There comes a time in every man’s life where his body, or “jintai,” takes a beating. Sadly, my jintai’s beating came this week.

For the final Trade of the semester, I decided I would put my life on the line by defending myself from punches to the face and kicks to the groin and join the Aikido Club.

The Aikido Club meets at 7 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday in the Chick Evans Field House. There, Aikido instructors teach the basics of the club.

Aikido is a form of martial art that focuses not on inflicting pain to your opponent but rather on using the energy of your attacker to gain control.

Although it might be true the focus is not on inflicting pain, I distinctly remember hobbling out of the room and taking Excedrin as soon as I got home.

“We aren’t here to beat up anyone,” said NIU alumnus Aaron Moskowtiz. “We are here to practice and have fun.”

The class starts with everyone lined in a row, resting upon their knees. Everyone then bows to a photo of the creator of the art form, Morihei Ueshiba and also to a painting of the word Aikido. This is where the real workout of the evening causes everyone to take things up a notch.

For the next 15 minutes, class members are required to stretch EVERY MUSCLE of his or her body. Why did I emphasize “every muscle?” It’s simple. That 15-minute stretch was the best workout I have ever had. Sweat poured down my face while inside I was crying for my bed.

“The whole philosophy of Aikido is incredible and it also helps with your balance and centering of the body,” said junior accountancy major Teresa Smith. “The instructors are detailed and make sure your technique is correct.”

The club instructors taught the group a defense move to use if an attacker grabs your wrist.

From my understanding, if you gyakute dori into a kotegaeshi then you can kaiten nage your opponent. Yeah, I got a bit confused by the sayings, too.

The move says you can use your opponent’s own body to get them off-balance enough to throw them away from you.

If an opponent has your right wrist, step in with your right foot while blocking a punch with your left hand while twisting your opponent’s arm, which will in turn make him or her flip after the move is completed. It is as simple as watching a Jean Claude Van Damm movie – if you can get through one.

“It is fun to be thrown to the mat and a good way to keep in shape,” said Paul Krautstrunk, a freshman English major.

That may indeed be true, Mr. Krautstrunk, but it still made me grimace in pain.

Aikido Club, you get my mark for making me do the most work this semester. And for that, domo arigato, Aikido Club.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily of the Northern Star staff.