Thursday, September 2, 2010
Bare feet, mouth guards and a fighter’s mentality — all are necessary for jiu-jitsu preparation. A martial art that focuses on grappling and ground fighting, this Brazilian sport takes a lot of hard work.
The jiu-jitsu class meets in the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center at 5 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Instructor Chris Clemmons said students who were thinking about coming to his classes should expect to be physically challenged.
“Expect that I am going to kick your ass physically,” Clemmons said. “A lot of guys can’t make it through the first practice when they come.”
Clemmons came to the University in 2008 from Manhattan, Kan. While in Manhattan, he practiced Jiu-Jitsu frequently and found that it had yet to be introduced to Lawrence. Clemmons and some friends decided they would be the ones to put together a club and two years later, Clemmons is the only founder remaining.
In 2008, the club had eight members during its first semester session. Now, Clemmons has at least 40 members attend each class. The first two classes are free. After that, it’s $75 for a semester, or $100 for a year.
Byron Davis, a junior from Philadelphia, considers the money well spent.
“One practice is all it took for me and I was hooked,” Davis said.
Clemmons does not consider his class to be a “typical martial arts class” with “going-through-the-motion drills.” Clemmons’ objective is to train people to defend themselves with jiu-jitsu, which he said was one of the most effective martial arts. Clemmons teaches techniques for knife disarming, gun disarming and numerous other submission and self-defense tactics.
The class has attracted students from all walks of life, from Jarde Nance, a mechanical engineering major and competitive mixed martial arts fighter, to Justin Petty, a former Marine. Petty, who is no stranger to tough training, said he would advise anyone who is interested to come.
“It’s a sport anyone can do,” said Petty, a junior from Wichita. “You get to let all your aggressions out and always leave in a good mood.”
Of the approximately 40 members in the class, three fight competitively in mixed martial arts. On Sept. 18 at the Ararat Shrine Temple in Kansas City, Mo., Nance, a junior from Trinity, N.C., will fight in the catch-weight division of 160 pounds, Alex Grandsalt, a sophomore from Derby, will fight in the 205-pound division and Cale Peterson, a senior from Chanute, will fight in the 155-pound division. The three KU members will square off against MMA fighters from Missouri.
When one member of the class fights, the rest of the class usually roots for their teammate. After a couple of practices, the group members take on more of a family feel toward each other. As for those who are worried about going in and getting injured, the worst participants have left with are a couple of jammed fingers and toes.
— An earlier version of this story stated that Chris Clemmons' last name was Horning. It is in fact, Clemmons.
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