Entangled in sweat and limbs, students from PUC wrestled and grappled each other at the first meeting of Purdue's new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club on Dec. 5.
According to Patrick Fritza, jiu-jitsu is a grappling martial art involving two people using their skills and knowledge to try to outwork and outclass the other person. The techniques in jiu-jitsu involve applying joint locks to render one's opponent unable to move. He compared jiu-jitsu to a chess game, requiring individuals to plan for positions three moves ahead.
Fritza, president of the club and freshman at PUC, said he loves Brazilian jiu-jitsu and started the club to share it with other students. Fritza has competed in competitions both locally and regionally, including Milwaukee and Indianapolis.
According to John Bojczuk, vice president of the club and a PUC freshman, 23 students have currently signed up for the club; four of them attended the first meeting.
Prior to forming the club, Fritza discussed with students on campus what they thought about the prospective club.
Fritza said not many students know about jiu-jitsu, but the club provides a venue for students to learn useful techniques for self-defense and to relieve stress.
"You really must see it, feel it and do it to understand its beauty," Fritza said.
At one point during the meeting, the students performed a warm-up exercise called shrimping, where they used their elbows and legs to propel themselves across the floor. Fritza later had the students practice techniques incorporating the motions used in shrimping.
Alex Kazmierczak, a freshman majoring in business, noted the club provides students an opportunity to learn self-discipline and to pursue physical fitness.
Kazmierczak shared that he trained in jiu-jitsu for three months before other commitments took him away from training. He said he joined the club in order to restart his training.
The club meets Saturdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Corral's Martial Arts. The studio is located at 820 Cedar Parkway in Schererville, IN, adjacent to U.S. Route 30.
Braulio Corral, the owner of Corral's Martial Arts, said that besides providing an outlet for relieving stress, the club also offers students an opportunity to compete.
The studio created student clubs at PUC, Purdue North Central, IUN and Valparaiso University. Corral said each of the clubs started at the same time so the students may train and develop their skills at the same pace.
Corral said the clubs plan to host intercollegiate competitions for students who are interested in pursuing jiu-jitsu. These clubs will expose students to competitions and prepare them for those competitions, Corral said.
Even though the club is free, Fritza encourages members to purchase a gi for around $60.
The club's demographic is mostly males between the ages of 18 and 22. Despite the demographic, Fritza added that there is no age limit and women are welcome to join.
"Anyone can do it, and it's never too late to start," Fritza said. "Even if you are looking to just have fun, it's a great time for all."
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