Peacedog wrote:Tough for folks in operation right now. But they have no assets to seize. Short term I'd see a lot of guys running class out of their house/backyard, public parks, etc.
Teaching taijiquan (and some qigong) is not my main source of income, but it does form part of it. The gym/dojo where I normally teach (renting a few slots a week) is still closed (compulsory closure) and will probably stay that way for a long time. All my students who can still pay are paying, and I'm still paying the monthly rent to the dojo owner to help keep it afloat. I'm giving classes online and 1:1 teaching in parks, which is permitted as long as we 'distance'. Otherwise the rules in Berlin are still relatively strict: as of two weeks ago, groups of 8 people are permitted to train outside with distancing, but ONLY IF they belong to a recognized sports association and ONLY IF the training take place on official (fenced off) sports grounds. This means in fact that the same kind of training under the same conditions in public parks or similar places, even if in a quiet corner or at a time of day when few people are around, is illegal. Many people misinterpret the rules as meaning one can now train in groups in parks, and actually I see quite a few groups donig this, with trainers leading the dance, and in practice I've never heard of the police or municipal public order patrols turning up, but it's a roulette game. I was actually just starting to give my first 'flesh and blood' classes outside again and if felt great, even if we have to leave out at least half of normal training which involves pushing hands, applications and so on. Then I realized that if some asshole reports you, the polis can appear, take the personal details and I could be fined a minimum of 500 euros, and up to 2500 euros, for leading a group in the park. And each participant could be fined as well. It's unlikely, but we (family) don't have the money to take this kind of risk, and I don't want to train with my group and constantly be looking over my shoulder like I'm running some illegal gambling game on the street.
Maybe the rules will be relaxed further in a few weeks. Luckily I have my translation work to keep making a few bucks. And my wife is earning well (recession-proof healthcare job).