The Self-Defense Club hopes to change member’s lives by teaching self-awareness, self-confidence and self-protection, according to Thomas Satterfield, president of the self-defense club.
“Through repetition, members of the club learn how to protect and defend themselves, gain confidence and be aware of their surroundings,” Satterfield said.
The club uses Jukado, which combines the martial arts style of Judo, Karate and Aikido to teach students how to protect themselves in real-life situations.
The different styles of martial arts, allow members to be familiar with a variety of ways to take their opponent or attacker down.
Judo teaches students how to throw or takedown another opponent using grand-techniques. Karate employs punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes. Aikido teaches using the opponent or attacker’s momentum against them, according to Cody Cummins, vice president of the self-defense club.
Through the use of Jukado, the club hopes to prevent situations that include assault, rape or any violent or threating situation. Should the situation ever occur, the student, faculty or staff member knows how to properly defend him or herself, and have the confidence to defeat their opponent or attacker.
If a situation can be de-escalated by handing over what the attacker is after i.e., money, Satterfield said, to do that.
“We are taught that if an attack does happen, handle it in a civilized manner to avoid a fight. If not, we do the technique, protect ourselves and run,” Satterfield said.
Both Cummins and Satterfield are third kyu brown belts, but said that it took a lot of discipline and sacrifice to make it that far. They also added that anyone—young or old can join the club.
To join the club, Satterfield suggests that students, faculty or staff take the beginning self-defense class (PED 171) to get a feel of what the club will be like. If students show an expressed interest in the class and the discipline that ensues from the class, he said they can then take the promotion test.
All students who begin the class start out as white belts, once promoted they get a blue belt. From blue to green, green to brown and then finally brown to black are the colors of the belts when a member gets promoted.
“The idea is that through your intense training your clean white belt has become so dirty that it has turned black,” Satterfield said.
Both members have been active members of the club for three years, and said they appreciate the discipline, confidence and progression of the club because the lessons learned extend into all aspects of their lives.
“I have learned Ukemi, which is learning how to fall and being able to fall safely, it didn’t come easy, but I know how to do it now,” Cummins said. “But the best way to learn anything is for those who are interested to take the class and get involved! You can watch all the movies and listen to all the explanations about self-defense/karate that you want, but doing it for it for yourself is the only way to learn,” Cummins said.