Caio Terra Affiliate Academy Forced To Close Due To Coronavirus Shutdown

June 11, 2020

One of the latest BJJ academies affected by the COVID-19 shutdowns has recently had to close its doors permanently.

Caio Terra shared the news earlier today that one of his affiliate schools, Superior Martial Arts, has had to close after being affected by the pandemic-related closures. The academy, located in Burnaby, BC, Canada, was headed by Ty Reid, who shared his own emotional message about the closure:

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When I walked into my first Karate class in 1991, I never thought that it would lead me here. I never dreamed that my desire to be a ninja turtle would be turn out like this. Since that day I have been blessed to have many inspiring teachers to guide me. Mentors to shape me. Training partners to push me. And students to give me purpose. My journey began as a 6-year-old little boy. I was being bullied every day and had zero self-confidence. Martial arts changed my life. It made me the man I am today. I have been lucky enough to benefit from the teachings martial arts and to have shared mats with some truly incredible people I have had great success in competitions I hold multiple Black Belts in many disciplines I’ve founded and built one of the most successful academies in all of the province But, most importantly I’ve touched the lives of many people just like me. People who came through these doors looking to improve their lives. People looking to get healthier, challenge themselves, compete, stand up to bullies or gain confidence found what they needed here. And I’m proud to have been a part of that These past few months have been the most challenging of my entire life. Saying goodbye has been the most difficult decision that I’ve ever had to make I am grateful to have had the opportunity to have mentored and worked with Kohai Shayne. He has been my student, my right-hand, my protege and my brother since coming to me in 2012. He is the future of this academy, and the future couldn’t be brighter. I am extremely excited for him and for you all as he steps in to oversee the studio. I can’t wait to watch him flourish The new home is spectacular, and our leadership team is as strong as ever with Kohai, Coach Tannar, Coach Michelle, Coach Randy and Professor Rafael. You are in good hands and I couldn’t feel more confident in the mentors that will continue to inspire you throughout your journey I will miss you all dearly. But I am excited for my next chapter Sensei Ty

A post shared by Superior Martial Arts (@superior.martialarts) on Jun 9, 2020 at 4:55pm PDT

Terra expressed his own sympathy for the gym owner, offering the reassuring words that this wasn’t the end for Reid, but rather a new beginning.

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Life doesn’t always work out the way we intended it. Although we do our best to prepare for the future, no one could have foresaw the world shutting down. For business owners this was something that was unprecedented. 3 months later many of us, as excited as we are to re-open, have to deal with fears, doubts and the reality that our world won’t be the same for some time, if ever again. After a few very difficult months, Ty Reid, our affiliate in Burnaby, Canada, made the hard decision to close his academy. Ty is a life long martial artist and the spirit of superior will live on in his students and teachers. We wish Ty well, this isn’t the end of the adventure but a new beginning. Look forward to whats next and safe travels. #SuperiorMartialArts Nem tudo na vida acontece do jeito que planejamos. Apesar de nos prepararmos o quanto podemos para o futuro, ninguém previa que o mundo iria se fechar. Para empresários isso foi algo sem precedentes. Após 3 meses, muitos de nós mesmo animados com a possibilidade de começar a reabrir o comércio, teremos que lidar com o medo, dúvidas e com a realidade de que nosso mundo não será o mesmo por um bom tempo, se alguma vez novamente… Depois de alguns meses difíceis, Ty Reid, nosso filial em Vancouver, no Canadá, tomou a decisão difícil de fechar sua academia permanentemente. O Ty prática artes marciais desde novo e o espírito de sua academia continuará vivendo em seus alunos. Eu só desejo o melhor para o Ty, eu sei que nesse momento muitos estão passando por situações semelhantes, mas saibam que esse não é o fim, e sim um novo começo para uma nova aventura.

A post shared by Caio Terra (@caioterrabjj) on Jun 11, 2020 at 11:41am PDT

This isn’t the first jiu-jitsu gym that’s been forced to close permanently due to coronavirus-related financial struggles. Many academies have not survived the shutdowns as students have dropped payments to due not being able to afford the extra cost or not being able to justify paying for a service they temporarily can’t receive.