Keeping Our Naga Martial Arts School Clean and Healthy

“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Things you can do to stay healthy during this transition time of year:

1. Keep yourself clean!
2. Shower after every class.
3. Wash your uniform after every class (this is why we recommend at least two white and two black uniforms.)
4. Keep your feet clean and your toenails clipped.
5. Keep your hands washed and your fingernails clipped. (Germs get trapped under long nails, plus you can hurt someone with your claws!)
6. Wash your hands after using the restroom.

Here’s what we are already doing at Naga to keep our community healthy:

1. The mat gets swept and mopped each day with an anti-viral/fungal/bacteria/mold cleaner. If you are curious to know more about this cleaner: https://www.dollamur.com/wrestling/mat-cleaner.html
2. For those who like to use hand sanitizer, we have just purchased a wall dispenser which we will mount next to the cubby room door. If anyone is handy and would like to volunteer to do the mounting, we’d appreciate it!
3. We clean the bathroom well two or three times a week and do our best to keep the rest of the school nice and clean at all times. If you notice anything needing attention, you are always welcome to attend to it yourself or bring it to our attention.

A little story about a near death experience:

I am not exaggerating! We recommend getting a flu shot and here is why:

We know there are lots of opinions about this, but last December, our then 16-year-old son chose not to get the shot and ended up in the hospital with oxygen levels in the low 50’s (the high 90’s is the healthy standard.) His skin turned blue! I had just taken him to the doctor’s office the day before and they said he’d be fine in a day or two…

The doctors and nurses in pediatrics, whom we grew to love and respect, told us in no uncertain terms: you get the flu shot NOT because it means you won’t get the flu, because you might still get it, but because if you do get the flu, it prevents you from dying from the flu! Henry, our son, has pledged to be first in line when our family goes to get the flu shot!

Here’s an interesting article about athletes sharing infections from the New York Times.

The close contact and casual sharing that are components of team bonding can also be a breeding ground for infectious disease.