Jiu-jitsu club continues to grapple

June 8, 2009 —

Who says television never inspired anyone to get off the couch?

“I want to try that,” was Ryan Foldie’s reaction to an Ultimate Fighting Challenge match that spurred his interest in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Fast forward to fall 2008 when the graduate student assembled a crew of other grapplers to learn and train every week in the Ryder Center.

Now the most dedicated of the bunch continue to hit the mats throughout the summer months, inviting those students who spot their posters in campus hallways to stop in and check out the club.

Jiu-jitsu experts? Maybe not yet. But with members who study the sport and teach each other, the atmosphere on Wednesday nights in the Ryder dance studio fosters growth in knowledge and physical fitness.

“Everyone brings something to the table,” Foldie said.

Competitors in the martial art engage in grappling and ground fighting, where chokeholds and jointlocks replace kicks and punches.

“It’s different because it’s both aerobic and anaerobic,” Foldie said. “Your heart’s pumping while you’re using a lot of different muscles.”

After coming to SVSU to complete his master’s in communication and digital media, Foldie began taking classes at the Seung-Ni martial arts studio, where he still receives private lessons. Other members do the same, grabbing martial arts experience at schools around the community.

Some come with high school wrestling backgrounds, others with an interest in UFC. Some poke their heads in the door after completing a west coast swing dancing class when curiosity gets the best of them. But they all end up refining new skills and sweating buckets as they work together.

“I think everyone enjoys the workout aspect,” Foldie said.

“Everyone” includes female competitors such as Jennifer Strandbergh. The occupational therapy and health science graduate student took to the mat with her roommate last fall on a whim to try something new.

As the only female who consistently shows up during the summer, Strandbergh is not one to shy away from taking on male competitors. When it comes to beating up the guys, “It’s a perk,” she jokes. “But really, we’ll go full force and let each other know if we need to stop. We’re there to learn.”

For Strandbergh, learning self defense is a definite bonus.

“If someone traps you in a weird position, you learn how to get out or submit them,” she said.

The sport requires a fair balance of mental and physical power, she added. “You can be really strong, but if you press or move a certain way, [a weaker competitor] can win.”

Strandbergh says she is not yet at a level where she can compete at tournaments, but other members of the team keep their eyes open for just such opportunities.

Once the group acquires new mats, hosting a tournament on campus is the goal, Foldie said. Members partner with the wrestling and judo clubs to collect dues and raise money for the new equipment.

A monthly boot camp-style training session may help the Brazilian jiujitsu club raise enough funds for the purchase. The session would involve fitness training to aid martial arts and jiu-jitsu competitors, as well as the average gym fanatic who wants to get or stay in shape.

“Even if you’re not in the club, you could donate $5 and join us,” Foldie said. Boot camp should begin in the fall and will hopefully attract new members, he added.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu club meets at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday nights in the Ryder Center dance studio.

Foldie looks to increase membership in the fall. “We’ve definitely got an idea of where we’re going.”