 Professor Cody Donovan Quarantine was actually really good for me. It was nice to make my world a little smaller and focus on family. I did some really good one on one training with some close friends and family. I also really enjoyed the quarantine fight camps. Although they were small, they were very focused. And we got great results. That being said I am so excited to get back to teaching and spending time with everyone on the mat. I missed the culture and community at High Altitude. Having something like that taken away from me really showed me how important it is in my life. I have two families. One tiny, one very big.  Coach Ashlee Mastin During quarantine I had Aaron Porter with Landow’s Performance sent me work outs that I did 2-3 times a week. I also got some training in with a small group of girls. I continued to work for the gym during the closure to ensure we would have a smooth transition back! All my hard work paid off because the gym is up and running!  Professor Curtis Hill I continued to worked because I’m as you all know ‘essential’ 🙂 and spent a lot of time with my family. I’m excited to see my students on the mat again and help them reach their goals!  Professor Igor Cosic While we were closed I didn’t do any working out (not proud lol.) It feels amazing being back! Physically, mentally and emotionally…didn’t even realize how much I really missed it until I got back!  Coach Rich Morquecho During quarantine I had to switch up some of my training to stay in shape, running, hitting mitts at the park etc. I also watched all of Netflix, literally all of it. But I also got some time to do some self reflection and realized how much High Altitude is part of my life. I truly learned to appreciate some of the things I took for granted like hanging out with friends at a restaurant. I’m super stoked and grateful to be back training and coaching at HAMA again.  Coach Robin Solsbery I had to find a way to excercise without BJJ. I did 1000 pullups a day and ran 3 miles a day. I did a lot of goal setting to be able to spring forward (since we were being pulled back). I watched and studied BJJ matches and made a lot of videos for the Little Yetis to be able to train from home. It feels great to be back! I’m so excited to see the kids faces, hear their voices, see them running and sweating on the mats. Also great to see the parents. I’m looking forward to adding some advanced classes and am really enjoying being back.  Coach Adrian Gutierrez I did a ton of strength and conditioning. I found a great dumbbell routine that really worked for me. I also worked on my wrestling a lot, reviewed a ton of material, and did nightly drills. It feels great to be back. I feel so much stronger and faster than before the quarantine.  Coach Brent Mix Quarantine was very challenging. Honestly, the hardest part was not training/coaching at HAMA. Like a lot of us, I need to train to keep up my mental health. Without it, I really start to struggle. It’s been a crazy few months, and I’ve tried to make the best of it, but it wasn’t easy. And I was able to see, once again, just how special our gym is and how vital the people I train with are to my well being. I’m trilled to be back coaching and training! And maybe we all learned to be even more grateful for such a special place as High Altitude Martial Arts, I know I did.  Coach Ryan Solsbery I set out to workout/move every single day of the quarantine and actually hit that goal! Minimum workout was a short 10 minute mobility flow or something like 50 pushups. Outside of that I bought a mic and a guitar. My singing skills and guitar skills are equivalent to an amateur fighter swinging wide. The heart and desire to win is there but the technique is sorely lacking hahaha. It’s been fun starting something as a “white belt” again. Probably not as fun for Robin as for me but still. The daily exercise helped regulate things but it was impossible to replace the tangible energy and “vibe” of HAMA. It warms my heart to be teaching classes again, to hear how many people continued to support the gym with tuition during quarantine, and how many have already flooded back in. I find myself getting extra giddy as I pass all the shops on the way to the gym to teach/train. It feels great to be back!  Coach Cory Sandhagen I hit the Bob in the basement and trained for my UFC fight. I’m excited to be back and see everyone, especially the kids in my youth kickboxing class.  Coach Alex Llamas During quarantine I ate lot for sure LOL. I just relaxed and stayed prepared to get back to the mats by exercising at home and watching BJJ techniques on YouTube. It feels awesome to be back with the HAMA family! I never realized how important it is to have training partners like the ones we have here. I appreciate my training days even more now.  Coach Caleb Hall I spent a lot of time training on my own, working on the skills I could by myself. It feels amazing to be back with the people that share the same passion as mine!  Coaches David and Kendra Armstrong At the beginning of quarantine we focused on resting and letting little things heal up. The past 6 weeks has been strength training and conditioning using Beachbody programs. The kids were fairly regular with Zoom classes. What we all found out after the first day back is that there really isn’t a way to substitute the workout BJJ gives us. Coming back under the restrictions was strange, and as it’s easing, feels more like what we love again. It’s really good for all of us to see friends again. |
