In Malaysia, the shutdown of all business, social and sporting activities is for two weeks but it could be longer if the Covid-19 situation worsens (or doesn't improve).
In Germany, my judo friends there say they expect clubs to be closed through much of April. Of course that too could be extended depending on the situation.
Whatever the case, there is not going to be any judo activity for a while. What can judo clubs do during those shutdown period? I read online that some of the more famous BJJ clubs are offering instructions via livestream. It's just the instructor and his uke showing some moves.
I'm not so sure that's very useful because in judo, as in BJJ, you really have to do the technique to learn it. Just watching a move doesn't really work. It gives you an idea of how the move works but without trying it yourself, it's kind of impossible to learn. So, I don't really see the point of offering a livestream of some techniques.
Besides, if people want to study techniques, there are plenty of sources online (some free, some paid) so if students want to watch techniques, they can do so. There are plenty of options out there. So, that's not something we're going to do at our club.
I've also read about some clubs planning to have some joint video watch party online during club training times. It's a nice sentiment but not very practical. If people are not on the mat training they will be doing other things with their lives. Maybe cooking or attending to chores or working or exercising. I don't think they particularly want to sit down in front of a computer screen to watch a video together with other members. They can watch on their own time, whenever it's convenient for them.
So, there's really not a lot that clubs can do but there are some things which I think are useful and interesting for members.
1. Share some levity. During these grim times, it's important to cheer people up. If there are funny memes relating to judo, this is the time to share them through the club's Whatsapp Group or Facebook Group, etc.
2. Keep members up to date with latest developments regarding the club closure. Nobody really knows how long it will stay closed as the situation is changing day by day. Club owners will have to negotiate with the landlord on how to make up for lost time etc. Keep members updated, don't keep them in the dark.
3. Share short video clips with members. Some people might not want to sit down and watch a 20 or 30 minute video but everyone can appreciate a short one or two minute clip. Whether it's an excerpt from an interview with a top player or coach, or a clip of some exciting competition action, giving people some bite-size morsels of judo content is a good idea.
4. Share interesting news about judo from around the world. Will the Olympics be cancelled? Are any top players infected with Covid-19? How are athletes in Italy coping with the shutdown? What are other clubs doing during this time?
5. Share judo stories. Whether it's personal anecdotes or it's famous stories about great champions or famous incidents in world judo. Share these with your members. During normal times everybody is so busy focusing on actual training, there's not much time to indulge in judo stories. This is a good time when nobody is able to train.
6. Share judo thoughts. Coaches now have a lot of time on their hands. They can use this time to share more about their coaching philosophy or their thoughts about how the club should evolve etc.
7. Plan for the future. It's a critical time for judo clubs. Some are facing the very real possibility that they might have to shut down. Or even if they don't face such dire prospects, they are likely to lose some members. What can clubs do to give more value to members and indeed to reward members for their loyalty to the club? These are things club owners and coaches have to think about. And for once, they have lots of time to think.
8. Share motivational memes and clips. These don't have to be about judo per se. Anything that's motivational would be relevant to judo players. It can even be content relating to other sports. Everybody loves an inspiring story.
Just because there's no judo activity on the mat doesn't mean the club has to be inactive. There's Facebook, there's Whatsapp. These are platforms that you can use to share things with your members and keep them engaged.
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