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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1979)
Oregon takes collegiate karate The University of Oregon has its first collegiate sports championship of the year, although it's one of the campus' best-kept secrets On the first weekend in November, the Oregon karate team traveled to Los Angeles to take on the country's best in collegiate karate The Ducks weren't expecting a championship, just some needed competition and experience They got that, plus an unexpected title to boot in only their second official year as a club sport Oregon outworked Stanford and Queen's Col lege of N Y.. in winning the unofficial title Al though there is no official team championship, it was obvious to which team would have received it In the five official areas of competition, the Oregon men won both the team kata (instrumental moves) and kumite (actual head to-head sparring with an opponent) Oregon's Terrill Samura led a 1-2-3 sweep in the individual kata Finishing behind Samura were Greg Andersen and Simon Giszter All three are black belts The same three teamed up to win the team kata, while Samura. Giszter and green belt Tom Stansbury combined for the team kumite title Although Oregon was shut out from the top r Naomi Nagaki of Oregon piaced second in the individual kata in the only women's event of the championships three positions in the individual kumite, the Ducks also showed strength in that area In women's competition (there is no team title among the women), Oregon's Naomi Nagaki finished second in the women’s individual kata in the only event held All in all, it was a very productive meet for Oregon, the first time it's ever been to the col legiate championships "It was kind of funny,” says John Loeber, the Oregon team manager "Six weeks before the championships we didn't even know we were going to go We took all of our available people ready to go. drove down and competed for two days Next thing we knew we were collegiate champions ” The championships, held at California State Northridge, brought together the top team from each of nine regions across the country The Far West, Oregon's region, was the only one not to hold a regional championship — there were just too few teams in this area Just six weeks before the championships. Oregon find out it could compete as a representative of the Far West Region The university formed the team last year and signed 160 charter members It now carries an average of 40 members and trains three times a week Advanced members also meet three times a week at the Eugene Karate Club, where they receive intense training "People here are willing to work hard." says Bob Graves, who along with Jerry Fitzpatrick coaches the Oregon team What we really want ed to do when we went down to Los Angeles was to get in some needed competition We wanted to work hard and be ready for next year But we re an enthusiastic team and we didn't quit That's what it really takes.” "You really have to credit this team," says Loeber "I feel incredibly proud that they were able to do as well as they did They're good learners and respond really well to what they've been instructed ” Along with the talent it takes to excel in something like karate, some Oregon team members also see other advantages to being on the squad "It's obviously an excellent way of keeping fit," says Giszter, a PhD student in neuro-biology “I like combat sports, but I also like the groupfeeling you have within the team Karate is a combatitive art with the precision of gymnastics It's judged on technique and it's a good test to see how you respond under pressure "I played soccer my freshman year before I took up karate," says Stansbury. "but I wasn't pleased with fie program Once I got started in this, I just had to come back It feels good to be around on a group setting like this and you make a lot of friends And karate is a good physical and mental release It's really a good exercise " "The program has given a lot more than we expected of it," adds Andersen, a PhD student in theoretical chemistry, "You do a lot of testing and evaluating and it's all done in good spirit Being successful at it just makes it all that more enjoya ble " Oregon defeated Stanford and Queens College of New York to win the national karate championship Currently, Oregon competes mostly in invita tional matches in the area and in their own tournament here in Eugene Officials here are also hopeful of hosting a regional championship here next September and there are also plans of starting a karate team at Lane Community College And Graves knows of at least one person who is transferring to Oregon from southern California to join the Oregon team ‘ I’ve been coaching for more than 10 years,” says Graves, “but this is the first group that has really put their hearts into it I think our success isn’t so much the coaching as it is the enthusiasm and the dedication of the people in it We worked hard and winning the championship is just icing on the cake We re looking forward to next year.” They say that the only thing harder than win ning a championship is defending one For the University of Oregon karate team just getting into that type of situation is quite a feat And with the title it’s just won the team might not be a secret much longer Story by Greg Han berg Photos by Bob Baker THANKSHMGI^ING The University of Oregon Bookstore WILL BE CLOSED THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22-25, to observe the Thanksgiving holidays. 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