Union’s Judo club transitioned sensei leadership from Mario Melendez, contemporary Christianity adjunct professor (Germantown campus), to Peter Yu, Union alumnus, on Saturday, April 25 at the Bowld Commons.
Melendez is transferring Ph.D. programs from South African Theological Seminary’s online program to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s biblical interpretation program.
Melendez led one last Judo session Saturday, highlighting the main takeaways from his class, followed by a ritual where Yu was “signed” in as the new sensei.
To conclude the event, Yu gave a speech, sharing his vision for the club under his new leadership.
“Right now we are primarily a recreational club, and we want to move toward more of a competitive club,” Yu said. “What that entails is that we could become an official university team.”
Yu said his vision also includes helping the club become more active by going to more events, getting faculty involved or even going to nationals.
As the new sensei, Yu’s main role will be to introduce club members to martial arts and teach them the art form as well as the basics of martial arts, Melendez said.
The martial side of Judo includes self-defense for real-life application, whereas the art side of judo involves a more cultural-based application, Yu said.
“Mario was the first person I came across that was really intense about the martial arts, not in a terrifying way but in one that applied the things Judo teaches you—the peacefulness, the gentleness and yet the firmness and control—in his life,” said Julia Coultis, junior biochemistry major and president of the Judo club. “The fact that he teaches Judo as a way of self-defense, not only as art, I can tell you personally, I feel a lot more confident walking away from my car at night because I know I can defend myself.”
Melendez was not formerly connected into the community of Jackson’s Union campus since he received his Master’s through Union at the Germantown location.
“I think with Peter being an alumni from this campus, he’ll have more communicability with students,” Melendez said.
As Yu’s primary instructor, Melendez said Yu has not only learned about judo but has gained important leadership skills.
“Mario is really good about using examples, and he takes things out of the box to help people understand,” Yu said. “[I]f one learning style is not the way, he is really good at making it applicable in another way, so hopefully I can take all those things and do the same with those.”
