with virtual classes) next week!

Tap Cancer Out Global Grappling Day and our First Adult Belt Promotion

For the past few months, Bayshore Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blue belt Casey Annuzzi has been raising money for the non-profit organization Tap Cancer Out in support of a close family member who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. These fundraising efforts came to an exciting conclusion this past Saturday, as he rolled for 60 minutes straight with Professor Joe Dockery, along with teammates Jason Irizarry and Mike Lester as part of Tap Cancer Out’s Global Grappling Day. The roll was broadcasted live over the Bayshore BJJ Facebook and Instagram live pages as students and spectators watched and even offered “bonus donations” if participants could hit specific techniques on each other. When it was all said and done, the total donation amount had eclipsed $5,000, and neared $5,500.

At the conclusion of the event, Professor Joe and teammate/assistant coach Alan Fischetti surprised Casey, with his well deserved promotion to purple belt. It was our first adult belt promotion at Bayshore, and served as the perfect conclusion to an incredible day. Teammate Joe Holcombe stated afterwards that “this day was the perfect embodiment of what Bayshore Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is all about, and what makes our academy special.” We’d like to thank everyone who tuned in, and especially those who donated for their generosity. For a limited time, the roll will be viewable on the Bayshore BJJ Facebook page in case you missed it!

Now, please join us in congratulating Casey on his achievements both on and off the mats!

“Best Martial Arts School” in Monmouth County

The results are in, and we’re very proud to announce that Bayshore Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has been voted THE BEST martial arts school in Monmouth County by the Asbury Park Press!

We’d like to thank every one of our students, families, and friends who have become part of what makes our school special. From day one, we’ve been a business that puts our students first, and through the most adverse year in recent history, we’ve accomplished more as a team than anyone could have ever expected. Through months of being closed, and then open with restrictions, we’ve been able to provide our students with a unique, and meaningful experience unlike that of any other martial arts school anywhere, with access to a who’s who the greatest Jiu Jitsu instructors from around the world, a hybrid online/in person training program, community outreach programs, and most importantly, we came together as a giant martial arts family.

This is only the beginning guys and girls. We’re going to continue to grow, to innovate, and enrich the lives of our students, families, and local community even more in 2021. We are going to continue being the change we want so see in the Martial Arts World – a “new wave” lifting everyone involved to new heights, improving their health and fitness, accomplishing each of our goals, and helping us all to live our best lives.

The Bayshore BJJ Online Virtual Academy Has Launched!

Professor Joe Dockery and company have been hard at work planning, shooting, and editing videos for our Virtual Online Academy, and at this point, have completed and posted a number of videos to the academy’s YouTube Channel. While a majority of the videos will be kept private, available only to those who receive special links through our student emails, we’ve decided to share a handful of the videos from the kids program with the public. Our hope is that parents (of all children) will share these videos with their children, and keep them active while they’re home from school during these tough times!

Below is a link to our kids warmup, which is just under 5 minutes long, and could be done back to back (to back.. to back..) for a total body workout for kids, and adults alike! To check it out, click on the graphic below, and let us know in the comments how many times you’re able to do it!

Addressing Current Health Concerns at Martial Arts Schools

March 9, 2020

With the recent public concerns around the new corona virus (COVID-19), I thought it was appropriate, as a responsible martial arts school owner, to research the subject and share this information with my teammates (and greater Jiu Jitsu/martial arts community. Here’s a couple hours of research and writing condensed into a few minutes of reading for all of you!

What is Corona Virus

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans.  In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.

What are the symptoms of Corona Virus (COVID-19)

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.

How Does COVID-19 Spread?

The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It also may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. 

Are children at increased risk for severe illness, morbidity, or mortality from COVID-19 infection compared with adults?

According to the CDC website: There have been very few reports of the clinical outcomes for children with COVID-19 to date. Limited reports from China suggest that children with confirmed COVID-19 may present with mild symptoms and though severe complications (acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock) have been reported, they appear to be uncommon. However, as with other respiratory illnesses, certain populations of children may be at increased risk of severe infection, such as children with underlying health conditions. 

Preventative Measures for Martial Arts Schools and their Students 

The responsibility for limiting the spread of this illness, along with other airborn illnesses is shared by both the martial arts school owner, and EACH of the students. Below is a list of preventative measures each may take: 

Students

·      First and foremost, if you are displaying any symptoms of illness, stay home. While sharing techniques is always appreciated in class, sharing germs is very much frowned 

·      Get a full night’s sleep. Adequate sleep strengthens your immune system. 

·      Clean up your diet, and drink lots of water. Eating a nutritious diet and properly hydrating allows all of the systems of your body to run optimally, including your immune system. 

·      Probiotics such as Bacillus Coagulans and Bacillus Subtilis are proven to increase immune strength and response to the flu. These can both be found in Iron Army’s ISO GRASS RESERVE (which also happens to be delicious!) 

·      Avoid heavily populated enclosed spaces (such as subway and bus cars). Having so many people inside such a small space, especially one which isn’t disinfected adequately will greatly increase your risk of contracting any illness. 

·      Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. 

·      Clean and disinfect all commonly touched surfaces in your home and workspace regularly.

·      Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Schools:

·      Remind students not to train if displaying any symptoms of sickness. Bayshore BJJ has made Facebook/Instagram posts, and published this nifty news article stating this.

·      Place hand sanitizer at the front entrance to your school, and around the mats. Encourage your students and visitors to kill all germs and viruses they have a chance to be spread inside the academy. Bayshore BJJ has done so, and have placed signs instructing ALL guests to use it upon entering. 

·      Ensure that all soup dispensers in bathrooms have antibacterial soap, and are in working order. Bayshore BJJ has done so, and has extra.

·      Clean and disinfect all surfaces regularly, paying special attention to those frequently touched by peoples hands: door knobs, keyboards, light switches, touchpads (ipads / tablets), railings, lockers, countertops, etc. Bayshore BJJ cleans all mats twice daily with Mat Pro, an EPA certified disinfectant which DOES kill viruses. In addition, after all classes, all surfaces (door handles, chairs, countertops, light switches) are sprayed with Lysol disinfectant spray after every class. 

·      Invest in a HEPA filter to constantly clean the air inside your academy, stripping the air of potentially harmful particulate, including mold, and viruses. Bayshore BJJ has installed a brand new HEPA filter beside the seating area in the academy which now runs at all times. We also constantly run a dehumidifier to keep moisture down in order to stop the spread of germs and mold.  

·      Preestablish an alternative plan for students to learn/train from home should the school need to close for any period of time. Bayshore BJJ has planned two, two week units, one for kids, and one for adults which will be shared via email on a day to day basis should it be necessary to temporarily close. The units include drills and techniques that can be performed on any floor with a family member or significant other (sorry aunt Pearl!)

All of the information in this article is subject to change, as the CDC and WHO (whose websites were consulted heavily in the research for this post) are still studying this virus, and discoveries may be ongoing. Wishing you all the best in health and happiness, from Bayshore BJJ in Hazlet, NJ.