Lent Term Issue

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31
These Violent Delights:
The Catharsis of Kickboxing
Noor Rakha
Strangely, the fierce nature of the sport
a sense of clarity.
CREATIVE WRITING EDITOR
makes it a lot easier to connect with people,
Exercise in general has been proven to improve your mood. What is
as you’re always trying to make sure your particularly attractive about kickboxing is that it is not only exercise, but
blows aren’t too hard.
it can also alleviate pressures in a controlled, supportive environment.
I started kickboxing in my first year of university, via the
LU Kickboxing Society (@lukickboxing). I didn’t have any
prior experience, and I frankly had no idea what I was
doing.
Despite this, I continued to turn up every other week and made it a part
of my regular schedule. Surprisingly, it wasn’t only self-defence that I
learned in those sessions.
The society usually meets twice a week, on
a Wednesday and a Sunday, for sessions in
the George Fox Foyer.
Although the proper techniques are taught, we are often advised to be
gentle during sparring matches, just in case.
Most people might expect a martial arts
society to have an intense atmosphere, but
that couldn’t be further from the truth. The
sessions feel very welcoming and inclusive
with a patient exec always willing to help.
The sessions usually encourage you to pair up, meaning you end up
meeting new people every week.
There are a plethora of reasons why people start kickboxing, but I think
the reason why people continue to do it is far more interesting.
Khalisah Mahmood, President of LU Kickboxing Society told me:
“I enjoy kickboxing for a lot of reasons, but
what made me continue doing it over the
years was it allowed me to clear my mind. It
helps me resolve any tensions, stress and
helped me become a lot more focused and
confident.”
It might sound strange to associate catharsis with martial arts, but there
is something very therapeutic about it.
Like Khalisah, I found that kickboxing aided
me when I felt stressed or overwhelmed
with my course and assignments. I found
a sense of relief, which meant that when I
returned to my studies, I approached it with
S P O R T S
I was quite timid when I started. There were a few times that I outright
refused to punch people during sparring sessions, which, as you can
imagine, was not a very smart strategy.
I’ll never forget what the coach told me
afterward; “You just have to go and punch
someone in the face.”
The point of sparring was contact, and I didn’t believe I could hold my
own. I lacked confidence, and so I gave up before I had even started.
So, after that session, I decided not to be
timid.
A year and a half later, I punched someone in the face during a sparring
session. I was swiftly kicked thereafter, but it showed how much I’ve
grown in confidence over time.
Kickboxing isn’t only about self-defence;
it can be a safe outlet for stress or an
engaging way to build up your confidence.
But most importantly, it’s really freaking cool.
Women’s Futsal Pushes for Place at
Roses
Peter Murdock
SPORTS EDITOR
Up until the last few months, there’s
been no way for women to play
Futsal at Lancaster University.
Hopefully, that is all about to
change.
The creation of a women’s Futsal
team is a mission that Max
Bachellerie and other members of
the Futsal team have been on for
a while and, as the academic year
wears on, is one that they are close
to achieving.
The idea to set up a women’s side
was born at Freshers Fair. Whilst
running the Futsal stand, Bachellerie
had several inquiries about whether
there was a team for women.
“We just had to say ‘No,
there isn’t a women’s team.’ My original excuse
was that there wasn’t the demand- It became
fairly clear that there definitely is the demand
for it.”
From that moment, his interest in fulfilling that demand
only increased, despite the difficulties that come with
wanting to create a new team.
“It’s still really early. We’ve only hosted a
handful of sessions, but I think women’s Futsal
can grow massively at this university.”
“The team has to demonstrate sustainability,
and I firmly believe that this is a sustainable
avenue.”
Sustainability is an important part of the journey. Creating
a team that doesn’t exist for more than one season is
simply not a potential outcome that Bachellerie, or more
importantly, LUSU Sport, are interested in.
Indeed, no BUCS team has folded since
Covid- a proud record that LUSU wish to
maintain.
However, the rewards of forming a
women’s Futsal team surely outweigh
the risks.
Bachellerie hopes that “if all goes well, next year they’ll be
in a BUCS league, playing as much as the current men’s
team does.”
Since joining the men’s team, Bachellerie has
been part of a tight-knit 25-strong playing
squad that competes in BUCS and of course,
against York.
Competing in a team at Roses is a truly special experience,
and Bachellerie is determined to provide women that are
keen to play Futsal with that chance.
When will that chance come? This question
applies to Futsal as a whole.
Away from the fledgling women’s team, Bachellerie also
wants to better engage the existing men’s squad. He’s
already applied for a men’s second team Roses match,
which would see the players not picked for the second
team still competing.
The player pool for men and women is
unquestionably there.
Moreover, the sport occupies a notably unique relationship
with other societies. The 11-a-side team has players who
come to Futsal to give their players extra game time.
Futsal also draws international students, with
players from four continents in the current
men’s team.
The society tries to appeal to as broad a student population
as possible. There’s no reason why this couldn’t apply to all
Futsal teams.
Responding to a question about his desired outcome, Max
Bachellerie was clear.
“The dream is for Women’s Futsal is to become
its own autonomous entity.’
In other words, the hope of it becoming a fully-fledged
society. If this article does anything to further this goal,
then its writer will be content.
For further details surrounding training times- currently
every Tuesday morning at 11:15-12:45 in the Sports Centrehead
to their Instagram @lufutsalclub
Photo Credits: Max Bachellerie