What conditions cancel training?

[Steel Tiger]

Training has been cancelled this week due to a run of very hot weather. It is 44.3C (or around 112F) here at the moment and our dojo has no aircon, so for safety reasons we are not training. What conditions, hot or cold would it take for your school to cancel training?.

I know these conditions, when the walls seem to be melting, and we don't train in them either. Being in Canberra we also get some seriously cold days as well and nobody is keen to be out of the house. So, extremes of temperature generally stop training and we stop over Christmas/New Year.

 

[zDom]

We have a tradition on the hottest day of the year and the coldest day of the year.

On the hottest day we have an extra hard workout. (We never use the air conditioner. It just sits above the backdoor taunting us...)

On the coldest day, we shut off the heater, close the door leading upstairs to the dressing rooms and open the back door to the outside and have an extra hard workout.

If we find out it is somebody's birthday on the day of a workout, we have an extra hard workout.

Yesterday was Max Pind's birthday (he is a purple belt). He turned 23.

So we started class by pyramiding up from

1 pushup
1 situp
1 mule kick (from hands and knees, one with each leg)
1 clockwise leg circle (feet start 6" off the ground, circle up to verticle and back down to 6")
1 counterclockwise leg circle

Then 2 of each, then 3, on up 15 before taking a break.

= 120 each, total of 600.

We then went into kicking and technique interrupted at regular intervals to do the 16 set, the 17 set, etc., until, but the end of class, we did the final set of 23 of each exercise for a total of 276 reps on each exercise and a grand total of 1,380.

After each set was completed, we would all enthusiastically shout,

"Happy birthday, Max!"

I'm pretty sure everybody wants me to take the day off on my birthday (the big 40!) if it happens to fall on a Tuesday or Thursday

We don't work out on holidays: family is more important.

Weather is rarely dangerous enough (ice on the roads) to have classes cancelled.

The hottest it gets here is about 109, 110 degrees F, but the humidity maxes out. Instuctors make sure everybody is drinking plenty of water.

 

[grydth]

There's a lot of kids in the dojo where my daughters train, and those classes usually cancel when schools are closed due to snow and ice. I respect those of you adults who brave the elements out of dedication to the arts, but for kids' classes this is the right call.

The folks in our group that come to my house for Tai Chi actually show up no matter what the weather.... but I think its my cooking that does it.

 

[grydth]

I rarely close. Sometimes for a Holiday but almost never for bad weather. I leave it up to each individudal student to make the choice in foul weather if they want to drive. Myself, sometimes I like the challenge.

The last time we had a power outage I just lit candles and continued class as usual.

We had a power outage in a huge thunderstorm and I was the only one home. Lit some candles, opened some windows.....with the rain pounding down and the thunder/ lightening, it was the best work out I have had in years.

 

[searcher]

I will never cancel for the heat and we will never have air conditioners. If a student feels they are not able to train then that is up to them. I will, however, cancel if the road conditions are unsafe for students to try to make it to class. Usually it is if the schools cancel then we will cancel. This has beena pretty good rule to follow so far.

 

[exile]

We cancel only when the rec center we use is closed because of a statutory holiday that falls on the Monday that the building is normally closed and so bounces to Tuesday. My Thursday class never closes unless I can't show because of some emergency or whatever. The building is ridiculously warm even when it's in single digits outside; and during spring, when it's 80 degrees+ and 80-90% humidity, we stay open...

Basically: if the building is open, we're open.

 

[tellner]

I will never cancel for the heat and we will never have air conditioners. If a student feels they are not able to train then that is up to them.

Really? You do your normal class workout when it's over 100?

1. If so, how good is your first aid?
2. How thoroughly do you understand hyperthermia?
3. How carefully do you watch for the signs in all of your students?
4. How about dehydration?
5. Do you have children in your classes?
6. How close is the nearest hospital?
7. Do you make it abundantly clear that if anyone is feeling any of the symptoms of heat exhaustion or dehydration that he or she must sit down immediately?
8. Is there any pressure at all, of any sort, to work out when it's very hot?

Unless the answers are:

1. Excellent and periodically recertified
2. without a doubt, backwards and forwards
3. like a freakin' hawk
4. ditto
5. no
6. just a couple minutes
7. absolutely
8. heck no

you are a danger to yourself and your students. By "danger" I mean "you could easily kill them through negligence and ignorance". Hyperthermia and dehydration under all their names can kill you graveyard dead a lot quicker than you would think, even big, strong, "no pain, no gain, sir!" types. No hobby is worth someone being crippled or dying over.

 

[Tames D]

Super Bowl Sunday.

 

[jdinca]

In the SF Bay area...uh, earthquakes and flooding. Neither has closed us yet (knock on wood). We've run classes with no power, just flashlights and large candles for light.

 

[searcher]

1. If so, how good is your first aid?
2. How thoroughly do you understand hyperthermia?
3. How carefully do you watch for the signs in all of your students?
4. How about dehydration?
5. Do you have children in your classes?
6. How close is the nearest hospital?
7. Do you make it abundantly clear that if anyone is feeling any of the symptoms of heat exhaustion or dehydration that he or she must sit down immediately?
8. Is there any pressure at all, of any sort, to work out when it's very hot?

1.) Certified First Aid Responder, Also have 2 paramedics and a nurse in class. Have had some doctors as well.

2.) Extremely well. I am a presonal trainer and I am constantly researching and studying all aspects of fitness and any possible conditions.

3.) I am constantly watching over my students for any signs thaty they might be starting to have any heat exhaustion or other heat related problems.

4.) Students are required to have water in class and they are given water breaks frequently. We do our best to also prevent cumulative dehydration.

5.) Yes, we have kids in class and we are constantly observing them.

6.) The hospital is within 3 minutes of the school and the Ambulance is across the street.

7.) We emphasize to the students multiple time per class that they can stop training at any time and take a break. If they need assistance or if they stop I have one of the medics check them out.

8.) Students are NEVER pressured to workout any part of the year. Hot weather or not. It si up to them if/when they work out.

We also allow for "alternative" uniforms for hot conditions(t-shirts and shorts). The decision to never call off training is from years of never missing training while I was coming up through the ranks. Some of my instructors have trained in hotter conditions than what we will ever have here in Kansas. Our classes are also held later in the evening so that heat is less of a factor. My decision is no different than all of the coaches and parents having their kids out in the heat playing baseball or summer soccer. The same goes for high school or university athletics that participate in same heat conditions.

 

[tellner]

Excellent job! It's a sore point with me. We had one death and one near death from martial arts training one when I was still working as a nurse in 110+ degree Eastern Washington. Guys in top shape, too. But they got hyperthermia, dehydration and that was that.

Come to think of it, that sort of thing was also the cause of my high school wrestling career. "Don't drink water. It will make you put on weight. Now we're going for a run in plastic suits so you'll sweat more."

 

[zDom]

Really? You do your normal class workout when it's over 100?

1. If so, how good is your first aid?
2. How thoroughly do you understand hyperthermia?
3. How carefully do you watch for the signs in all of your students?
4. How about dehydration?
5. Do you have children in your classes?
6. How close is the nearest hospital?
7. Do you make it abundantly clear that if anyone is feeling any of the symptoms of heat exhaustion or dehydration that he or she must sit down immediately?
8. Is there any pressure at all, of any sort, to work out when it's very hot?

Unless the answers are:

1. Excellent and periodically recertified
2. without a doubt, backwards and forwards
3. like a freakin' hawk
4. ditto
5. no
6. just a couple minutes
7. absolutely
8. heck no

you are a danger to yourself and your students. By "danger" I mean "you could easily kill them through negligence and ignorance". Hyperthermia and dehydration under all their names can kill you graveyard dead a lot quicker than you would think, even big, strong, "no pain, no gain, sir!" types. No hobby is worth someone being crippled or dying over.

We aren't foolish about it.

We are aware of the dangers and keep an eye on students to avoid heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hyperthermia, dehydration (we make sure everybody stays well hydrated) in hot weather and hypothermia in cold weather.

The other side of the coin is, you can't depend on a predator to attack you on a comfortable spring day when it is 72 degrees.

 

[bluemtn]

Training has been cancelled this week due to a run of very hot weather. It is 44.3C (or around 112F) here at the moment and our dojo has no aircon, so for safety reasons we are not training. What conditions, hot or cold would it take for your school to cancel training?.

Where I live has some mountains fairly close by, and some nasty roads going through them. In the winter, those roads are the very last to get snow removal services, which causes a lot of people to be unable to get out- even with 4 wheel drive. Not only that, some people live a little further out. Usually if we have snow around 2 or more inches, or any ice, class is cancelled.

 

[searcher]

Excellent job! It's a sore point with me. We had one death and one near death from martial arts training one when I was still working as a nurse in 110+ degree Eastern Washington. Guys in top shape, too. But they got hyperthermia, dehydration and that was that.

Come to think of it, that sort of thing was also the cause of my high school wrestling career. "Don't drink water. It will make you put on weight. Now we're going for a run in plastic suits so you'll sweat more."

I understand where you are coming from. While in College we had a new guy who lost his sight for two weeks from dehydration. He was fortunate enough to recover it and made a somewhat full recovery. I have seen the same thing happen with military training, its amazing what salt water and high heat can do. So, I am not without any knowledge of the terrible things that can happen. Not to sound to cliche', but been there done that. And I don't care to have a repeat. That is why I take the precautions that I do.