By Julia Konesky | Reporter
Of the many clubs Baylor has to offer, Aikijujutsu Club is the only one of its kind. This modern Japanese, comprehensive martial art focuses on blending an opponent’s energy and redirecting it with fluid, graceful movements, turning conflict into harmony.
Sensei Glen Pack and Sensei Pat Saiz founded the club in 1993 and have since made a combined total of 18 trips to Japan to study under Sensei Minoru Mochizuki, the father of Japanese martial arts in Europe, and Sensei Terumi Washizu, the founder of Gyokushin Ryu Aikijujutsu.
Aikijujutsu is based on the ancient fighting techniques of the samurai warriors, making it more combat oriented.
“Some styles go into a position for technique, like a joint lock, but they don’t apply it,” Pack said. “Our policy is, if you don’t apply it, you don’t know whether it works or not.”
When practicing this art, real pressure and force is used when attacking the opponent. When the pain gets to be too much, an opponent can tap out, Pack said.
The main technique that distinguishes Aikijujutsu from other martial arts styles is sutemi-waza or “sacrifice.”
“It’s the idea that you’re sacrificing your standing position in order to throw the person.” Pack said. “Don’t play the other person’s game.”
The concept of retaliation is unheard of in Aikijujutsu, Saiz said. It seems the correct mindset to be in is a calm and collected flow state while analyzing the opponent and using angles of the human body to your advantage.
“We don’t compete with each other, we don’t have competitions, but we compete with ourselves,” Saiz said. “I want to do better. I want to improve myself. It’s that path of self-development through the art.”
Learning self defense, if not for fun, can be a healing journey with your inner self, Saiz said. Aikijujutsu teaches discipline, respect and will cause you to take a humbling look in the mirror.
Pack and Saiz said they are available to give self defense talks to any group or organization that would like to learn how to be prepared, keep yourself safe and have fun.
Baylor Aikijujutsu Club meets at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 12 p.m. on Saturdays in Marrs McLean Gymnasium room 317. Their practices are open to the public.
Aikijujutsu Club will be at Harumatsuri, the Japanese Student Association’s spring festival later in the semester.
