Growing affection for martial arts Growing affection for martial arts (August 12, 2005)

Men, women and children stay focused and fit with judo, jujitsu

By Katie Vaughn

Shortly after 4 p.m. on a recent Friday, a group of seven boys and one girl clad in stiff white karate uniforms assembled on colorful mats at West Coast World Martial Arts on Rengstorff Avenue. Amid plenty of laughter, a bit of horseplay and some high-fives, the students learned a new move, the "bump and roll" technique, used to knock a bully up and off of their tackled bodies. It was a practical lesson for the students -- who ranged in age from 5 to 8 years old -- said master instructor and owner Gary Nakahama.

"It's the typical playground tactic," he said of knocking an opponent down and sitting on their chest.

Two-and-a-half hours later, a similar scene unfolded in a very different setting. On El Camino Real at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu studio, a school renowned as one of the toughest in the world and famous for producing Ultimate Fighting Championship contenders, a group of athletic 20- and 30-something men broke into pairs to practice the Brazilian martial art form that involves wrestling-like movements on the ground. After anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes of intense maneuvering and positioning, the men would separate to catch their breath.

"The grappling and wrestling is very intense," said Steven Fox, a Tracy resident who trains at Gracie. "If you don't like it, it's a big toll on the body."

While these two schools represent extremes in the spectrum of martial arts, similar scenes in countless levels and forms take place daily across the country. Martial arts training has become ubiquitous, and Mountain View is no exception. A glimpse in the phone book's yellow pages reveals 25 schools, and a Google search brings up nearly a dozen options.

Of course, not all forms of martial arts are alike or even easily comparable. Styles and schools vary in origin, philosophy and form, among a wide variety of other criteria. Yet, in general, practicing any form of martial arts offers certain benefits.

Many people begin martial arts training as a mode of exercise, and enjoy the muscle tone, weight loss and other health benefits that commonly come with any regular physical activity. But some exercisers desire more in their workouts than simply plugging away at a treadmill. They want to engage their minds in addition to their bodies, and find that practicing martial arts teaches them focus, control and discipline.

"Martial arts is a whole system of self defense and physical fitness, and that makes it a complete package," Nakahama said.

A commonly sought-after byproduct of exercise is stress reduction. And Ralph Gracie, a professional fighter and owner of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu school, said martial arts is especially effective at alleviating tension due to the intensity and concentration required to practice it.

"People need a place to take their stress out," Gracie said. "This is an excellent way to get out your stress, to take out your problems."

Naturally, some seek out martial arts to learn how to defend themselves. Ben Pegis, the owner and instructor of the United Studios of Self Defense on Miramonte Avenue, said he's noticed a trend in women's participation in martial arts. When a news story about a woman being attacked becomes prominent, female enrollment at his school tends to increase. Even without such scares, according to Pegis and other instructors, women and girls regularly occupy significant portions of their classes.

Oftentimes, parents urge their children to learn martial arts as a way to protect themselves. When 8-year-old Ashley Rose Mufich -- the lone girl in West Coast World Martial Arts' Friday afternoon class -- expressed her desire to practice self defense, her parents welcomed the idea.

"It's good to know that if she ever needed to, she could defend herself," mother Laura Rose said.

And Ashley isn't alone in wanting to take martial arts classes. The activity is popular among children, perhaps due in part to well-known television programs such as the Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers. But while kids may be enthusiastic, some parents are apprehensive, fearing the classes will make their children violent. Pegis said this notion is a huge misconception.

"Many people think it's teaching kids to fight, but it's teaching kids not to fight," he said.

Pegis, who has been practicing martial arts for over 40 years, spent several decades working as a police detective in San Mateo. During that time, he was only involved in five major altercations, and all out of necessity, he said.

Anne Lum said her two sons -- 6-year-old Evan and 10-year-old Grant, who will compete for his black belt in November -- have each been training at West Coast World Martial Arts since the age of five and have never used their knowledge of self defense inappropriately.

"They've never acted up in school with it," Lum said. "They keep it here and don't mess around with it at home."

What Lum has noticed is additional confidence and discipline in her boys. Rose has seen similar traits in her daughter.

"She's able to focus a lot more," Rose said. "She's more confident and has more self-esteem."

But when asked, a child will likely say he or she practices martial arts for the fun it provides. Ashley likes kicking and breaking boards with her fist and feet, while Grant Lum enjoys learning new forms and movements. Meanwhile, his younger brother's favorite part of learning self defense is the sparring he gets to do with his fellow students.

Even children with disabilities can participate in martial arts, said Pegis, who teaches classes for special-needs students.

Essentially, many instructors say, anyone with an interest in martial arts can practice it, regardless of age, sex, experience or ability. They recommend sitting in on a few sessions and taking introductory classes where they are offered. In most schools, the amount of competing one does is open to personal discretion, so a student can make competition a primary component of his or her training or focus more on personal growth.

Furthermore, Pegis said, martial arts need not be the defining aspect of one's life. Rather, for most people it simply enhances the rest of their lives.

"They go about their regular routine with less stress and feeling good about themselves," Pegis said. "It gives the extra confidence needed to get through life. And you don't need a black belt to get that."

E-mail Katie Vaughn at kvaughn@mv-voice.com

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