Pentagon MMA Re-Opening Plan and General Guidelines – Virginia’s Phase 2
Dear Pentagon MMA Community,
The start of Phase 2 for Northern Virginia is on Friday, and we are so excited to officially welcome you all back for in-person classes on Monday, June 15! Our team has been working hard to get our facility ready for you, from expanding our outdoor training space to installing touch-free sanitizers throughout to deep cleaning. But first, a few housekeeping matters.
In order to welcome you all back as safely as possible, there are some guidelines and procedures we need to have in place. We understand that these changes may be frustrating or challenging at times, but please keep in mind they are temporary changes necessary for the safety and well-being of your fellow teammates and staff.
While it is impossible to guarantee a completely COVID-19 free facility, we have stringent high standards (guided by CDC and state/local authorities) in place that are intended to reduce the risk of transmission. We ask that you please do your part to keep us all safe and stay home if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. If you don’t yet feel comfortable coming in for classes, that’s ok. We will continue to live stream most classes via Zoom.
Here’s what we are doing. It’s a bit long, but please bear with us as it’s really important info!
Summary of Class Procedures:
- Register for your class on the Pentagon MMA Members App.
- Come to class no earlier than 5 minutes before class start time.
- Arrive with full uniform on and wash your hands before entering the facility.
- Staff will check your temperature at the door.
- Sanitize your hands by the door.
- Leave shoes and gear bag in the cubbies.
- Take your spot on the mat.
- After class, instructor will dismiss students 2 at a time.
- Pick up your belongings in the cubbies.
- Sanitize your hands on the way out.
Hand sanitizing stations: There are 3 touch-free hand sanitizing stations throughout the facility accessible to each mat room. All students must use hand sanitizer upon entering and leaving the facility.
Disinfecting wipes and spray: These will be located throughout the facility for use by students.
Restrooms: Restrooms will be available for emergency use only and may not be used as changing rooms. Please make sure you wear your Gi/Muay Thai shorts/workout clothing AND use the restroom prior to arriving at the facility.
Water Fountain: This will be off limits to all students. Please bring your own water bottle.
Illness: Please do not enter the facility if you:
- Have presented COVID-19 symptoms (dry cough, shortness of breath, chills, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, muscle aches, etc.)
- Have had a fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher
- Have been exposed to someone with COVID-19
Class Registration: All students are required to register for classes via the Pentagon MMA Members app. Due to limited capacity, students MAY NOT show up for class without pre-registration. Students may currently register for two in-person classes each week up to 7 days in advance. Class registrations may be cancelled up to 24 hours before the class start time. Virtual classes will continue to be available on an unlimited basis until further notice. Barring extenuating circumstances on a case by case basis, students who do not show up for a registered class will automatically be charged a $20 no-show fee; three-time no-shows will lose in-class privileges for the following week.
CLASS REGISTRATION IS NOT YET AVAILABLE. Stay tuned for a separate email with the new class schedule, app download links, and registration instructions!
Class Check-In: In order to keep check-in as touch-free as possible, students must check in for class using the Pentagon MMA Members app. Please do not go to the front desk to check in.
Class Procedures: Class capacity will be significantly limited and class times will be temporarily modified to 45 minutes for adults and 30 minutes for children to allow time for proper sanitizing and entry/exit of students before the next class may enter. Students may not enter the facility until 5 minutes before their registered class time and must leave the facility immediately after class time. Please make sure you arrive on time; students who arrive more than 5 minutes late may lose their registered spot to students on standby/waitlist. Upon entry, shoes must removed at the door, and both shoes and bags placed in the cubbies. Please be mindful of social distancing guidelines in the cubbie areas and respectful of teammates putting away their bags. Partner drills and sparring are prohibited.
Parents/Visitors/Guests: For the time being, parents, visitors and guests of students may not enter the facility. Parents of children will be asked to wait in the car until their child’s class is over. They are welcome to watch the live stream of class from their car. After class, staff will assist with pick-up outside the front door.
Temperature Check: A staff member will be using a touch-free thermometer to check temperatures of students as they come in to the facility. Anyone with a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees F will not be allowed to enter the facility.
Masks: All staff and instructors are required to wear face coverings at all times, with the exception of eating, drinking, and exercising. For health and safety reasons, we will make it optional for students to wear face coverings during class. We do require that students come in to the facility wearing a face covering, remove it for class, and put it back on immediately after class. Instructors will keep their face covering on while they are teaching class. PS. Pentagon MMA ninja face masks are now available for sale to students!
Use of Equipment: Training equipment such as dumbbells may not be shared during class. Students must wipe down equipment used immediately after class. Equipment that is not easily sanitized, such as bands and battle ropes, may not be used at this time.
Front Desk/Reception Area: Although we truly love talking and spending time with students before and after class, we are asking that, temporarily, students not use the front desk/reception area unless absolutely necessary. This is to protect the health and safety of staff, instructors, and students. Restrooms are to be used on an emergency basis only, and Pro Shop purchases can be made online via our website. The “kids’ corner” in the front desk area is off-limits.
Physical Distancing: Students and instructors must stay at least 10 feet away from each other at all times. Each mat room will have markers on the mat where each student can position themselves during class. We know this is hard, but please do not shake hands, hug, high-five, or have any direct physical contact with a staff, instructor, or student. This is a temporary measure in place to minimize risk so that we can continue training in person.
Staff Procedures for Daily Disinfection: Pentagon MMA has always used and will continue to use hospital-grade disinfectant for mats, equipment, and commonly touched surfaces. Mats will be disinfected at the beginning of the day, after each class, and at the end of the day. Cubbies, door handles/knobs, restroom sinks, faucets, toilets, and any other surfaces touched by students will be disinfected after each class. Staff must wear gloves while disinfecting and taking temperatures, and will use proper procedures for removal and disposal of gloves.
Program Agreements: All students coming back to in-person classes must have a signed agreement on file. Staff will coordinate your signature, which may be obtained electronically without the need to visit the front desk. If you think you have already signed the agreement but we don’t have a signature on file, we sincerely apologize and ask that you bear with us and sign the agreement. It appears that during the transition to a new membership management system last year, some signatures were not correctly recorded.
Personal Training Sessions: Personal training will be available by appointment only before 3:00pm Monday through Friday. Personal trainers must first confirm availability with the front desk prior to scheduling sessions or entering the facility. Personal trainers and clients are expected to comply with social distancing guidelines and all other procedures outlined here with respect to use of restrooms, equipment, and facility in general.
Open Mat/Use of Facility: At this time, we will not be allowing students to use the indoor facility outside of scheduled class times, but we will reassess this in the next few weeks.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation with these protocols. We can’t wait to see you all again (in person) on the mats!
Sincerely,
Kru Vivek Nakarmi
