8 The Clackamas Print
; sportsed@ clackam as.edu
Wednesday,' Feb. 3, 20J2-
Fitness
Z um ba craze shakes students into shape
££
I
Zumba is sexy,
passionate and
alluring. Get
your sexy on,
join Zum ba.”
Maria Dixon
Zumba instructor
Destiny D unrud sways to the music.
By Nora Goodman
The Clackamas Print
-<Ä ,
M o s t, p eo p le are, fast, asleep a n d d re a d in g th e
rin g in g o f th e ir a la rm a t 5 :3 0 a .m . o n M o n d a y
m o rn in g s , b u t th a t can ’t b e sa id fo r a sm all g ro u p o f
d e d ic a te d early m o r n in g risers .th a t are th e la te s t to
g et c a u g h t u p in a w o rld w id e craze. M ix in g m u sic
a n d d a n c e , a fu n n e w fitn e ss fo rm h as b e e n created :
Z um ba.
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“Z u m b a is sexy, p a s sio n a te a n d a llu rin g ,” sa id
in s tr u c to r M a ria D ix o n . ’‘G e t y o u r sexy o n .’ Jo in
Z u m b a .”
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'« D n eo ft'i ■ ori g m-ally‘from Pd»u;--is -cm p l b y f e d a n
A d m in istra tiv e A s sista n t a t C lackam as; C o m m u n ity
C o lle g e . S he b eg an as a n adviser a n d h a s b een w o rk
in g in t h e te s tin g d e p a r tm e n t fo r m o r e th a n sjx years
ago. A fte r b e in g ¿ s u b s t i t u t e in th e -fa ll, sh e b e g an
te a c h in g Z u m b a classes th is te rm .
A c c o rd in g to D ix o n , Z u m b a o rig in a te d in M ia m i,
F la. m o re th a n 11 years ago a n d is n o w in m o re w h ich , is n e e d e d to p re v e n t d e p re ssio n d u r in g th e
th a n 100 c o u n trie s , in c lu d in g A fg h a n ista n , B razil, c lo u d y O re g o n w in te r m o n th s .
T o n y a D u r h a m jo in e d th e e v e n in g Z u m b a co u rse
J a m aica, J a p a n , In d ia , N o rw ay , S w eden, a n d Z a m b ia .
L a tin a n d o th e r m u sic is im p le m e n te d in to b asic at G C G d e te r m in e d to re b u ild h e r s tre n g th a n d b a l
a n ce afte r b e in g in v o lv e d in a car a c c id e n t w h ic h left
r h y th m d a n c e steps to g et a g o o d c a rd io w o rk o u t.
h e r w ith 4 2 screw s fro m th e w a ist d o w n . S h e sa id it
T h e re are d iffe re n t levels o f Z u m b a : B asic o n e a n d
has. ta k e n h e r a lo t o f w o rk , b u t sh e loves to sw eat,
tw o a n d Z u m b a G o ld , a -le v e l f o r b e g in n e rs a n d
so m e th in g t h a t sh e c e rta in ly d o es a lo t o f w h ile ta k
p e o p le w i t h disa b ilities.,
in g Z u m b a .
D i x o n d l s o said t h a t s tu d e n ts w h o h av e ta k e n
L u c k ily e n o u g h fo r th o se w h o aren ’t early risers,
.Z u m b a h av e b e e n k n o w n tQ lose w e ig h t, re d u c e
b lo o d p ressu re, d ep ressio n ,; in crease b a lan ce, b e t Z u m b a is o ffered a t tw o tim e s d u r in g th e w eek , o n
te r m e n ta l .focus a n d h ave a n overall m o re ch eerfu l M o n d a y a n d W e d n e s d a y ev en in g s f ro m 5 :3 0 p .m .
a ttitu d e . D e s p ite -th d -le n g th y ^ fis t o f b e n e fits arid- u n til 6 r5 0 p /m . a n d T u e s d a y a n d T h u rs d a y m o rn in g s
fuft a tm o sp h e re j it’s h o t a P E c re d it fo r nothing,* »as fro m 6 a.m . u n til 7 :2 0 a.m .
I t s e e m s t h a t th e p e rfe c t c o m b in a tio n o f c a rd io ,
Z u m b td ta h leave eveh th e f itte s t o f p e o p l e -p a n tin g
g o o d m u sic, f u n a n d d a n c e h as b e e n ach iev ed in
fo r b re a th w ith a sm ile o n th e ir face.
Z u m b a , w h ic h h as g ro w n .,w o rld w id e a t an . a s to n
“M u s ic is th e ra p y to th e Söul,” sa id E m ily O lse n ,
an,evenang Z u m b a s tu d e n t a t-G C C . Qlse-n sw as lo o k ish in g fate. W h ile C la c k a m a s o n ly , offers th e tw o
in g fo r a danfce class w ith a g o o d 'c a rd io w o f k ’o u t - c la s s e s o n x a m p u s , th a tm u m b e r m ay g rd w as th e fad
c o n tin u e s to c a tc h o n .
a n d a lo t o f f u n w h e n she jo in e d Z u m b a a t C C G -
S he sa id th e class i s g o o d fo r in c re a sin g e n d o rp h in s ,
Popular Clackamas course teaches methods for self-defense
By Mark Sunderland
4 The Clackamas Print
Tucked into a classroom at the back end
o f th e gym in Randall H all is- the self defense
class. T h e walls are covered in thiek'w hite
pads anti the sound from the gym per
vades the d o o r Led by PE Instructor Robin
Robinson, the class begins w ith a series
o f stretches to loosen up the body. Banter
between the teacher and the students seems
to relax th e m inds o f all students present. -
O nce stretches are done, the class begins
w ith some basic kicks. Robinson has the
students line up against the back wall o f the
room and commences kick drills. H e moves
from the back to the front o f the class paus
ing to, give clear and concise instruction ori
how, to execute the various strikes and blocks.
“T urn th e body, rotate the-- body,”
Rohinson says in a dear voice to the class
as they w ork through learning an elbow
strike. W ords o f instruction are dear and
w ith Robinson describing the technique and
showing how to execute the form.
A n h o u r later, the class ends on a high
note w ith encouraging wbrds from'Robinson
and friendly conversation fills the room from
both student and teacher.
W hile the class m ay sound fun, there area
lot more benefits to the course than just plea
sure. In addition to the giving o f required PE
credits and training in self defense, die class is
also part o f a larger degree program and has
typically been extremely popular.
“T h e self-defense class was part o f the
criminal justice program,” said Robinson. “It
is one o f the first classes filled up first every
term.” ;?':
T h e popularity o f the classisn’t just in con
nection to criminal justice. It’s also extremely
beneficial in learning how to stay safe, as well
asjkeep fit.
“Because I am a girl for one,” said student
Leah M oe. “I’m small, so T ’m taking self-
defense to learn som e moves to keep myself
safe if that situation, was ever to com e up.” ,
| M oe’s motives are com m on am ong stu
dents, m any o f w hom realize that learning a
form .of self- defense can go quite a long way.
Even those w ho are there for fun know that
the process is a lot o f work. It is a, PE class so
one can. expea tcrbuild up a sweat.
. “It’s very athletic and helpful and helps a
lot ofpeople w ho don’t have training in self-
defense or karate,” said Brandon Davis, w ho
has returned to take the class several times.
Spencer Bellivar, another repeater, adds
an interesting light to the class as he is' in a
wheelchair. However, despite his handicap,
Bellivar insists that his wheelchair isn’t an
inhibition.
-■“T ts different just because I have to think
o f how situations w ould w ork in m y case,”
said Bellivar. “Instead o f kicking, I w ould just
move m y chair. J hâve to think o f other ways
I would do things. It’s n o t more difficult.”
T h e class draws both pew students and
returning students b ut the reason for that isas
m uch for the instruaor,,as ifis.the class itself.
“ [Robinson] ,.b .awesome,” said M oe. “H e
is very clarifying. H e wants us t o d o - th e
moves right. H e doesn’t w ant us to get
injured while doing o u r moves and-fhe says]
w hen were'practicing b n .someone,' rernern-
ber they can-get pay back.”
. “[Robinson] is very friendly, funny, always
ç n time,” said Davison.
Robinson’s full dasses indicate that both
he and his course are a hit, b ut self-defense
isn’t anything new to. him . H e’s been teaching
it w ith a passion for a long time.
“I started training in the karate style vdien
I was 17 and I first got out o f high school
and have been in love w ith itevefisihce.
Ifs ju st a-great lifestyle,”
said. Robinson. “W hen
I firstcam e here, they V * 1
had a guy teaching JHIIH,
karate an a about the
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tim e it was tim e for /
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him to move on-.
I acknowledged I
jfc;
.
could teach it and
»
.
I’ve been doing it
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ever since”
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A teacher who *
loves w hat he does seems W
to be quite the recipe for
a good teaching environ- flj
ment, and the students J 9
that attend the self- H
defense class all seemed MS
to have fun. All in all, the
class sounds like quite
the experience an d J H r
Robinson’s 1 students
GO
3o.
x
b o th give it high Hy
praise and advise jfflF |
their fellow stu- j g S S -
dents to join.
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A lex Bowers Mis. à punching bag in Self-defence class.