Though Skyline hosts a wide variety of sport activities for its students, differing from semester to semester, some additions could be made for the benefit of the student body. For example, martial arts.

It is not unheard of for colleges to have established martial arts courses for their students, and there is a history of such courses evolving and moving into a competitive field given enough time and resources. San Jose State University (SJSU) has had a Judo team tracing back to 60 years on campus. Stanford, widely considered the most prestigious college in California, has established Judo and Jujitsu under their Stanford Martial Arts Program (SMAP). It is not unheard of for colleges to offer combat sports, such as Judo and Jujitsu, for their students, and there is a long history of such schools competing on a large, and prestigious, level. So, would such additions be beneficial for Skyline and its students?

Skyline’s location in the Bay Area opens numerous possibilities for more martial arts programs on campus. Numerous grappling academies are located within driving distance of the campus, allowing for contact between the college and possible instructors, and we already have the facilities available as well. The Skyline wrestling room is good enough for the high-level wrestlers on campus and it is more than enough for a more martial arts program. Skyline, as well as the district as a whole, has a history of martial arts, but in the form of Karate. Shotokan Karate to be specific.
With the growing popularity and presence of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), along with the powerful presence of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), combat-oriented martial arts are growing leaps and bounds in popularity. Styles and methods that may have been unknown to the majority of the world are now spreading like wild fire and the demand to learn them is growing exponentially. If Skyline would be able to incorporate some of these martial arts into its curriculum, chances are the positive student feedback would be loud and powerful, resounding through the district very quickly.

The benefits of such programs are straightforward, from both a calisthenic and self-defense point of view, and could provide an interesting and fun learning experience for the wide variety of students that attend Skyline throughout the year. Obviously classes such as this would require the hiring of specialists from off campus, which would most likely cause the tuition for such classes to be higher than the average unit cost of other academic classes on campus, but it would be worth it in the long run.

If you ask anyone who has practiced martial arts for a decent amount of time, you will hear about the benefits that come with such training. Not only does training keep you in shape, increasing your total body strength as well as your flexibility and conditioning, but it does wonders for your self-esteem and confidence. Also, the structure of training in a traditional martial art, with a black-belt/teacher, brings with it a level of respect for your teacher and your teammates/classmates. Would introducing such classes be a new experience for Skyline college? Yes. Would it be a positive addition to the wide array of classes Skyline already offers? Most definitely.