Editor's note: This story has been updated to provide a balanced scientific account.

Rice Brothers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu owner Tanner Rice shouted at the top of his lungs as grapplers followed his commands Monday morning.

Sixteen people — each paired with a partner — wrestled and tangled in each other's gi. Hands and arms wrapped around arms and ankles, as is routine in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

The sport exemplifies the opposite of what it means to socially distance under the CDC's guidelines to avoid being exposed to the coronavirus and stem the spread of the contagious respiratory illness. Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-home orders in March shut down gyms and fitness studios.

The tone of Rice's words was one of pride and joy after he decided to restart his Redding gym following more than a month's layoff due to the pandemic. Rice reopened despite the governor's orders, which remain in effect.

On Tuesday, Newsom cautioned about pulling back too quickly out of concern it could start a second wave of cases "that can be more damaging than the first and that could undo all the progress."

Rice provided his own point of view.

"(My group) thinks the virus is on the downscale and there are studies that came out that show most of us have had coronavirus anyway," Rice said. "We need to operate and we need to pay rent. It's either we go broke and file bankruptcy or we operate business."

Although Rice points to virus cases beginning to slow down, Shasta County reported another positive case Tuesday evening bringing the total to 31 confirmed cases in the county, where four people have died. The county had gone nearly a week without reporting a new infection. But since last Wednesday, five more people have been sickened with COVID-19, including a teenage girl.

Local public health officials said the recent increase in cases likely was the result of people not practicing physical distancing during Easter. In California the number of positive tests for the virus has continued to rise daily.

Shasta County public health spokeswoman Kerri Schuette said via email Monday that reopening the gym "is a violation of the governor's order."

Rice says he feels the response by state and county officials has been "an overreaction" given the amount of cases in Shasta County. .

Some Shasta County residents anxiously wonder: Why aren't more people wearing face masks?

"I understand that people get sick and people need to get better," Rice said. "But I think it's an overreaction and that's just my opinion. I think we need to start bringing life back to normal."

While Rice has decided to reopen his gym in Redding, martial arts studio owner Blain Cort, who owns Blain Cort's Total Self Defense in Anderson, has continued his operations using Facebook.

Cort teaches Wu Ying Tao — a kung fu-based style martial art — and modern arnis — a stick-and-sword fighting martial art. He conducts classes using training videos he produces. The videos are uploaded to the studio's private group called Total Self Defense Virtual Training Group, which students use to train.

"We've had some difficulties because we are a self-defense school not a traditional martial arts school," Cort said. "All of our training is hands on. We've had a lot of good feedback from some of the students who have been able to train with their parents. We've also got a pocket of students who train together in their small groups."

Rice isn't going to conduct online classes and remains adamant about allowing his grapplers to train at his gym. Rice says he is making his students follow proper sanitation guidelines by having them wear only freshly-cleaned gis and his staff is washing down the mats before and after each training session.

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"We used to wash the mats once a day but now we are doing it before and after each class," Rice said. "We are wiping down the handles every class and we are taking every precaution to ensure that people don't get sick."

Even as Rice attempts to take what he feels are the necessary precautions, the CDC states that coronavirus is spread when people are in close contact with each other (a distance of 6 feet or less) or inhale droplets from an infected person who either coughs, sneezes or talks. The CDC also points to studies that suggest people can be infected with the virus without showing symptoms.

Given how the sport of Jiu Jitsu requires combatants to be in constant contact with the other person, guidelines say the chance of acquiring coronavirus under those conditions becomes even greater. Gatherings of people could also lead to community spread, which the CDC states is occurring in every state.

For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate illness, such as fever, muscle pain and coughing that clears up in two to three weeks. In some cases, especially older adults and people with underlying medical conditions, it can cause more serious complications, such as pneumonia, and even death.

Rice BJJ student Chase Bootnjer, 27, who works as a personal trainer and membership coordinator at Sun Oaks Tennis & Fitness, believes Rice's gym has support despite the state's mandated stay-at-home orders.

"We know that the perceived threat level in the North State is very low and right now we have the spirit that wants to support our friend and coach," Bootnjer said. "I think (Tanner) is a fearless leader, a general and we support the guy."

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Despite ever-present warnings from local, state and national government officials, Bootnjer, a standout wrestler when attended Foothill High School, is hoping the community will understand and allow grapplers to continue their training at Rice BJJ.

"My challenge for people who have an issue with us is to come talk to us," Bootnjer said. "It's not like we are grunts who walk into a room and demand a workout. We sterilize the mats every day and we do everything we can to stay sanitized. At the end of the day, we are fighters and we are born and bred to push ourselves to get better every day."

Since the outbreak began this year, California has had more than 45,000 coronavirus cases and more than 1,800 deaths. The state Public Health Department recommends Californians stay home except for essential needs and activities and continue to practice social distancing.

Ethan Hanson started working for the Redding Record Searchlight after four years with the Los Angeles Daily News as a freelancer. His coverage includes working the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana, and writing about the St. Louis Rams' move to Los Angeles with the Ventura County Star. He began his career as a play-by-play broadcaster for LA Pierce College from 2011-2017. Follow him on Twitter at @EthanAHanson_RS.