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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 1981)
page 12 daily nebraskan friday, april 17, 1981 Self-defense not only reason for studying karate By Cindy Gardner Last Thursday evening while most of the UNL campus was covered with sun bathing bodies, a somewhat different form of relaxation was taking place on the Coliseum stage. Nippon Shobukai, which translates into Japanese Martial Spirit As sociation, was having a karate tournament, and a large number of the participants vere women. According to karate instructor Richard Schmidt, about 60 women are enrolled in liis classes and, surprisingly, this number has not increased dramatically in recent years. "The number of women in the sport has been high ever since the karate credit classes started in 1973," Schmidt said. "The proportion has stayed pretty much the same. I'd say about one-third of my students are women." Schmidt said at least three of his women students deny that self-defense alone is the reason women become involved in the martial arts. "I don't do it for defense and I never really heard anyone say, 4I do this for protection," purple belt Mary Sutton said. Novelty of karate "For both men and women karate is a novel offering," Schmidt said. "Maybe the second reason for taking karate is self defense but I think it's more of a novelty." Tracy Beavers, a first semester white belt karate student, said it was a novelty that attracted her. "My sister told me that the work-outs were outrageous and they are incredible," she said. "Actually behind it all I think; everybody wants some self-defense." Tracy's younger sister, Debbie, first got involved in karate for the exercise;' - - ;i ' "I wanted some type of physical actiy- ity and I guee self-defense was part of it, too," she said. It was a male firend who first convinced Debbie. to try karate. 1 "He told me a bit about it and I began to see that it really involved more than exercise," she said. "It involves concen tration, grace, coordination and balance." Schmidt claims women in karate arc really nothing new. Bujutsu or martial arts are the real fighting arts of Japan," he explained. "These arts were designed for military purposes and there were women who studied the martial arts." Karate is what Schmidt considers a relatively new discipline or "way." Having been developed around 1921, Karate is an art that, according to Schmidt, women in Japan have the option to study today. Women learn faster According to Schmidt, women who do take up karate tend to catch on faster than their malt counterparts. "Generally females learn a little bit quicker in that they have better form when they start," Schmidt said. "Girls usually don't have any basic pre-conceptions about fighting, like boys learn in wrestl ing and boxing. It's kind of like compar ing a plastic ball and brick. You can mold the ball a little easier." Schmidt also noted women are more flexible than men and this is to their ad vantage. "The only drawback might be strength but even that's not really valid," Schmidt said. "Karate relies more on technique and speed of technique than on strength." Sutton agrees with Schmidt agrees with Schmidt that women might have a slight advantage, but says, "I've never been con sidered real flexible. Background and athletic ability can help in karate but they're really not necessary. It does, how ever, take a lot of determination." All three women and Schmidt feel that the reaction of the men in the karate classes to women participants has been good. Tracy and Debbie both said the men in their classes are very helpful, but Tracy added, "It can be scary to work out with them." Schmidt said the reaction to women in the classes is no problem at all. "In fact, we have one girl who's just a whirlwind," Schmidt added. "Sometimes she really baffles the guys." Sutton said she has met with varying reactions from men. "Some don't think twice about it, but others don't think it's right to let women participate," she said. Men stand-offish Debbie described men who aren't involved in karate as "being real stand offish when they find out I'm a blue belt." "As soon as they find out I'm in karate it's like Ooh, I'd better stay away from you, " she said. After becoming involved in karate for whatever reason, and learning to deal with the reactions of men, Schmidt feels the interest in the art of karate becomes deeper. "It becomes a life philosphy," he said. "The self-defense and novelty become secondary. It's not just another form of physical activity." Debbie, too, sees karate as a philosophy. "Both the physical and spiritual aspects are important to me. I love what I've learned in both," she said. llMUWC AT r ft Sports journalism loses men and gains people While was leafing through last Friday's Daily Ne braskan, my eye fell upon a story about the UNL Softball team. The story concerned a game in the Husker Invita tional, which Nebraska went on to win. This story was not just another softball story, thought. It may have been a SO sftrylier groundbreaker in sports journalism history. At least it caught me off guard. Where have I been these last few years? How out of touch am I? For you see, I did not know that the names of three positions have been changed in softball and, logically, baseball. Nobody told me that the infield consists of a third baseperson, shortstop, second baseperson and first base-person. This brings up a question. Are teams now managed by a personager, or is it a manageperson? I'd better modernize my way of thinking, and do it soon. This new method of identifying players may sweep to other sports as well. I don't want to be embarrassed if I write about the winner of next year's Outland Trophy. Now I know enough to write "it went to the finest down Uneperson in the nation." Speaking of Uneperson, Rich Glover was one of the best linepeople I ever saw. I mean, he would just go right through all those other linepeople and tackle the ball carrier. Hmm, or would it be linepersons. Try to bear with me; I'm still, new at this. A novice like me would not only make sportswriting errors, he would most likely commit social gaffes also. Picture the following conversation. I, a relative stranger, walk into an ASUN meeting. I speak to someone: "Hello. Are you the chairman?" "No. I'm the chairperson." "Oh ... are you neuter?" So as not to offend anyone, I had better stay in my room, listen to ball games, and. dream I'm a major league ballplayer, just like my idol, Stan "The Person" Musial. Random Shots: Who says faithful attendance isn't re warded? Lincoln gets next year's NCAA National Gymn astics Championships again, and may for quite awhile. Last week's quiz answer: Mickey Mantle is the all-time World Series RBI champion, with 40. The Mondellos won the intramural frisbee contest last week. They defeated Sigma Alpha Epsi lon in the finals, 8-0, To earn their way to the finals, the Mondellos defeated Cather 8, 13-1, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, 7-5, and Alpha Tau Omega, 19-5, The win was the second intramural championship for the Mondellos this season. Earlier, they won the football playoffs and placed second in basketball. Team members are Jay Rodenbug, Brad Zitek, Mike Neary, John Palm, Jim Beach, Bill Wedoll, Venny Brana and Mike Brocher, The UNL soccer club will compete in the Big Eight tournament at Manhattan, Kan., Saturday and Sunday, The Huskers will be up against all the con ference schools except Oklahoma, Last week, UNL earned a - tie against Kansas State, Nebraska may retain role as host for national gymnastics tournament By Cindy Gardner The Division I NCAA Gymnastics Championships will return to Lincoln again next year, meet director John Scheer announced Wednesday night, Scheer made the announcement at the annual Gymnastics Booster Club awards banquet that honored both the men's and women's gymnastics teams. According to Scheer, the NCAA Gymnastics Commit tee met Sunday through Wednesday in Chicago and voted to recommend Nebraska as the site of the 1982 champion ships, That recommendation still must be approved by the executive committee, "I wouldn't have announced it if I didn't feel it were already as good as gold," Scheer said of the recommenda tion Thursday,: "The executive committee wants it in Nebraska because it makes money here. They'll just rubber stamp it," Men's Coach Francis Allen agreed that Lincoln was the logical place to hold the championships. "We can have it here and make money," Allen said. We have the support here and we can perpetuate the gymnastics species so why not let us have it?" Scheer noted UCLA also made a formal bid to host the meet, but added that a collegiate gymnastics meet just wouldn't draw the crowds in Los Angeles. "At UCLA, the championships would probably get fourth page coverage in the Los Angeles Times. They wouldn't have nearly the press coverage and that would affect the crowds," he said. Allen said money also would be a problem for UCLA. "When UCLA hosted the USA Championships they lost a ton of money," according to Allen. "They only drew a crowd pf about 5,000." Since women's sports will become part of tne NCAA next year, there is a possibility the gymnastics champion ships may be combined. Scheer said this wouldn't happen next year. "The NCAA sent two people out to this year's meet to explore the ppssibility of combining the men and women," Scheer said. "Based on the feedback they re ceived they decided not to combine Division I next year but they will combine Division II gymnastics. I would imagine they'll watch that Division II meet pretty closely before they change their minds about Division I."