Chanbara Club
	Swordplay Chanbara offers a workout for the mind and body Published: Mon., February 24, 2003 By JENNIFER SAMMARTINO (STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE) Thought you missed your true calling as a Jedi knight? It's not too late. Chanbara, a Japanese term that roughly translates into swordplay or swashbuckling, is slowly taking the Island by storm. The fantasy style of swordsmanship, seen in Japanese samurai movies, "Star Wars," "Highlander," "Zorro," and others, is "exciting, adventurous, romantic. But, of course, not reality," said Hyun C. Hwang, who is known to his students as "Hun," the chief instructor and the founder of the Staten Island Chanbara Club. Chanbara also refers to the martial art and sport of weapons sparring with foam-padded weapons. The great thing about this mode of fitness/martial arts, is that you can work out and have hand-to-hand combat without worrying about getting hurt or hurting your opponents. And without having to wear any heavy and expensive protective gear, Hwang added. "Most people want to learn hand-to-hand combat," said Hwang, and the American-made ActionFlex padded weapons make it possible to go at it full-contact and full-speed. Chanbara, which is currently being taught at several gyms and Karate schools on Staten Island, is ideal for both children and adults, he said. The adult class at NorthEast Fitness consists of a warm up, meditation and a workout. It's also integrated with other programs, so class time is split between different disciplines. Stretching, ofcourse, as in any workout, is essential. "You have to stretch out," Hwang said. "You don't want to get hurt." Because of the versatility of the foam swords, the Chanbara class can incorporate a broad range of fencing styles. Hwang has studied both Japanese style fencing and Olympic style fencing. "You can do any combination you want to do," he said, bouncing around on a red mat at the gym opposite classmate Patrick Sean Fennelly. Children, especially, should wear head gear, Hwang said. Strikes to the head, and all over the body, are legal in Chanbara. "Anybody can do it," Hwang said. "It's an innovation," said Ralph Wemberly, head instructor of Aikido of Staten Island, of the foam sword. "This seems to be the ideal implement because we can whack each other all day and nobody gets hurt," he said. The workout also takes a lot of concentration, noted Wemberly, who has been practicing martial arts for 25 years. For the guys in this class, that means drowning out the loud music seeping in from the workout room just outside, and focusing on the matter at hand: Winning. "It becomes a thinking game, not just about batting down," said Wemberly, who watched his opponent's eyes carefully to anticipate all of his moves. "It makes it interesting to have rules. Japanese fencers don't cross swords. The object is to strike to cut." In addition to scoring points to win the match, the physical and mental benefits are numerous, he said. "There are other benefits, a lot of physical exertion and strategy," Wemberly said. "It's a good physical workout." "It's a lot of fun. It's aerobic. Because you're having fun you don't even know hard your body is working," Hwang said. As for the mental exercise, Hwang agreed with his instructor. "It's like chess. You use your mind. Your reflexes have to be lightning quick." Copyright 2003 © The Staten Island Advance
	Chanbara Club
	Copyright © 2003 Chanbara Club. All rights reserved. Send comments to hun@hchweb.com. Last revised: 4/29/2003