Dignity, respect and self-defense are three things you may not be used to getting college credit for but have been made possible through one particular group.
The CSUB Judo Club is the oldest continuing student organization on campus, predating even the formation of the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) program.
"It's a wonderful club to get involved in," said senior Sarah Thomas. "Not only do you get credit for doing something you love (our main practice time comes during the class sessions), but you also get to meet some of the best people… I have made a lot of good friends in that club throughout the years that I've been there. There is also the benefit that judo can be a great way to stay in shape too. And to top it all off, you get to know Dr. (Michael) Flachmann, a wonderful man who truly has a heart for the students of CSUB and shows it constantly in his actions."
Flachmann, a CSUB English professor, started the club in 1972 when he first came here with a new doctorate from the University of Chicago. "I had recently been promoted to first degree black belt by my original sensei (teacher), Mr. Bong Yul Shin, in St. Louis, Missouri," he explained.
"The belt ranks vary somewhat from school to school, but they are basically white belt, green belt, three grades of brown belt, and 10 grades of black belt. First-degree black belt is the beginning of the black belt ranks and means that a person is qualified to teach others the sport. I've steadily improved in rank since I've been at CSUB and was promoted (recently) to fifth degree black belt during ceremonies in Visalia."
The experience has been rewarding for Thomas. "I started my college years figuring that I would just go to school, do my classes and go home," the psychology major explained. "I wasn't planning on getting involved with the Judo Club, in fact, when I found out that being part of the class I was part of the club I was worried. How much time would they expect me to give up? But, I found myself getting involved when I could to help at the club fairs, put up the club board, go to competitions, and along the way I found that I wasn't 'giving up' anything. In fact, I was gaining. I was gaining friends, skills, networking, having fun, and building up a good social life. Being involved created good opportunities that I would have missed out on otherwise. Now, some of my best memories of college are of those times that I spent with the club and the people in it."
The Judo Club is actually a three-fold operation, Flachmann detailed. First of all, "we offer two courses in judo and self-defense each quarter, which we have done since 1972. These classes are given through the CSUB Physical Education department and have generated literally millions of dollars over the years to the university through full-time equivalent student fees. None of the instructors, including myself, have ever been paid for teaching judo on campus. We are all volunteer instructors. So the class is a win-win situation for everyone, our students get college credit and first-rate judo and self-defense instruction from many different local black belts, and the university benefits by hosting classes in which the instructors are all volunteers," he said.
The judo and self-defense classes generate two units of Physical Education credit for the students, who "learn proper falling techniques, many different throws and mat holds, choking techniques, arm locks, judo tradition and ceremony, respect for other cultures, and a smattering of Japanese words and phrases, " Flachmann stated. "Students also learn to carry themselves with confidence, to treat everyone with dignity and respect, and to be able to defend themselves if they are ever attacked," he added.
For more information on the classes or to join the Judo Club contact Flachmann at (661) 654-2121 or mflachmann@csub.edu or log onto http://www.csubak.edu/Judo/.