By now, most of the world has gone a couple of months without being able to train jiu-jitsu in a gym setting. Many coaches and students are growing restless, missing their favorite sport while (hopefully) also doing their best to keep themselves and others safe in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Korea is sending an encouraging message to the rest of the global jiu-jitsu community. The Seoul-based academy’s head instructor, Jason Park, recorded a video after being allowed to reopen, encouraging other BJJ practitioners to keep moving forward and stay hopeful throughout all the stress of the pandemic.
South Korea’s response to the outbreak has been widely praised, with wide and rapid testing availability and contact tracing helping to reduce the spread of the virus early on. While there are still current cases in the country, the numbers are far lower than in the United States — South Korea has had 10,962 cases and 259 deaths, while the US has had over 1.3 million cases and over 82,800 deaths (which are still dramatically increasing by the day).
Whether your area is preparing to slowly return to normal, or you’re still some time off from being able to train with your teammates again, check out the video below and remember that better times are ahead:
