By Kiara Paul |Asst. Sports Editor|

With all the midterms going on and the quarter going by unbelievably fast, students are stressed. If you are looking for a good stress reliever, look no further! A good way to relieve stress is through exercise, and what is more fun than a group class you can take with your friends after hours of studying?

The Rec Center offers multiple group exercise classes here on campus. One of those classes is Jiu-Jitsu.

Jui-Jitsu is an ancient martial art developed by the Samurai back in ancient Japan.

It was used as a replacement for losing his sword.

The main goal of Jui-Jitsu is to manipulate the opponent’s force against himself, rather than confronting the opponent with one’s own force.

Students who take the class will learn the basics of Jui-Jitsu; the Rec Center offers a slight insight into what will be taught during the class.

“The students are taught how to roll safely, how to fall safely, throwing techniques, escapes from grabs, how to block punches and submission techniques,” according to the Rec Center Website.

Jui-Jitsu also has tons of health benefits, both mental and physical. For example, each hour and 30 minute class burns up to 400 calories! That could burn off an entire meal.

The website Examined Existence provides a list of the eight benefits of Jiu-Jitsu.

One of the top benefits is that you are able to face your fears. The fear of being attacked and robbed is a common fear, but with some training, one might learn how to protect themselves.

Jiu-Jitsu does help with physical fitness, it increases stamina and builds endurance.

Students are constantly moving, Jiu-Jitsu helps get you into shape and become more athletic, this builds confidence in the students with every class taken.

Jiu-Jitsu can have a huge affect on mental health as it takes focus and patience to master all the techniques.

Jiu-Jitsu toughens you mentally, instructors teach how to build the correct mindset, and teaches a student control too.

Student Alyssa Martinez shared her experience after she took this Jiu-Jitsu class offered by the Rec Center.

“It was definitely fun,” said Martinez. “Challenging because you never actually know how to react to a physical situation until it’s happening.”

Martinez goes on to talk about what she learned, “We learned how to use our bodies as a weapon basically  and it was cool knowing that if something were to happen, I have a better understanding of how to protect or defend myself.”

The Jiu-Jitsu classes on campus are offered every Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. for the Winter quarter with the instructor Chris.

They are subject to change by the quarter, so keep an eye out for the new schedule.

A few other classes include Cycle Fit, Boot Camp, Yoga, Butts & Guts, and Mixed Martial Arts.

The entire schedule with all classes offered can be found on the Rec Center Website.

As with all Rec Center classes, Jiu-jitsu is geared for beginners so anyone can join.