David Beasley, The Clackamas Print
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Volume 45, Issue 24
Sports
The CCC fall schedule, which was just released a few weeks ago, includes a plethora of one-credit physical education courses. What better way to start the day or refresh between classes than a good workout? Students looking for a little more than just a workout can tread the warrior's path by enrolling in CCC's various martial arts programs.
There are many reasons to walk the warrior's path at Clackamas. Students can reap the benefits and experience success throughout their college career and life. With the Olympics coming up this summer, a very relevant success story is one of CCC's own successful Olympians.
Wrestling and mixed martial arts stand-out Matt Lindland is among the most decorated competitors to have trained in combat at Clackamas. He won an Olympic Silver Medal in Greco-Roman wrestling in 2000, he was the national wrestling champion in his weight class for Clackamas in 1991 and he has a professional MMA career of 22 wins and 9 losses.
"I grew up in Oregon City," said Lindland. "I knew Clackamas had a strong wrestling program and I wasn't recruited to a Division-I wrestling school so CCC was the answer to achieving that goal. Getting my two associates degrees helped me move on and winning nationals helped me gain recognition from major universities.
Lindland moved on to University of Nebraska after Clackamas, and nine years after his national championship for the Cougars, he was a part of starting Team Quest, a mixed martial arts gym that had just wrestling at first, but added other forms as it grew.
"We now offer a lot of classes," said Lindland. "I'm really proud of our younger kids programs, Tough Tots & Tykes, and we have a big teen program lately. There's about 40, same with the kids program."
The wrestling team placed fourth in the country at NJCAA national championships this year and the coaches have helped many students succeed competitively in wrestling and mixed martial arts.
"We have wrestlers that are members of Team Quest," said Clackamas head coach Josh Rhoden. "Two-time regional champion and two-time All-American Tarrence Williams, freshman Jacob Mitchell is an amateur competitor, sophomore Jake Morris competed in wrestling with us for two years and he trains at Tualatin Team Quest ... because of Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami [guest coaches and local professional UFC competitors/ wrestlers], lots of wrestlers come to CCC."
The wrestling program is by far the largest athletic program at CCC and is the only official martial arts team on campus. Rhoden also teaches a class that's open to all CCC students called wrestling conditioning, but there are more choices when it comes to classes that teach students how to defend themselves from unscrupulous fiends in dark alley ways. Other one credit courses through CCC are self defense, karate, kung-fu, aikido, and tai chi.
"I started teaching tai chi on campus four years ago then three years ago kung fu and additional tai chi off campus at Eastham," said Nick Hancock, resident tai chi and kung fu instructor. "Over half of our class are returning students. The physical fitness and peace of mind that comes with practicing arts like tai chi and kung fu — getting the time to clear your mind between studies is beneficial to academics."
Robin Robinson started teaching karate and self-defense classes at the college in 1993.
"There was already karate and self defense classes established on campus and when there were openings I was able to fill them because I was a black belt in two systems, kung fu and zazente," said Robinson. "We usually have a mix of returning students and new students in class. I would say 70 percent of students who take the class take it a second or third time. It's a cheap way to do it. Most private martial arts schools charge over $100 per month. Ours is $78 for three months."
On campus isn't the only place that credit can be earned for martial arts courses through Clackamas. Aikido Northwest, in Milwaukie, offers the opportunity to earn a PE credit as well.
"I contacted the college about six years ago to ask if they wanted to have aikido on campus; they said they'd like to have an off campus class," said Craig Fife, aikido instructor at Aikido North West. "Aikido teaches an underlying philosophy that is more valuable to a person than self-defense skills. The philosophy helps develop an awareness of how to learn and focus which all college students need. Taking a martial arts class will help students find motivation."
With so many opportunities to grow as a martial artist and a college student, it is likely that future students will continue to benefit from the programs in professional success or indirectly through philosophy and way of life. There are many opportunities to learn martial arts without the college credit as well. The CCC schedule of classes has a community schools section which features various martial arts classes that are all worth investigating. Many even offer a free first lesson.
