At least many O’Connor Hall residents discovered the fun side of learning as Resident Assistant and Shodan Samantha “Twiggy” Lord and her guest speaker Sensei George Thibault demonstrated karate techniques.

Thibault, who has studied the martial arts for over 19 years and has achieved a fourth degree black belt, spoke to the audience about the history of martial arts. Although the misconception is that the martial arts originated in Asia, they were first practiced and developed by monks in India around 300 A.D. as a means of both exercise and discipline.

From its ancient beginnings, the martial arts have evolved into many different forms. People all over the world practice and appreciate the martial arts including those who train with Sensei Thibault at his school.

“Martial arts is open to everybody,” said Thibault. He owns and operates Kensho Ryu Kenpo Karate of Dracut, which is one of 15 schools across the United States that specialize in the martial arts style of Kenpo, said Thibault.

Unlike many of the forms of martial arts that focus on leg movements, the Kenpo style is an upper-body martial arts, said Thibault.

The art of Kenpo involves mostly circular defense moves and linear strikes against opponents, said Thibault. He demonstrated some of the defense and attack moves with Lord, who is a first-degree black belt.

Every advance Lord made to attack, Thibault avoided by quickly judging her moves and slipping around her. Thibault said he believes that the “best self defense is no contact.”

However, it seems the best attack moves are full contact. According to Thibault, the fewer moves one has to exert against an opponent the better.

When Thibault presented linear attack moves, as in the Kenpo style, he showed the audience what is called “The Dance of Death.” With swift responses to the movements of his opponent, Thibault assessed Lord’s next move and showed the areas she left open and vulnerable to a quick and effective strike.

The audience was especially impressed with “The Dance of Death” demonstration, particularly since some students attended the event solely to see their favorite RA get “beat up.”

Following a few demonstrations, Thibault invited the audience to learn and practice some basic defense moves. He showed the participants how to bring their wrists up and down as a means to deter an attacker who grabs their arms. Thibault also explained and demonstrated how different versions of that basic move could be utilized in more advanced defense moves.

Thibault explained that he began his training with the late professor Nick Cerio in the late 1970s. He began training others in 1986 and opened his own facility in 1991.

Thibault’s title of Sensei means he is a “teacher of beginners.” He looks forward to advancing to Shihan, or “teacher of teachers,” soon. In order to achieve the title of Shihan, Thibault must prove himself to those who are already at the higher level. Thibault’s trainer achieved the highest level, which is that of Professor or Grand Master, which is “a teacher of teachers of teachers,” said Thibault.

Thibault explained that the three key elements of martial arts are like the images of the moon, the mountain, and the ocean. The moon represents a clear mind, the mountain is symbolic of a strong body, and the ocean stands for a free spirit, said Thibault.

Technique is the most important aspect of martial arts, said Thibault. Strength decays with time but a martial artist who develops and focuses his or her technique can be more effective against a stronger opponent, said Thibault. He gave an example of a couple of older martial artists who may have looked frail with age. However, their many years of training made them a more dangerous opponent than any of the strongest younger martial artists.

Along with Thibault’s words of wisdom and demonstrations, he joked with the audience and admitted, “I’ve broken a lot of bones.” And, while beginning an anecdote about his many years of training, Thibault explained “My wife wouldn’t let me train in the house because I almost broke the TV once.”

The audience was both informed and amused during Thibault and Lord’s presentation. Both of them encouraged those present to pursue the martial arts for fun, discipline, self-defense and fitness. Thibault said, “There is no one style of martial arts that is better than any other style” and he advocated finding the style that suits one’s individual personality and needs.