Meishinkan - Suffolk Kendo Club

Sunday Kids Kendo starts again today. 3.30 pm Chesterton Sports Centre, Cambridge.

Looking to try new venue on Wednesday nights, message me if interested. More details to come...

Meishinkan Manual Chapter 7 and 8 ....

Looking at a new Bury St Edmunds venue - will open with a Beginners Course - if you are interested in starting message us or email me at [email protected]

Chapters 5 and 6

LATEST NEWS - Kids classes now running in Cambridge - Chesterton Sports Centre 3.30 to 5.00 PM - please contact us before joining as numbers limited still.

Barrow Adults classes - Dojo is now a building site and will be part of camping facilities and no longer available to us. Will look for a suitable venue with suitable floor if there is a demand from members to train again...

Covid-19 restrictions have now been lifted enough to allow Kendo practice for adults. If you are interested in attending our Barrow, Bury St Edmunds practice again, or starting Kendo as a beginner please message or email us.

Latest News - We will look at opening restrictions from mid-May - with hope that some meaningful adult practice can begin towards the end of June. See British Kendo Association web site for guidance.

If anyone is interested in starting Kendo please message us.
We expect to use the Academy venue in Barrow as before.

Chapter 3 and 4 .....

Resources - Chapter 2 of our training guide.
Something to look at....

Latest advice from BKA not promising for a quick return to training.

Kendo Bu Statement – March 2021

Dear Kendo Bu Members
I hope you are keeping well and keen to get back to training after the extended new year lockdown…

In England we now have the 4 Step Roadmap. Wales and Northern Ireland are beginning to ease restrictions too. We had expected that we would return to some type of tiered system after the lockdown (This does seem to be the case for Scotland) and made our presentation to the DCMS based on this assumption

There will potentially be quite different structures in the four nations. What these might look like remains very unclear at this juncture.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) is the body tasked with managing the return of sporting activity in the UK. It has the power to regulate our activity. Thus far we have had no response from the DCMS about our submission despite several prompts and requests from our Chairman.

Currently the DCMS have banned all paired full contact training for martial arts – and that includes Kendo.

We (The Bu) will endeavour to stay on top of the developing situation and provide advice as soon as we can. Needless to say, training indoors is not allowed at the moment (Unless alone or with people who you live with) and opportunities to exercise together outdoors will remain extremely limited until the end of March but with some easing of restrictions during April.

KENDO TRAINING MILESTONES – ENGLAND…

Step 1
Changes on 8 March

Social contact
People will be allowed to leave home for recreation and exercise outdoors with their household, support bubble or with one person from outside their household. Two people could potentially meet to exercise together but must remain socially distanced (2m)

Changes on 29 March (or after)

Social contact
Outdoor gatherings (including in private gardens) of either 6 people (the Rule of 6) or 2 households will be allowed.

Business and activities
People will be able to take part in formally organised outdoor sports. Groups of up to 6 may meet to exercise together outdoors but must remain socially distanced (2m)

Travel
The ‘stay at home’ rule will end on 29 March, but many restrictions will remain in place.

Step 2
Changes on 12th April (or after)

Business and activities
Indoor leisure facilities such as gyms will re-open, but only for use by people on their own or in household groups. Socially Distanced exercise indoors may become possible in line with venue restrictions and the use of PPE. This is unclear at the moment.
Wider social contact rules will apply in all these settings (2m Social distancing) to prevent indoor mixing between different households.

Step 3
Changes on 17th May (or after)

Social contact
People will be allowed to decide on the appropriate level of risk for their individual circumstances.
Most legal restrictions on meeting others outdoors will be lifted – although gatherings of over 30 people will remain illegal.

Business and activities
Indoor adult group sports and exercise classes can resume. This will not unless authorised by the DCMS include paired or contact training and until further notice social distancing (2m) and the use of PPE should still be observed

The government will also allow some larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full (whichever is a lower number), and in outdoor venues with a capacity of 4,000 people or half-full (whichever is a lower number).

Events
Decisions on the timing and circumstances under which the rules on 1 metre plus, the wearing of face coverings and other measures may be lifted will be shared.

Step 4
Changes on 21st June (or after)

Social contact
On the 21st of June, the government hopes to be in a position to remove all legal limits on social contact.

In Conclusion:
To be clear: Kendo is a combat/contact sport (Martial art) not social contact or exercise. We cannot know at this time how the DCMS (Our regulating body in this instance) will respond to our Roadmap for the return to training and/or what delays or additional restrictions may be placed on activities such as ours. The Bu team therefore recommends that until further notice paired, contact or combative training must not be engaged in unless between people from the same household.

We (The Bu team) advise caution at each of the milestones outlined above and ask that members wait for the detailed