When brown belt John Rhodes bows and steps onto the mat for his weekly training session, he says any worries or stress that he is carrying vanish. His mind focuses on one subject and nothing else: judo. On a campus that receives national attention for sports like football and basketball, some students choose to practice martial arts because they say the benefits of the centuries-old practice go far beyond physical fitness. “Martial arts train your mind to be aware of your body’s relationship to its surroundings,” Rhodes said. “It’s about developing a harmony between the mind and the body.” Martial arts include several Asian methods of combat or self-defense. The University has several organizations dedicated to teaching the various styles of martial arts. Rhodes, an environmental engineering senior who is president of the Judo Club, said he began his training when he was a sophomore in college. “I didn’t have any experience at all,” Rhodes said. “I just walked in one day and started up.” Rhodes said he has gained valuable lessons from his training that he could not find in other sports. “Other sports don’t have as much of an emphasis on mental discipline,” Rhodes said. “My training has taught me things like personal confidence and how to communicate with people better. When you work with someone in martial arts, you are physically close to them, so you have to learn how to communicate with them.” Rhodes, a brown belt — the level right under the highest-ranked black belt — said his personal confidence improved after he began training because he has learned a skill he can trust for protection. “One of our students was mugged on campus, and he used a technique he learned from his training and threw the guy, knocking him out,” Rhodes said. “He just waited for the police to arrive afterward.” Korey Champagne, a second-degree black belt and assistant instructor for the Karate Club, said his training has helped him be successful in other areas of life. “Martial arts become part of your character,” Champagne said. “From my training, I have learned how to zero-in on a task and see it through to its completion.” Sean Bagley, a chemical engineering graduate student and black belt in the Tae Kwon Do Club, said children in particular can benefit from practicing a martial art. “Children receive terrific benefits from their training such as self-control, confidence and listening skills,” Bagley said. “Besides that, it’s a fun way to get exercise.” Rhodes said practicing a martial art can have life-long benefits. “Martial arts not only help you grow,” he said, “they help you mature as well.”