LIFESTYLE: Martial Artists

For many students, martial arts is less a meansFor many students, martial arts is less a meansof self-defense than a search for balance within the self. They began with meditation. Then, in two straight lines, they simultaneously sliced the air with their powerful kicks. Thirteen strong voices counted aloud in Japanese, accenting the movement of their legs. But the Ryukyu Kempo Club had just warmed up. As part of the large network of martial arts organizations, their class was designed to teach students methods of self defense. The Ryukyu Kempo Club was founded by former University student Chas Terry, who has a black belt in three different styles of karate. His sister, Drexel University graduate Linda Terry, is a very enthusiastic club member who joined last October. Linda Terry was involved in a different style of karate 16 years ago and quit after gaining her green belt. She only became interested in the martial arts again after attending a seminar called "Weekend With the Masters," last October. "I had learned more in seven hours than I had in my whole entire life," she said. Terry's motivation to start studying Kempo stems from its emphasis on the attitude and spirit in the art -- in addition to the skills themselves. "I don't know how many styles [of martial arts] break down even the most simple initial techniques," she said. Terry said she attempts to focus on the uniqueness of Ryukyu Kempo. She added that Kempo's primary objective lies in the pressure point theory. "Pressure points are very effective," she said. "There are three levels -- they can create distraction or pain, knock someone out or least desirable of all, kill." Terry said that pressure points lie where the nerves cross, meet and end -- like the tips of fingers. "The ways to activate these pressure points are by rubbing, touching, and striking," she added. She emphasized that martial arts do not teach students how to kill. She said they are mainly for self-defense, and killing is in no way part of the teaching. "It's just to defend yourself," Terry said. "You never, never, never want to kill. The major philosophy is self-defense -- quick and effective -- and the goal is not to kill. "Karate is strictly self-defense. Anything else is a bad attitude," she added. "The main point is to get the offender out of commission so you can run. You want to do the very least while being effective." The ranking system of belt color for Kempo is similar to the system for other forms of karate. The order -- from least experience to most -- is white, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, and then black, Terry said. "If you practiced and worked very hard it's possible to get a first degree black belt in three and a half years," she said. "It all depends on how hard you are willing to work." People should be careful not to put too much faith into the ranking system, though, she said. It is simply a means to measure progress, and a black belt does not necessarily indicate proficiency. "It's sort of like competing with yourself -- a sign of what you have accomplished," Terry said. "Being a black belt does not mean you are an expert. It just means you have a solid foundation and understanding." The Ryukyu Kempo Club does not believe in all work and no play, though. Terry said it is like a family, and the students always hang out on weekends. "Actually most of the people I go to the movies with and do stuff with are from the club," she said. Wharton and Engineering senior Vandit Kalia is a board member of the club who was inspired to study martial arts by his father. "My dad is a black belt in Judo, and he thought it would be a good thing for me to do," Kalia said. "[But] Judo has more to do with grappling and throwing, while karate has a more kicking and punching emphasis." Kalia said his interest lies with the mental benefits of Kempo as well as the obvious physical benefits. "It calms you down and clears your mind which helps in everyday life," he said. "It's a good way to stay healthy." Martial arts originated in China and were brought to Japan in the Okinawan Islands where they were further developed, Kalia explained. This modified and simplified version of Kempo is known as karate. It is less lethal. Kalia added that karate is more sports-oriented than self-defense oriented. "We are teaching the original form-the stuff that hasn't been taught is what we do," he said. According to Club President Jeff Sparkman, Ryukyu Kempo is an Okinawan style of karate which is based on the use of nerve strikes for effective self-defense. "What most styles teach to be an obvious block or punch assumes a whole new meaning in light of pressure point strikes," he said. Sparkman also highlighted the social aspects of the club. "We have pizza and karate movie nights, martial arts rap sessions, attend seminars together, or just hang out together," he said. College sophomore Andrew Simonian said he joined the club for self-defense purposes and has been involved in Ryukyu Kempo since his freshman year. "I always wanted to do it, and I never had the chance before," Simonian said. "I knew I'd be able to continue for a long time." He added that Ryukyu Kempo is actually the predecessor to karate, which was invented so that it could be passed on to Westerners without revealing any of the art's secrets. Wharton sophomore Justin Faust is another member of the Ryukyu Kempo Club who started when he came to the University. "I wanted to take some sort of self-defense," Faust said. "I just went to two classes, and I became interested." He added that he usually practices four times a week for one to two hours -- which includes a hard workout and some calisthenics techniques. A typical beginner's Kempo class usually begins with a short meditation session followed ten minutes is devoted of stretching. Much of the rest of the hour is spent doing a series of kicks, punches and blocks. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, there are also several self-defense demonstrations. For example, a common attack consists of being grabbed by the lapel. The best way out of this predicament is to bend the attacker's thumb backward. This technique exemplifies the simplicity and effectiveness of Kempo. One of the instructors, Engineering senior Avinash Parashar, only began studying martial arts when he was in high school. "I wanted to learn how to fight, and I thought it sounded cool," he said. "I did Tae Kwon Do in high school and wanted to try a different style when I came here." The Tae Kwon Do Club is another popular outlet for martial arts fanatics. Felice Macera is a first degree black belt who has been instructing the University Tae Kwon Do Club for nine months. He said it took him eight months to reach his present level. He added that the main attraction for him lies in the mental aspect of Tae Kwon Do. "Traditionally the martial arts began as a conservative art form," he said. "It became more of a mental condition than a physical condition. Our club does more mental conditioning." He said his class usually meets five days a week for about one to two hour s in Houston Hall. Engineering junior Alex Miller, who is another Tae Kwon Do instructor, said his group has been very successful in competition. "[The Tae Kwon Do Club] is currently ranked second in the Northeast despite the fact that all the other schools have instructors that are paid to teach the clubs and ours is entirely student run," he said, adding that he views Tae Kwon Do as mainly a competition sport.