First of all, Happy Christmas. I know it's only the 15th, but I'm not sure I'll be working next Monday to blog as usual. Christmas is a big family time and really my only time when Kyuzo is closed all year, so I try to make the most of it!

If you joined Kyuzo this year, congratulations! I hope that you enjoyed your first year with us and have learned something already. If you're relatively new, just remember that you are very welcome to come along to all of the events, open mats, and training over the Christmas period. Sometimes when you're new you might think that stuff like that is just for experienced members or people in the know- it's really not!

If you haven't joined yet and you're reading this, why not? Say "F*ck it!" today and get in touch with us. You won't regret starting Jiu Jitsu, but you might regret not starting sooner.

Kids Pyjama Session

Our last Kids sessions of the year will be on Saturday 20th, and all of the kids will be training in their pyjamas. It will be crazy! But it gets worse, yours truly will be wearing his too, as will all of the coaches. We'll have a fun session, and there'll be a little present for the kids too.

All of this will be in aid of The LauraLynn Foundation. We've a great connection to this charity and raise money for it each year, so for every kid who trains in their pyjamas on Saturday, Kyuzo will donate €2. We'll also have a QR code for a GoFundMe page and a bucket to pop a donation into if you can afford it.

We know Christmas is a very expensive time for families, so don't worry if you can't donate, Kyuzo donates anyway on their behalf. The important thing is that they participate. So Jammy Up!

The John Wick Roll

On New Year's Eve, the adult class will be training with a difference. We'll be wearing our suits and shirts to a special open mat to roll. The idea is to fight Jiu Jitsu like John Wick, including wearing his clothes!

It might be best not to train in a suit you really like. Maybe visit a charity shop in advance, or wear the one you failed an interview in. If you don't have a suit, the spirit of the day is more important, so whatever civilian clothes you're comfortable in is just fine!

The important thing is that you bring yourself! We will have a bucket and a QR code if you can donate, and we'll also have homemade cakes, tea, and coffee for sale too with all proceeds going to LauraLynn.

Opening Hours and Open Mats

We'll run a few open mats over the Christmas Period, your chance to come in to train off some of the turkey and chocolates. These will be on our WhatsApp group, so if you're not on those, remember to scan the codes in the gym.

Our final kids sessions of the year will be on Saturday 20th December. We will return for Kids classes on Monday 5th January (the first day of school).

Our final Adult session before Christmas will be on Monday 22nd December. We will return for a session on Monday December 29th at 6pm, the John Wick Roll at 11am on the 31st, and then Friday 2nd at 6pm. Full schedules will resume on Monday 5th.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas, and I want to take the opportunity to thank you for reading our articles, listening to our podcasts, and staying in touch with us over the course of the year.

See you on the mat in '26!

Barry