By If you want to learn how to correctly use a katana, turn your body into a weapon or hit a bull’s-eye from a great distance then California State University, Long Beach has you covered.
CSULB offers a wide range of club sports and physical recreational activities from the mainstream to the obscure. You can join the club soccer team, or become a part of the Shotokan Karate club.
With over 300 student run organizations on campus, some of them are bound to be out of the ordinary – and that includes sports.
Here are five of the most unique and interesting sports clubs you can join today at CSULB.
Kendo
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Two students demonstrate some Kendo techniques on CSULB’s lower campus.
You watched Samurai Jack on Cartoon Network when you were a kid. You grabbed your mom’s broomstick and pretended to chop up your sofa and/or siblings. But, did you ever learn the proper technique? There is only so much you could pick up from the television, so now is your chance to learn the way of the sword.
CSULB’s Kendo club offers the training required to become a skilled swordsman. Of course, you’ll start off with a wooden sword at first because, let’s be honest, you can’t be trusted. However, after taking up Kendo you can earn that trust by learning that it’s not about mowing through your enemies, Kendo is about respect and honor.
Start your training by attending a practice on Friday from 9-11 a.m. in room 60 or Saturday from 9-10 a.m. room 93 inside the kinesiology building.
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Brian Nguyen, a junior health administration major, draws his bow and takes aim at the archery range.
Okay, so you’re not up for the close combat. You’re more of the stealthy, silent type. That’s fine, because there is also a club for you.
The archery club at CSULB has been around since 1962 and it’s the longest continuous operating collegiate archery program in the United States. The club competes at the national level and has produced 17 All-American Collegiate Archers in its 53-year history.
Although you’ll entirely be firing arrows at targets set up on the archery range by the softball field, joining the CSULB archery club could prepare you for the inevitable zombie apocalypse – or that scary drought looming over California.
You can find more information on the club at LBSArchery on Facebook.
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Black belt instructor Oscar Enriquez gives senior biology major Andy Tran some direction at Shotokan Karate practice.
So, you took a glance at Kendo and the prospect of properly wielding a sword, and you looked at Archery and the possibility of becoming Katniss. But, you’re still not convinced?
If you’re more of a hands-on-type of person then give CSULB’s Shotokan Karate club a look. There is no need for weapons because your body will become the ultimate weapon – for self-defense, of course.
Founded by Don DePree in 1968, the club is one of the oldest on campus. Black belt instructor and CSULB alumni Oscar Enriquez brings over 30 years of experience to the club. That’s something most of the other fighting clubs can’t offer.
You can find training schedules and more information on csulb.ska.org.
You like martial arts, but you shudder at the thought of getting into a fight or altercation. Give the martial arts tricking club a shot, there you can only hurt yourself – at first.
You’ve heard of parkour and free running; the act of using the surrounding environment as a platform for performing gravity defying stunts. The martial arts tricking club is similar, except most of the flips, twists and handstands happen solely on a flat surface.
You can learn to move like a ninja without all the shuriken, nunchaku and sai flying at you by joining this group. You can find them practicing at the west gym in the kinesiology building on Wednesdays from 8:30-9:30 p.m.
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CSULB students paddle their dragon boat at practice in Marine Park.
Hey, you aren’t an aggressive person and that’s understandable. You want to join a club that focuses on building camaraderie and team spirit without having to face oncoming punches and bamboo swords. The dragon boating club at CSULB might be your answer.
Dragon boating consists of 20 people paddling a boat, a drummer laying down a beat and a steersperson giving direction. Be the Viking you always wanted to be.
If you join now, there’s enough time to get the hang of dragon boating and join a crew for the 2016 Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival at Marine Stadium. And yes, the boats are shaped like dragons.
Find more information about the club at CSULB Dragonboating on Facebook. Practices are held at Marine Park on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
