BYU-Hawaii offers students the opportunity to learn the Japanese art of self-defense known as Aikido. The single-credit class is taught by Jared Pere, who has taught self-defense at BYUH for 10 years. Pere described Aikido as a martial art designed to take the energy of an aggressor’s attack and redirect it against them. “You can deal with them nicely or go hard on them and knock them down,” Pere explained. Nicole Zitto, a sophomore art major from Ka’a’awa who took his class, expressed how grateful she is to have learned the techniques Pere has taught her. Zitto said, “It doesn’t hurt to be prepared because you never know when bad stuff can happen. It can happen anywhere at any time and it could even be someone you know, so it doesn’t hurt to know how to defend yourself.” In a typical class, Pere will line the BYUH dance studio with floor mats and have students pair up to practice new techniques on one other. Most days are dedicated to learning how to escape being grabbed and bringing even the biggest attackers to their knees with a simple turn of the wrist. They also spend time learning how to throw an aggressor to the ground, safely roll out of danger’s way, and even survive a knife fight. Pere often tells his class the most important step in handling any confrontation is being able to stay calm and relaxed. “A lot of people think you have to come out kicking and punching to be effective, but that’s not necessarily true,” Pere said. “You actually think a lot clearer, you’re more accurate, and actually faster when you are relaxed. They have actually done studies in sports medicine and have found that to be true.” Pere continued, “We talk about ki or chi, [which is] your inner strength that comes from being in a relaxed state. We actually train on ways to strengthen your ki, because using that force is a lot more powerful than muscle.” Even though he teaches students how to fight, Pere said the first line of defense should always be to run away from any danger. Most of the techniques taught in Pere’s self-defense class rely very little on one’s physical, muscular strength, and instead utilize the control one has over themselves and their ki. Pere regularly says if a student is trying to muscle their partner into compliance, they are probably not doing the move correctly. Pere said he has been practicing various martial arts, including karate and judo, since before he was 10 years old. As he got older, he fell out of love with punching and kicking as a form of defense. Aikido proved to be just the fighting style he was looking for, as it is less focused on strikes and more focused on fluid movements. He and Aikido were first introduced about 20 years ago when he went to Aikido club with a friend one night. “The teacher who was there was like 70, and at his age he was still throwing people around and throwing me around. I thought, ‘I wanted to be like that when I got to that age,’” Pere recalled. After four years of practice, Pere’s teacher recommended he try and earn the rank of black belt. “I didn’t want to become a black belt because I just wanted to stay a student. Once I became a black belt, they would want me to assist and teach, and I still felt like I had too much to learn,” Pere remembered. He resisted for two years, but he was eventually coaxed into going after the rank by his teacher. To become a black belt in Aikido, a student must have practiced for a specific amount of time, know several specific techniques, and be able to defend themselves from three attackers at once, said Pere. Upon earning the rank, Pere began to help teach classes and served as a “crash dummy” for students to throw around and practice on. Shortly after earning his rank, his teacher decided to leave the class in his hands, and he has been teaching the BYUH self-defense class ever since. Pere said the most rewarding teaching moments are when he sees the “aha moment when students get it and gain confidence in themselves and the technique.” Pere explained one of his goals for the class is to “have everyone be able to walk out of one semester being able to do something if they’re ever caught in a crunch.” For many students, the knowledge they gain in his class can mean the difference between getting hurt and getting home safe. For Cyra Olsen, a sophomore international cultural studies major from Idaho, it’s the joy that comes from being able to defend herself and not feel helpless when she’s in danger. “I feel more prepared. With the way the world is going right now, it’s good to know how to defend yourself,” Olsen explained.
Writer: Alex Maldonado
