College Day

[Truestar]

So all the juniors in Chenango County today when to the Broome County Arena where over a hundred colleges set up a table and had information for us high school students.

I found the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut that actually has a degree in Martial Arts Studies, I didn't see any other school their have a degree in martial arts.

It mentioned studying the history, linguistics, and actually martial art itself in the physical sense, and mentioned also internships with the FBI. Law enforcement in the Bureau has been an interest in mine.

For the first time in my life I think I have a solid foundation of where I'd like to go to college. It's kind of a neat feeling.

Here's the MA Studies page if you want to check it out:

http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/3868.asp

[DWx]

That actually looks pretty good. I don't know how useful that would be for anything other than Law Enforcement type professions but it would definately be cool to study. I guess Martial Arts are kinda an all rounder subject in that you'd get to study some history, philosophy, probably some religion and all the physical aspect too.

Great that you've found what you want to do too

[joesteph]

I found the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut that actually has a degree in Martial Arts Studies, I didn't see any other school their have a degree in martial arts.

Here's the MA Studies page if you want to check it out:

http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/3868.asp

Truestar, there's a martial arts school in my hometown, Bayonne NJ, owned and operated by Dr. Austin Wright, Sr. As it says about him on one page of his web site:

In 2008 Dr. Austin Wright Sr. received a Ph.D. and Ma.D.Sc., Doctorates of Martial Arts Philosophy and Martial Arts Science accredited by The University of Asian Martial Arts Study.

2008 © Author of Universal Warrior Martial Arts Spiritually, Motivating, Inspiration For Self-Defense

The URL is http://www.afterschooluwa-martialarts.com/

So his doctorate (and, if you check out the web site, his background) served to buttress his starting his own system.

When I checked out the Bridgeport CT martial arts web page, it contained two Chinese characters and the following:

The Symbolism of Wu Dao (The Martial Way)

The character Wu is composed of two sections. The lower section means "prevention" or "to stop," and the upper section represents a warrior with a spear. In this sense the character means "stopping a spear." The character Dao means "way" or "road," which is the path one has taken to understand the essence of things.

In my martial art, Soo Bahk Do, it's really Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan, with Soo Bahk Do as the art and Moo Duk Kwan as the style--the philosophical end. What's called "Wu" on the site is called "Moo" in Hanja, and the explanation of "Wu" being "to stop" and "a spear" is related to the interpretation of "Moo" as "to stop" and "a sword." They're the same combination-character, made up of the same two characters. It just goes to show you that this program can not only emphasize martial arts as a self-defense system, but martial arts as a philosophy, and who's to say you couldn't double major (which students do with greater frequency than when I was in college) in martial arts and anything from criminal justice to sociology.

Looks like you lucked out.

[bushido_man96]

There is an old thread floating around here somewhere about that college in Bridgeport. They were to have majors in Karate, TKD, and Kung Fu, I believe, along with studies in the histories and cultures of the countries that the respective arts came from.

I thought it looked cool, too, but I don't know how useable the degree would be for me. That, and I'd have to move now...

[motionxl]

That is awesome to have a degree in Martial Arts. May I ask how much does the degree costs?

[Shiv]

Congrats man =) Must be cool to have a job that is your hobby at the same time

[joesteph]

I found the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut that actually has a degree in Martial Arts Studies, I didn't see any other school their have a degree in martial arts.

I just went to the cafeteria, where we have representatives from colleges present during junior and senior lunches, with literature to distribute and forms to fill out to be on a mailing list, etc.

Today's college rep was a man from Bridgeport. I told him I had an "odd question" for him: Do you offer a degree in martial arts? He beamed a smile and began to tell me all about it; he wasn't recruiting me, I'm a faculty member, but he was so pleased, I got a brochure ("University of Bridgeport: Opening Doors, Building Futures") and a souvenir pen.

[bushido_man96]

Here's the thread we ran a while back on the Bridgeport MA college: http://www.karateforums.com/you-can-now-get-a-b-a-degree-in-ma-in-the-usa-vt30350.html?highlight=college+martial+arts

[Truestar]

The degree could be useful in starting your own school, law enforcement, majoring in East Asian studies...

I noticed somewhere on the site they offered an internship with the FBI, whether or not that's directly related to the MA program I don't know but the bureau is a line of work I'd be interested in. I'd like to work for the State or government anyway.

Say I go in and the instructor agreed to recognize my black belt, would he/she try to test me? Would I know about it? The day of graduation do the students get shown their belts with no prior announcement?

If....when I get my second dan I'd rather it be from my school I started in. Our belts are unique to many schools as far as embroidery, and I would feel a deeper respect if it came from my current school. I'd rather have the instructor that's taught me for 9 years award me my second dan than a person who has just met me because of college for 4 years. Just my take.

[joesteph]

Say I go in and the instructor agreed to recognize my black belt, would he/she try to test me? Would I know about it? The day of graduation do the students get shown their belts with no prior announcement?

I doubt it's to take a particular martial art, Truestar, and "major" in it. It's got to be highly academic, with everything from the orgins to the influences (of an art by other arts, on other arts), to the historical figures, to the philosophies, to the actual participation in a martial art, not the University's martial art, and so on. Stay in contact with Bridgeport, and consider visiting the campus to speak with someone from the department.