Jean Lopez, 33, is a certified martial arts master. He owns a gym in Cali, Colombia, called Senkai Gym.
He has received diplomas from the Sports University of Wuhan for taking a Sanda course, a form of Chinese kickboxing, and Muay Thai in Thailand.
Lopez’s gym is closed and the country is on lockdown to the point that people can only only go out to run errands based on a schedule determined by the last two digits of their identification cards.
“We pay our teachers depending on how many classes they lecture, and since there have not been any classes for the past three weeks, we are paying our employees with money that we received as donations from some of our students,” he said. “At the end of the day, all I want is that they can support their families financially.”
He said he tries to stay positive and has been using technology as a tool to maintain his business.
“I have been lecturing free classes via Instagram Live,” said Lopez. “This way, I intend to maintain my students motivated for when the crisis is over.”
Things are definitely not all bad, he said, noting how he is now enjoying more time with his family, and has more opportunities to train on his own.
“I can have pleasant dinners with my parents now, and we can watch movies or even play table games,” he said. “Something we could not do before due to our busy schedules… I do however miss my girlfriend a lot, but we try to keep in touch by video calls.”