So this is it! We're moving. It's the last few days in Ballyboggan, and I'm spending the first of them at home sick! Luckily, everyone is in capable hands in the gym, but I'm not happy to be missing the last few sessions.

We'll close the doors on Thursday for the last time. While it's great to be moving, I've a lot of memories here. A lot of people took their first steps on to the mat in this place.

But move we must, the old building just can't match up to our expectations anymore. We need a nicer place. Let me take you through some of the thinking. behind selecting a building.

You basically have 2 choices for a martial arts gym. Light Industrial, or Retail/Commercial. Where we are now is Industrial. Where we are going is sort of retail, but more like community space (which is rarer than hen's teeth).

In Light Industrial positives, you've got plenty of indoor space, usually free of columns, and a bit of parking,

In Commercial positives, you've got accessibility, visibility, and walkability. All of which are really nice.

In the negative columns, in Industrial, you've got a lack of walkability, you can have dirty neighbours, and at night, Industrial Estates are not very welcoming. Commercial properties are currently crazy money.

In negatives for Commercial, you might be in a busy area with congestion, have no parking, and it's expensive. Really, really expensive.

So when you're moving, you've to pick what you want, and balance the positives and negatives. Having spent 12 years in Industrial, I wanted to get out and move into somewhere much nicer. I wanted kids to be able to walk or cycle here without parents worrying, and I wanted adults to walk into a nice space that they wanted to spend time in. Ultimately, we're a community club, so we should be in the community.

More and more over the years, that community has diversified from Finglas/Cabra and into Ashtown and Royal Canal Park as that area has grown. About 60% of our under 18 members are from that area. It's a nice place to walk around in, and I'm looking forward to Kyuzo being a part of the fabric there.

It's crazy, but we'll be the ONLY sport in the area. You've to cross the canal or the Tolka to find another! Every kid in the area is going to walk onto the mats at Kyuzo at some stage!

I can't wait.

We'll be having our last session on the old mats on Thursday 12th February, followed by a ceremonious "Carrying of the Mats", or, as it's otherwise known, free labour to get the mats down the stairs.

And then it's goodbye Ballyboggan Road, and on to new things in Rathborne Place.

See you on the mat,

Barry