Courtesy of Karate Club
Courtesy of Karate Club

I admit I know little of karate. Thinking of people in white uniforms and black belts, I was introduced to Narine Karapetyan, Karate Club president and third-year neuroscience major, and Kevin Gomez, a Karate Club member and fourth-year economics and political science double-major. As I examine the logo on the Narine’s jacket, two words catch my attention: “Karate Club.”

Karate began on the island of Okinawa. All weapons, including swords, were banned throughout the island. Since the inhabitants did not have any weapons, they secretly trained in empty-hand techniques to defend themselves. These techniques would later become known as karate.

The UCR club began around the 1960s when the physical education department had its own karate program under instructor Ray Dalke, who was certified by the Japanese Karate Association and shared his lessons with the community. In the early 2000s, it ended due to low funding. However, in 2012, the Karate Club became a student-run organization taught by an NKF (National Karate Association) certified instructor.

During practice, the club performs kihon (basic punch and kick), kata (forms) and kumite (sparring). They must first learn the kihon before moving on to kata and kumite. “If you don’t have any concentration, it looks terrible and obvious,” emphasized Narine. “Anybody can kick and punch, but you need enough concentration to control yourself.”

The members are ranked based on the kyu system, which includes 10 tiers and belts. It begins with the rankings of 10th-kyu yellow belt and ends with the first-kyu brown belt and black stripe. The students must be able to perform kihon, kata and kumite at their respective levels. Students earn the black belt by testing through the dan (degree) examination, which tests to see if they have physically and mentally mastered all their techniques and concentration. During the two-hour long examination, the examiner selects which kata, kihon and kumite that the student must perform.

The club’s basic rules are included in the dojo-kun: “To be sincere and honest, to have a strong spirit, to respect others and to refrain from violent behavior.” Narine stated, “It really describes our whole purpose of doing karate. It’s about learning skills to protect yourself and not bully others.”

Improving camaraderie among UCR students and sharing the karate world with UCR are the goals of the Karate Club. The karate club of UCR does not “have our own dojo, parents volunteering or resources that bigger organizations have. But we represent UCR and the love we have for karate,” Narine passionately explained.

Their biggest fundraiser is their own UCR Highlander Karate Cup in spring quarter. Admission is open to everyone, including students and staff. The tournament is divided into three sections: kobudo (weapons), kata and kumite. Teams and individual students compete against one another and are judged by black belt senseis.

This hardworking team puts their skills to the test by competing in tournaments such as the Ozawa Tournament. In preparation, they have practices based on the tournament’s format. Narine excitedly stated, “The best part about competing is when you’re not thinking about what’s going on around you. You concentrate on your moves and your breathing.”

The peak of their accomplishments was second place in a collegiate tournament last year, despite competing against five colleges. Narine happily explained, “It was very satisfying. We’ve been competing with those schools for quite awhile.” Additionally, the Karate Club members have achieved their own individual goals. Kevin said, “They can handle responsibilities and have improved.”

The club members have also benefitted from their practices and competitions. Karate has allowed Kevin to push himself over the limit. The club wants their members to not only improve their skills to their best potential but also have fun.

Whether it’s getting fit, de-stressing, teaching self-defense or just learning about karate, the club hopes to help members achieve those goals. Narine relates, “Our members are special. We encourage them in anything they need.” Even when they lose a tournament, the team does their best to help their members. They advise each other on what can be improved.

The most special tournaments for Narine were last year’s Las Vegas tournaments: Ozawa, and the U.S. Open, the biggest tournament. Narine switched between tournaments to watch everyone. The members grouped up to support their seniors, who were competing in a high-level division and placed. She stated, “This was special because it was one of the many times where our members came together and supported each other, which we encourage.”

For Narine and Kevin, karate is an activity that they want to continue. Narine said, “Practically my whole world revolves around karate.” Narine is trying to find graduate schools with karate programs, adding that  has worked hard for her belt, and does not want her karate journey to end. Narine and Kevin both hope that the club will expand in members and keep standards from the dojo-kun.