20/02/2026
Opening Arkain during Tết has always been a debate within the team.
There’s no shortage of things to argue about: from structuring sessions so both members and new visitors get the most out of them, keeping operations and facilities running smoothly for 9 days straight, and honestly, just finding the morale to roll 15-20 rounds a day, hungover, when the rest of the city is resting. Despite all of our pushback, coach .n.t.i.s.e.n.s.e.i has always been headstrong in keeping it open. Initially, we bought into the ideas that maybe Pato was just lonely. We still aren’t sure if this theory holds up, but the general principle he’s shared resonates: if there’s a will from people to train, there’s a way that Arkain mats can help.
Fck this guy we thought, but we bought in anyways. That’s what being a team’s about.
And with that, 24 days for the last 3 Tets, the mats at Arkain stay heated, sweaty. It’s stayed alive. What started in 2024 with 8 - 10 white belts and a handful of visitors has grown into something we’re genuinely proud of: national champions, black belts, and hungry hobbyists in the dozens, all sharing the same mats during the holidays. Whatever issues we had with opening the mats, the rewards were many, many folds.
But as much as this was driven by Pato and the team, it was kept alive by you: The people who has showed up, rolled hard, and made the mats worth heating up. For that, we’re grateful.
Again, we thank all of you for joining us this year and maybe belated, but the Arkain team would like to wish you all a prosperous, injury-free, beautiful Year of the Horse ahead.
Stay tune to see if Pato can win another debate next year to keep the Tet series alive at Arkain. Until then, see y’all on the mats.
P/s: We still open 2 more days until normal schedule restarts! It ain’t done yet.