PVC Gi

 No, it's not a storied lower Manhattan music venue, it's a desperate attempt to allow socially distant practice of a close contact sport...  Judo is an intimate sport, we fight chest-to-chest, hip to midsection- we throw partners and pin them to the mat, all the while maintaining a distance no greater than a couple of layers of fabric.  How do you play such a sport while maintaining social distancing guidelines?  The sad, simple answer is: you don't.  This year, the New York Open Judo Tournament was canceled, as was the summer Olympics- it's the year that never happened.

There are some things you can attempt to practice, which is where the PVC Gi comes in... it's basically a gi draped over a length of PVC pipe to allow students to practice kumikata, the gripping techniques that are the crucial beginning of any judo match, at more than arm's length:

 

Each student can grab a sleeve supported by the pipe, and grab the fabric in the center, rather than the traditional sleeve-and-lapel grip.  It's no substitute for the real thing, but it's a stop-gap measure which can allow us to give the kids we coach an opportunity to get the feel of proper gripping techniques.

Of course, the Saturday morning athletic program that I volunteer coach for has been holding outdoor classes, but that's no feasible in the cold weather.  Without mats, we judo coaches have mainly been acting as social distancing chaperones, helping the soccer and basketball coaches.  It looks like there will be a COVID-19 resurgence in the state, so I don't even know if we will be able to continue the program this semester, but if we eventually move inside, this silly-looking PVC gi might be just what the epidemiologist ordered.