Beyond black belts and boxing; martial arts today

JUNIOR JONNY ADDICKS O’TOOLE shows off his Jiu Jitsu moves on junior Justine Miller. “it’s like wresting,” he said.

Clare Tipler

JUNIOR JONNY ADDICKS O’TOOLE shows off his Jiu Jitsu moves on junior Justine Miller. “it’s like wresting,” he said.

Iya Abdulkarim, Feature Editor

Martial arts is a term encompassing the many different forms of self defense including karate, Krav maga and Jiu jitsu to name a few.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School students have participated in various forms of martial arts. Some forms of sport originated in China, but others including Korean, Japanese and Western martial arts have existed just as long and
were changed as they spread.

Junior Jonny Addicks O’Toole, who has been practicing Jiu Jitsu for the past year, said “it came from Japan, but the one that we are doing is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.” Other examples include Hebrew Krav Maga and the Korean practice of Taekwondo.

That whole idea that you always have to shout when you are doing martial arts […] there is actually a reason for that. It is supposed to be intimidation

— Sophomore Sabrina Rucker

The different forms are categorized as stand-up, ground fighting, takedown, weapon based or meditative styles. Each of these styles have particular moves, techniques and methods of self-defense along with unique distinguishing elements. In Karate and Taekwondo, artists train at different levels identified by the color of their belt. The training starts with a white belt, representing a beginning, and moves on to include green, blue, red and black. “I started when I was four, and went until I seven in Taekwondo, [when] I got a black belt,” sophomore Sabrina Rucker, a former martial artist, said.

Contrary to popular belief, receiving a black belt does not signify the end of martial arts training. There are further levels identified by stripes or marks on the belt, which allow for continual progress and improvement of the form. Other types of martial arts require proper attire and gear for class. “At the time, I just liked the uniforms, and you had to wear this funny gear,” sophomore Sophia Rose, who used to participate in Soo bahk do, said.

Similarly, Addicks O’Toole described Jiu Jitsu as like “wrestling, and you wear the gi—a gi is like a bathrobe.”

It helps you with both conditioning and fitness, but also confidence and meeting new people.

— Junior Jonny Addicks O'Toole

How different could martial arts forms be? Quite considerably, as made clear by the comparison of a kiai, or an energetic shout commonly associated with self defense. “That whole idea that you always have to shout when you are doing martial arts […] there is actually a reason for that. It is supposed to be intimidation,” Rucker said, in regards to taekwondo.

“We don’t actually have the shouts for the [form] that I do, because […] Jiu Jitsu is more like wrestling,”Addicks O’Toole said.

This style of learning is beneficial to overall health and life lessons; “It is important to be prepared,” Rucker said.

In addition, “It helps you with both conditioning and fitness, but also confidence and meeting new people,” Addicks O’Toole said.

Martial arts not only helps students physically, it helps students progress socially and emotionally.