Martial Arts at HSU

Not Your Average Workout

Many HSU students may find themselves in a rut these days. The football season is over and the rainy season is in full force, so many people may be listless. The quickest way to get that pep back in your step at HSU is to enroll in a martial arts class. These opportunities include classes in Hwa Rang Do, Capoeira, Aikido, Karate, and Tai Chi.

The most well-known classes in martial arts are taught by HSU Professor Daniel Perez. He teaches basic self-defense, grappling, and Hwa Rang Do.

Daniel Perez (center), an HSU martial arts instructor, teaches David Dennis and Eiko Mitani techniques in Hwa Rang Do.

His self-defense class is a beginner's course for anyone who wants to be able to handle his or her attacker swiftly. Like each of the three classes, it starts with a 10-minute routine of stretches and falling practice. After the repetition of falls most people would be tired enough to call it a day. Back, sideways and forward falls take a toll on the body, but this is just a warm-up.

The first few lessons cover stances, punches, kicks and blocks, but soon Perez has students completing complex routines in sparring pairs. By the third week, a student can block a right punch to the face, come back with a right-hand palm strike, blow out an opponent's left knee, use the blocking left arm for an elbow strike, grab the opponent and slam them into the left knee, and then finish the attacker with a hearty right elbow to the back of the neck.

Although Perez teaches the class complex techniques, he just wants them to get a feel for the flowing movements of the Hwa Rang Do art form upon which all three classes are based. He lets the student know that the fight may be over as soon as the knee is kicked, but it is important to know all the right movements in case the opponent is unusually tough and determined.

"It's a great workout and it gives us a lot of skills that we hope we're not going to need," said John Jaramillo, a student in the self-defense class.

Perez also teaches grappling. While still based on Hwa Rang Do, this class deals mostly with ground fighting, a very important part of defending oneself, since most street fights end up on the ground. By the end every student is sucking wind, although some chose to end their "laps" sooner than others.

Students then pair off to practice sparring. Unlike the self-defense class, where sparring takes place standing up, the partners take turns assuming the dominant attacker on top and the defendant on the bottom.

Perez also teaches Hwa Rang Do, which is the most advanced class. It specializes in standing and sparring, although there are some ground-fighting techniques taught. Here the students learn many blocks and counterattacks, plus long attacking routines like in the self-defense class. Such strikes are learned as the bear claw, tiger claw, uppercut and head butt. Also, many blocks must be learned to counter the myriad of attacks learned, such as top, down, inside, outside and mantis blocks.

Many students from this class go on to study with Perez at the Hwa Rang Do Academy in Sunnybrae, where he teaches and helps people earn their belts. After completing the class at HSU, students are ready to earn their white belts, having learned the first dance-like technique.

There are other classes at HSU for people who are not interested in Hwa Rang Do, including Aikido and Tai Chi through Center Activities.

There is also a relatively new art form compared to most martial arts. It was created by slaves in Brazil and disguised as a ritual and art form in the late 1700s. The slaves would form large circles known as Hodas and dance, clap, sing and play all-natural instruments such as the berimbau, composed of a bow-shaped stick, a gourd for resonance and a taut wire (back then, pig intestine was the wire). A rock and a small stick are used with the berimbau to make a primal twanging that is somewhat similar to a sitar. While the people on the outside sing, two people in the center "play" capoeira. Practicing the art of capoeira is not referred to as fighting because they do not intend to strike each other.

Danny Pineda, a 24-year-old interdisciplinary major and longtime member of the club, said, "Capoeira combines martial arts, dance, music, acrobatics and trickery to elevate the physical and mental state of the capoeirista. Capoeira is a ritual that a lot of people find very spiritual due to its rich history as a way to free oneself from any type of oppression."

According to Pineda, the practitioners of Capoeira, or Capoeiristas, became such powerful fighters that the nation of Brazil outlawed its practice and attempted to hunt down and expatriate all Capoeiristas. The Brazilian government could not hold down this powerful movement, and eventually the Capoeiristas were heroes in Brazil. It became similar to a national religion, practiced in schools, clubs and the military. It has also reached tremendous popularity throughout the world.

The capoeira club meets Wednesday and Friday at from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is open to anyone. All members enjoy the meetings and try to practice whenever possible. The meetings start with a 30-minute stretch workout that would leave most people winded, so be ready!

If you want to develop the body and mind connection, there are many opportunities here at Humboldt State University. There would be no drawbacks to joining any of these programs, and it might be one of the best decisions you've ever made.