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How to Write a Non-Cliche College Essay About Sports + Examples

What’s covered:, what makes a sports essay cliche.

• How To Make Your Sports Essay Unique

Great Examples of College Essays About Sports

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You’ve been brainstorming essay topics for your college applications, and you think you’ve finally found the right one: an extended metaphor likening your experience on the field with overcoming personal struggles. The problem: many other students have this same thought. 

The purpose of a college essay is to make yourself stand out as a unique individual, but when students write about sports, they often blend in. Because of that, students are usually advised to pick a different topic.

That being said, it is possible to write a non-cliche college essay about sports if you put in a little extra effort. Read along to learn how to make your sports essay different from all the other sports essays.

Sports essays are cliche when they follow a standard trajectory. Some of these trajectories include writing a story about:

• An agonizing defeat
• Forging bonds with teammates
• Overcoming adversity
• Overcoming an injury
• Refusing to quit
• Victory during a big game

Because sports essays have very similar themes and “lessons learned,” it can be difficult to make your story stand out. These trajectories also often focus too much on the sport or storyline, and not enough on the writer’s reflections and personality.

As you write your essay, try to think about what your experience says about you rather than what you learned from your experience. You are more than just one lesson you learned!

(Keep in mind that the sports essay is not the only college essay cliche. Learn about other essay cliches and how to fix them in our complete guide).

How to Make Your Sports Essay Unique

1. focus on a specific moment or reflection..

The college essay is a way for students to humanize themselves to admissions officers. You do not feel human if you are describing yourself as just another player on the field!

One important way to make your essay about you (not just about sports) is by focusing on a specific moment in time and inviting the reader to join you in that moment. Explain to the reader what it would be like to be sitting in that locker room as you questioned the values of the other players on your team. Ask your reader to sit with you on the cot in the trainer’s room as your identity was stripped away from you when they said “your body can’t take this anymore.” Bring your reader to the dinner table and involve them in your family’s conversation about how sports were affecting your mental health and your treatment of those around you.

Intense descriptions of a specific experience will evoke emotions in your reader and allow them to connect with you and feel for you.

When in doubt, avoid anything that can be covered by ESPN. On ESPN, we see the games, we see the benches, we even see the locker rooms and training rooms. Take your reader somewhere different and show them something unique.

2. Use sports to point out broader themes in your life.

The main risk when writing about sports is neglecting to write about yourself. Before you get started, think about the main values that you want to express in your sports essay. Sports are simply your avenue for telling the reader what makes you unique. 

As a test, imagine if you were a pianist. Would you be able to talk about these same values? What if you were a writer? Or a chemist? Articulating your values is the end, and sports should simply be your means.

Some values that you might want to focus on:

• Autonomy (you want to be able to set your mind to anything and achieve it on your own)
• Growth (you seek improvement constantly)
• Curiosity (you are willing to try anything once)
• Vulnerability (you aren’t afraid to fail, as long as you give it your all)
• Community (you value the feedback of others and need camaraderie to succeed)
• Craft (you think that with deliberate care, anything can be perfected)
• Responsibility (you believe that you owe something to those around you and perhaps they also owe something to you)

You can use the ESPN check again to make sure that you are using sports as an avenue to show your depth.

Things ESPN covers: how a player reacts to defeat, how injuries affect a player’s gameplay/attitude, how players who don’t normally work well together are working together on their new team.

Things ESPN doesn’t cover: the conversation that a player had with their mother about fear of death before going into a big surgery (value: family and connection), the ways that the intense pressure to succeed consumed a player to the point they couldn’t be there for the people in their life (value: supporting others and community), the body image issues that weigh on a player’s mind when playing their sport and how they overcame those (value: health and growth).

3. Turn a cliche storyline on its head.

There’s no getting around the fact that sports essays are often cliche. But there is a way to confront the cliche head-on. For example, lots of people write essays about the lessons they learned from an injury, victory, and so on, but fewer students explain how they are embracing those lessons. 

Perhaps you learned that competition is overwhelming for you and you prefer teamwork, so you switched from playing basketball to playing Dungeons & Dragons. Maybe, when your softball career ended abruptly, you had to find a new identity and that’s when you became obsessed with your flower garden and decided to pursue botany. Or maybe, you have stuck with football through it all, but your junior-year mental health struggle showed you that football should be fun and you have since started a nonprofit for local children to healthily engage with sports.

If your story itself is more cliche, try bringing readers to the present moment with you and show why the cliche matters and what it did for you. This requires a fair amount of creativity. Ensure you’re not parroting a frequently used topic by really thinking deeply to find your own unique spin.

Night had robbed the academy of its daytime colors, yet there was comfort in the dim lights that cast shadows of our advances against the bare studio walls. Silhouettes of roundhouse kicks, spin crescent kicks, uppercuts and the occasional butterfly kick danced while we sparred. She approached me, eyes narrowed with the trace of a smirk challenging me. “Ready spar!” Her arm began an upward trajectory targeting my shoulder, a common first move. I sidestepped — only to almost collide with another flying fist. Pivoting my right foot, I snapped my left leg, aiming my heel at her midsection. The center judge raised one finger. 

There was no time to celebrate, not in the traditional sense at least. Master Pollard gave a brief command greeted with a unanimous “Yes, sir” and the thud of 20 hands dropping-down-and-giving-him-30, while the “winners” celebrated their victory with laps as usual. 

Three years ago, seven-thirty in the evening meant I was a warrior. It meant standing up straighter, pushing a little harder, “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am”, celebrating birthdays by breaking boards, never pointing your toes, and familiarity. Three years later, seven-thirty in the morning meant I was nervous. 

The room is uncomfortably large. The sprung floor soaks up the checkerboard of sunlight piercing through the colonial windows. The mirrored walls further illuminate the studio and I feel the light scrutinizing my sorry attempts at a pas de bourrée, while capturing the organic fluidity of the dancers around me. “Chassé en croix, grand battement, pique, pirouette.” I follow the graceful limbs of the woman in front of me, her legs floating ribbons, as she executes what seems to be a perfect ronds de jambes. Each movement remains a negotiation. With admirable patience, Ms. Tan casts me a sympathetic glance.   

There is no time to wallow in the misery that is my right foot. Taekwondo calls for dorsiflexion; pointed toes are synonymous with broken toes. My thoughts drag me into a flashback of the usual response to this painful mistake: “You might as well grab a tutu and head to the ballet studio next door.” Well, here I am Master Pollard, unfortunately still following your orders to never point my toes, but no longer feeling the satisfaction that comes with being a third degree black belt with 5 years of experience quite literally under her belt. It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers. 

But the appetite for new beginnings that brought me here doesn’t falter. It is only reinforced by the classical rendition of “Dancing Queen” that floods the room and the ghost of familiarity that reassures me that this new beginning does not and will not erase the past. After years spent at the top, it’s hard to start over. But surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become. In Taekwondo, we started each class reciting the tenets: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet. 

The thing about change is that it eventually stops making things so different. After nine different schools, four different countries, three different continents, fluency in Tamil, Norwegian, and English, there are more blurred lines than there are clear fragments. My life has not been a tactfully executed, gold medal-worthy Taekwondo form with each movement defined, nor has it been a series of frappés performed by a prima ballerina with each extension identical and precise, but thankfully it has been like the dynamics of a spinning back kick, fluid, and like my chances of landing a pirouette, unpredictable. 

Why it works:

What’s especially powerful about this essay is that the author uses detailed imagery to convey a picture of what they’re experiencing, so much so that the reader is along for the ride. This works as a sports essay not only because of the language and sensory details, but also because the writer focuses on a specific moment in time, while at the same time exploring why Taekwondo is such an important part of their life.

After the emotional image is created, the student finishes their essay with valuable reflection. With the reflection, they show admissions officers that they are mature and self-aware. Self-awareness comes through with statements like “surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become” and maturity can be seen through the student’s discussion of values “honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet.” These are the kinds of comments that should find their way into a sports essay!

“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one. 

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we compete with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

In the beginning, you might think this is another cliche sports essay about overcoming adversity. But instead, it becomes a unique statement and coming-of-age tale that reads as a suspenseful narrative. 

The author connects their experience with martial arts to larger themes in their life but manages to do so without riffing off of tried-and-true themes. Through statements like “I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was” we learn about the students values and their desire to be there for those who depend on them. 

The student also brings it full circle, demonstrating their true transformation. By using the “Same, but Different” ending technique , the student places themself in the same environment that we saw in the intro, but experiences it differently due to their actions throughout the narrative. This is very compelling!

“1…2…3…4 pirouettes! New record!” My friends cheered as I landed my turns. Pleased with my progress, I gazed down at my worn-out pointe shoes. The sweltering blisters, numbing ice-baths, and draining late-night practices did not seem so bad after all. Next goal: five turns.

For as long as I can remember, ballet, in all its finesse and glamor, had kept me driven day to day. As a child, the lithe ballerinas, donning ethereal costumes as they floated across the stage, were my motivation. While others admired Messi and Adele, I idolized Carlos Acosta, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet. 

As I devoted more time and energy towards my craft, I became obsessed with improving my technique. I would stretch for hours after class, forcing my leg one inch higher in an effort to mirror the Dance Magazine cover girls. I injured my feet and ruined pair after pair of pointe shoes, turning on wood, cement, and even grass to improve my balance as I spun. At competitions, the dancers with the 180-degree leg extensions, endless turns, and soaring leaps—the ones who received “Bravos!” from the roaring audience—further pushed me to refine my skills and perfect my form. I believed that, with enough determination, I would one day attain their level of perfection. Reaching the quadruple-pirouette milestone only intensified my desire to accomplish even more. 

My efforts seemed to have come to fruition two summers ago when I was accepted to dance with Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet at their renowned New York City summer intensive. I walked into my first session eager to learn from distinguished ballet masters and worldly dancers, already anticipating my improvement. Yet, as I danced alongside the accomplished ballerinas, I felt out of place. Despite their clean technique and professional training, they did not aim for glorious leg extensions or prodigious leaps. When they performed their turn combinations, most of them only executed two turns as I attempted four. 

“Dancers, double-pirouettes only.” 

Taken aback and confused, I wondered why our teacher expected so little from us. The other ballerinas seemed content, gracing the studio with their simple movements. 

As I grew closer with my Moscow roommates, I gradually learned that their training emphasized the history of the art form instead of stylistic tricks. Rather than show off their physical ability, their performances aimed to convey a story, one that embodied the rich culture of ballet and captured both the legacy of the dancers before them and their own artistry. As I observed my friends more intently in repertoire class, I felt the pain of the grief-stricken white swan from Swan Lake, the sass of the flirtatious Kitri from Don Quijote, and I gradually saw what I had overlooked before. My definition of talent had been molded by crowd-pleasing elements—whirring pirouettes, gravity-defying leaps, and mind-blowing leg extensions. This mindset slowly stripped me from the roots of my passion and my personal connection with ballet. 

With the Bolshoi, I learned to step back and explore the meaning behind each step and the people behind the scenes. Ballet carries history in its movements, from the societal values of the era to each choreographer’s unique flair. As I uncovered the messages behind each pirouette, kick, and jump, my appreciation for ballet grew beyond my obsession with raw athleticism and developed into a love for the art form’s emotive abilities in bridging the dancers with the audience. My journey as an artist has allowed me to see how technical execution is only the means to a greater understanding between dancer and spectator, between storyteller and listener. The elegance and complexity of ballet does not revolve around astonishing stunts but rather the evocative strength and artistry manifested in the dancer, in me. It is the combination of sentiments, history, tradition, and passion that has allowed ballet and its lessons of human connection to become my lifestyle both on and off stage.

This essay is about lessons. While the author is a dancer, this narrative isn’t really about ballet, per se — it’s about the author’s personal growth. It is purposefully reflective as the student shows a nice character arc that begins with an eager young ballerina and ends with a reflection on their past. The primary strength of this essay is the honesty and authenticity that the student approaches it with.

In the end, the student turns a cliche on its head as they embrace the idea of overcoming adversity and demonstrate how the adversity, in this case, was their own stereotypes about their art. It’s beautiful!

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

This essay uses the idea of sports to explore a more profound topic—growing through relationships. They really embrace using sports as an avenue to tell the reader about a specific experience that changed the way they approach the world. 

The emphasis on relationships is why this essay works well and doesn’t fall into a cliche. The narrator grows not because of their experience with track but because of their relationship with their coach, who inspired them to evolve and become a leader.

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College Essays About Karate: Finding Strength and Character

The benefits of writing about karate in your college essays.

As a martial art that emphasizes discipline, perseverance, and self-control, karate can be a powerful subject to write about in your college essays. Whether you are applying to colleges or writing an essay for a class, exploring the lessons you have learned through karate can help you demonstrate your character, values, and unique perspective. In this essay, we will explore how writing about karate can give you an edge in college admissions and help you develop your writing skills.

Demonstrating Your Character

One of the most important goals of a college essay is to help admissions officers get to know you as a person beyond your grades and test scores. Writing about karate can be an effective way to showcase your character, values, and qualities that make you unique. For example, you can write about how karate has taught you to be more disciplined, focused, and resilient in the face of challenges. You can also highlight how the values of respect, humility, and perseverance that you have learned through karate have shaped your worldview and influenced your goals for the future.

Standing Out from the Crowd

In a competitive college admissions landscape, it can be difficult to stand out from the thousands of other applicants. Writing about karate can help you differentiate yourself by highlighting your unique experiences and achievements. For example, you can write about how you have trained for years to achieve a black belt in karate, or how you have used your karate skills to give back to your community through volunteering or teaching. These stories can help you paint a vivid picture of who you are and what you can contribute to the college community.

Developing Your Writing Skills

Writing about karate can also be a valuable opportunity to improve your writing skills. By reflecting on your experiences and articulating your thoughts and feelings, you can develop your ability to communicate effectively in writing. Additionally, writing about karate can help you practice using descriptive language, using metaphor and analogy, and organizing your ideas in a clear and logical way. These skills can be valuable not only for college essays but also for future academic and professional pursuits.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

While writing about karate can be a powerful way to demonstrate your character and stand out from the crowd, it is important to be mindful of common pitfalls. For example, you should avoid sounding boastful or arrogant by focusing too much on your achievements and not enough on what you have learned and how you have grown. Additionally, you should be careful not to overuse karate-related jargon or terminology that may not be familiar to your readers. Finally, you should ensure that your essay is well-written, proofread, and free of grammar and spelling errors.

Conclusion: Finding Strength and Character through Karate

In conclusion, writing about karate can be a powerful way to demonstrate your character, stand out from the crowd, and develop your writing skills. By reflecting on your experiences and lessons learned through karate, you can give admissions officers a glimpse into who you are as a person and what you can contribute to their college community. Whether you are applying to colleges or writing an essay for a class, writing about karate can help you find strength and character in your writing and in yourself.

College Essay

We were immensely impressed by one of our student’s, Isaac, college application essay. A creative and inspiring account of his martial arts experience. Oss Isaac!

“Kankudai!” My arms shoot straight down with palms facing my body, fingers held tightly together. My eyes focus forward while both thumbs and index fingers connect to form a triangle. I am performing my favorite kata, or martial arts form. When I was ten years old I began studying Shotokan Karate. My father had shown my brother and me several martial arts movies, including Kung Fu and Enter the Dragon, that fascinated me. But as is my attitude, I not only wanted to see it, I wanted to do it. Now I am a first-degree black belt training for my second degree.

I slowly raise my arms; as my hands pass my forehead my eyes follow them, glancing at the sun through the triangle of my fingers. Here, I see my future standing in front of me, waiting for me to create it. My hands suddenly snap apart, forming right angles on each side of me. They slowly descend and reconnect waist-high. My feet are planted, a strong base, and my hands are open, inviting the outside in. Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish community with nurturing parents and an outstanding education from Yeshivah of Flatbush gave me the strong identity I need. However, my identity is not complete until I open myself up to the world, both gaining and contributing to its diversity. This past summer, I attended a class at the University of Pennsylvania with students from all around the world. One particular friend with whom I bonded was Raqan, a boy from Jordan. His background and beliefs seemed to clash with my own, but as we shared a motivation to learn, we challenged each other in a way that allowed us to grow. I yearn to learn more about other people and their cultures while I share mine with them. My strong foundation will enable me do to so.

Carefully keeping my back-stance, I chop high to the left and high to the right. Then I face forward, knees slightly bent for balance, and fluidly reach my hand out in front of me. I think of the way I reached out when I founded my school’s Martial Arts Therapy commission. One of the greatest accomplishments I had while working for the commission was organizing an event where over 20 autistic children came to the school after hours. They worked with me and 30 student volunteers from the 75-member commission, alongside the Sensei. We helped the children through basic martial arts techniques that assist in pain management while also being recreational. In this way, I used my martial arts as a bridge to overcome the gap between these mentally challenged children and myself. Now, I bend my knees, forcefully blocking towards both sides. I proceed through various chops, kicks, and blocks, reflecting on life, perfectly content in this mental and physical state.

I explosively jump up from a front stance with my right foot and kick in the air with my left, landing in a double block. With my inner strength I yell out a mighty “KIYA” as I stand confidently in a sturdy stance. I flash back to my visit to an anti-terrorism center in Israel when the head instructor, Steve, randomly chose me to face off against the unit’s Krav Maga expert. When he said “go” I sprang into a fighting stance. To my surprise Steve yelled stop—this was a test. He explained that there are two options to assume a fighting stance; ninety-eight percent of the people in this situation step back showing fright. I had stepped up.

A drip of sweat hits the ground below me. As I return from this meditative state, I stand up straight with two fists by my sides, into my Yoi position. “Yoi,” Japanese for, I am ready.

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Essay on Martial Arts

Students are often asked to write an essay on Martial Arts in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Martial Arts

What are martial arts.

Martial arts are different ways of fighting, often without guns or other weapons. People learn martial arts for self-defense, to stay fit, or to play sports. They include karate, judo, taekwondo, and many others. Each type has its own moves and rules.

History of Martial Arts

Long ago, warriors created martial arts to survive battles. Over time, these fighting styles spread across the world. Today, they are not just for fighting but also for learning discipline, respect, and improving oneself.

Benefits of Learning Martial Arts

Learning martial arts is good for both the body and mind. It makes you stronger, more flexible, and healthier. It also teaches you to be patient, to work hard, and to respect others.

Martial Arts for Self-Defense

One main reason to learn martial arts is for protection. Knowing how to defend yourself can make you feel safer and more confident in tough situations.

Martial Arts in Sports and Culture

Martial arts are popular in sports too. Competitions like the Olympics have events for judo and taekwondo. Movies and TV shows often show martial arts, making them a big part of popular culture.

250 Words Essay on Martial Arts

Martial arts are different ways of fighting, often without guns or other weapons. People practice martial arts for self-defense, to stay healthy, and even as a sport. Some well-known types of martial arts include Karate, Judo, Kung Fu, and Taekwondo. Each one comes from different parts of the world and has its own special moves and traditions.

The Benefits of Learning Martial Arts

When you learn martial arts, you gain more than just fighting skills. It makes your body strong and flexible and improves your balance and coordination. It’s not just good for your body, but for your mind too. Martial arts teach you to focus, to have self-control, and to respect others. Also, if you are ever in a dangerous situation, martial arts can help you protect yourself.

Martial Arts as a Sport

Some people practice martial arts as a sport. They train to compete against others in tournaments. In these competitions, they show their skills and try to win medals. It’s not just about fighting; it’s also about showing respect to your opponent and following the rules.

Respect and Discipline

One of the most important parts of martial arts is learning respect and discipline. Students learn to listen to their teacher, to follow directions, and to treat others well. These lessons are useful in everyday life, not just in martial arts classes.

Martial arts can be fun and exciting. Whether you want to stay healthy, learn to defend yourself, or just try something new, martial arts could be a great choice.

500 Words Essay on Martial Arts

Martial arts are different ways of fighting, often without guns or other weapons. They can be practiced for many reasons such as self-defense, physical fitness, mental and spiritual development, and preserving a nation’s cultural heritage. Some well-known types of martial arts include karate, judo, taekwondo, and kung fu.

The History of Martial Arts

Long ago, people began to learn martial arts for protection against enemies. Over time, these fighting styles changed and became better. Many countries have their own kind of martial arts. For example, karate comes from Japan, taekwondo from Korea, and kung fu from China. These arts have been passed down through generations, often from teacher to student.

Learning Martial Arts

When you start learning martial arts, you begin with the basics. This usually includes learning how to stand, how to move, and how to fall without getting hurt. As you get better, you learn more difficult moves. In many martial arts, you wear a colored belt that shows how skilled you are. You start with a white belt and try to reach a black belt, which means you are very good.

The Benefits of Practicing Martial Arts

Martial arts are good for both your body and your mind. They help you get stronger, more flexible, and have better balance. They also teach you to be patient, to respect others, and to work hard. Many people find that martial arts help them feel more peaceful and calm.

Martial Arts Competitions

Some people who do martial arts like to compete against others. These competitions can be about showing your skills or having a match against an opponent. They are a way to test what you have learned and to learn from others. Safety is very important in these competitions, and there are rules to make sure no one gets seriously hurt.

Martial Arts in Movies and TV

Many people first learn about martial arts from movies and TV shows. Actors like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan are famous for using martial arts in their films. These movies can be very exciting and can show martial arts in a way that makes people want to learn them.

Martial arts are more than just fighting. They are about learning new skills, getting better at them, and being a good person. Whether you want to protect yourself, get fit, or just have fun, martial arts can be a great thing to learn. It’s important to remember that while it can be exciting to watch martial arts in movies, practicing them in real life requires discipline, respect, and hard work.

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Loose vs lose, how to cite a blog, apa paraphrasing, the positive influence of martial arts essay sample, example.

I remember one case, from my earlier school days, which had an impact on my development later. Two 16-year-old bullies tried to steal money from a boy about 12 years old. They talked to him in a rude manner, but he stayed calm and did not respond to their insults. Finally, one of the bullies made an attempt to grab the victim’s jacket and hit him, but suddenly, the boy performed a couple of instantaneous moves, and the two bigger guys fell to the floor in tears. That was the first time I witnessed martial arts in action. Later, I made friends with that boy, and it was because of his enthusiasm about martial arts that I went into it myself. Now I am sure that this is one of the most beneficial activities for a modern individual.

There are a vast number of martial art forms. We use this term basically when talking about eastern self-defense and fighting practices, which are umpteen, but actually, almost every country in the world has its own specific combat style (Porter 457). Offhand, one can name wushu (often mistakenly called kung fu), capoeira, muay thai, kurash, jiu jitsu, karate, iaido, boxing, judo, Greco-Roman wrestling, ninjutsu, kick-boxing, and many others. Some of them are more or less popular, but due to the processes of globalization, one can study almost any martial art form; so it is not a surprise to see an African-American studying baguazhang, or a Japanese boy going into boxing. Still, despite the wide variety of combat practices, they all, to my mind, affect one’s personality in several major ways.

The most obvious benefit of practicing martial arts, whether it is wushu, karate, aikido, or anything else, is physical development. A prepared body is an important condition to succeed in this sphere. For instance, taekwondo requires an individual to have strong and well-stretched legs to perform all the staggering techniques of this art. Or, even a brighter example, wushu xingyiquan, where the fingertips are used as a weapon. Imagine the incredible hidden possibilities of a human body, if even such a seemingly weak part of it as fingers can perform dangerous blows. Besides, physical exercises are extremely useful if one spends most of the day in the office, sitting in front of a computer with a bent back and strained eyes (Porter 354). Two or three evenings a week spent in a dojo will have a significant and positive health effect.

The other, and perhaps even more important side entering into martial arts is a hardening of one’s spirit. Complaints about difficulties and pain are a rather common happening in training rooms. Many people quit training after their first hit in the face, or even earlier, when they get to know that martial arts is not just about waving hands elegantly, but also about hard work and perseverance. It is much easier to surrender and find some suitable excuse than to go on, but success cannot be achieved instantly. Many lesser victories add up to a bigger one, and so on; and one day you notice you can do movements that seemed impossible in the beginning. Therefore, martial arts foster patience and a sense of purpose, developing a skill to overcome difficulties (Recli 65). These skills can then be applied in many situations, and I think this is one of the reasons why eastern practices are often closely related to philosophy.

Perhaps the most common reason why people go into martial arts is a desire to gain self-confidence. They want to be able to defend themselves, just as in the aforementioned example with the 12-year-old boy, or which is observed even more often, to protect their loved ones. Physical strength itself can be helpful, but it can do nothing without spirit (Recli 422). And even if one possesses both strength and spirit, they could receive greater benefits if they master certain skills. Unfortunately, many people guided by their inferiority complex, old grievances, or other traumas see martial arts as a way to assert themselves on account of the weak. These people often carry some kind of burden within them, and instead of working to solve their problems, they choose the path of an illusory power, which gives them a sense of their own value. This way of thinking leads nowhere, as it often results in a strong and skillful fighter with the same weak soul as in the beginning, which is not beneficial to anyone.

As for me, I experienced these effects for myself. Though I am not an expert, I am sure the aforementioned arguments relate to almost any martial art form in the world. To my mind, one cannot master a discipline if one does not invoke certain changes in oneself; one has to transform, or quit. But those who reinvent themselves reap the fruits of their hard work.

Porter, William. Martial Arts Advantages . Los Angeles: Reality Sets Press, 2008. Print.

Recli, Sarah. The Spirit of Martial Arts Amidst Modernity . Brighton: Yin-Yang Books, 2011. Print.

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Karate essay: second draft! tell me what you think!

Essay 1: Experience

Wiping the sweat off my brow, I stepped out of the car, my nerves tingling with anticipation. “This is it,” I said to myself. I was nervous, of course, but I knew that I had trained long and hard to get here, and I deserved it. All of those hours slaving away on the sweaty blue mats were finally culminating into what would soon be a single moment of glory; I was about to become a black belt. I began karate lessons at the age of seven, and I enjoyed the grace and elegance of the sport from the beginning. With a combination of fluidity and force, each punch and kick from the higher belts made me yearn for the next level. I often daydreamed about the day when I could roundhouse above my head and smash the punching bags backwards into the wall. As I went from yellow belt to green belt, and then from green belt to purple belt, I saw myself stepping ever-closer to what I sought. However, there were other important aspects besides the action on the mats. In the middle of each of our everyday lessons, the instructor would sit down with us and tell us stories and repeat proverbs in order to attempt to instill a sense of righteousness, honor and morality into us. I often would only half-hear the advice because I was so eager to get back onto the mats, but as the years progressed, I developed a deep sense of what was right, and often felt great waves of guilt when I told even the smallest lies. Also, through looking after the lower belts, I gained a greater sense of responsibility as well as a need to help others. What started as helping young boys with their kicks has now progressed to tutoring my friends in both English and Math.<br> Feeling all of my past experiences pushing me forward into the building, I stepped in and walked slowly over to where the rest of the soon to be black belts stood. We all sat down and the ceremony began. The head of the school, a sixth-degree black belt, stood up and began to call out names. I sat in a state of absolute suspense, waiting for him to entice me forward. When I heard “NAME REMOVED,” my heart came close to stopping. Stumbling forward with a half-grin on my face to heavy clapping from the audience, I looked up at my instructor’s face as he tied the belt around my waist. I was finally a black belt. A sudden realization struck me as I sat back down among the other ecstatic students. I could now teach; I was no longer purely a student. The ceremony wrapped up and everyone else quietly chattered as they walked towards the exit. Receiving a hug from my mom and a look of approval from my dad, we promptly walked into the night air. I can’t remember if it was cold; my accomplishment surged the heat of pride throughout my body.

<p>If you want ppl to read your essay, make it easy for them by putting spaces between your paragraphs.</p>

<p>When I heard “NAME REMOVED,” my…</p>

<p>Just say</p>

<p>When I heard my name… try not to use anything in quotations. It is very annoying for the reader if you don’t know how to do it seamlessly.</p>

<p>Is it important that you all walk ‘promptly’? Is their any reason to use this descriptor? we promptly walked into the night air</p>

<p>I didn’t read the rest.</p>

<p>my bad, I guess… I’ll fix up my post then. heh. </p>

<p>Edit: What the… you can’t edit the original post? Interesting…</p>

<p>Oh well, I’ll just wait for this thread to die then repost it with better structure and what not.</p>

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Martial arts essay brian thomas hockenmaier, a range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you..

I was born the second child in a family of four, with one older brother, and for all of my life I have been either the shortest or one of the shortest kids in my class. Thus, it naturally follows that I have been picked on and would want to be able to "fend for myself." For this reason and because I felt I needed another source of athletic conditioning, I took up the study of a martial art called Aikido a little over a year ago. My training has since done more for me that I would have even hoped, both in body and mind.

Aikido is a martial art that focuses not on the practitioner's strength and size but on the manipulation of his subject's strength. Through my training I have learned a great deal not only about the art in general, but also about other areas of my life. I have improved my ability to become serious when necessary and to keep from getting too excited or angry over everyday issues. Some may say Aikido has made me more "easygoing," but I would say it has simply improved my overall temperament. Truly, the practice of Aikido has benefited my body and my soul.

I believe the experience of my training in Aikido would bring a great aspect of diversity to any college community in which I join. In...

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Martial Arts Essay Example

• Pages: 1 (194 words)
• Published: January 27, 2019
• Type: Essay

This report presents a comprehensive and captivating overview of martial arts in Asia. It delves into the origins and various types of martial arts, which can be broadly classified as percussive and non-percussive. Percussive martial arts involve aggressive striking, such as Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Kung-Fu. Non-percussive martial arts like Judo focus on throwing, locking, and neutralizing opponents in a less aggressive manner.

Kung-Fu is an intriguing martial art with speculated origins dating back to 1500 BC. Japanese martial arts can be divided into Bujitsu, which emphasizes combat skills including the willingness to face death honorably

, and Budo, established in the late 1800s focusing on moral and aesthetic development. Karate-do and Judo are forms of Budo used as a last resort.

One noteworthy Japanese martial art is ninjitsu or "the art of stealing in." Ninjas are practitioners of ninjitsu that developed during the late 1200s encompassing armed and unarmed combat skills. Despite being prohibited by emperors in the 1600s, ninjitsu persisted clandestinely to maintain its significance.The report about Asian martial arts in the 1980's brought global recognition to ninjitsu as it detailed its origins and whereabouts. It was an engaging read.

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Penn students found mixed martial arts club to teach combat techniques, create community

The Penn MMA club meets on Mondays and Saturdays at the David Pottruck Health & Fitness Center.

A new mixed martial arts club on campus is providing Penn students with the opportunity to learn combat techniques and participate in competitions.  

Penn MMA , which was founded in the 2023 fall semester by College senior Maximilian Chan, trains and practices mixed martial arts — a full-contact combat sport featuring techniques from various martial arts from around the world. Several Penn MMA members are preparing to compete in an event on April 12 in Morgantown, West Virginia, hosted by the intercollegiate mixed martial arts organization NUCA . 

Penn MMA lessons are led by more experienced members with backgrounds in various forms of martial arts. The club also holds more casual practices and joint sessions with other martial arts groups on campus, such as clubs for taekwondo, boxing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, among others. 

“Something that's been really great about MMA at Penn is you're learning something new every session. That's because the students are the coaches. So everybody's coming in with their own background,” Engineering first year Sydney Diaz said. 

Penn Electric Racing reveals fully electric vehicle in its tenth year of competition

Penn's United Minorities Council, 2027 Class Board host intercultural fair at Houston Hall

Chan estimates that most of the club members are newcomers, with only around one-fourth of members having extensive experience before joining. 

“We know how scary [mixed martial arts] is, and we try to be as beginner-friendly as possible,” College first year Julian Velazquez said. “Where we hold certain practices, we specifically tailor to beginners, so they can start learning how to defend themselves, learn how to fight, and they can warm up eventually to competing if that's something that they want to do.”

Unlike with point systems in some other martial arts competitions, opponents in MMA aim to incapacitate each other in three-minute, three-round fights, either by knocking them out, forcing them to surrender, or by having the referee issue a technical knockout over health concerns. The risk of injuries, such as concussions or bloody eyes, can make the competitions more intense than sparring practices and smokers, which are exhibition fights.

Despite the competitive nature of the sport, Chan said that members often have different reasons for learning MMA.

“[Competing’s] just for some people,” Chan said. “For most of the community members — like 95% —you just train because you want to get better. You want to have some exercise. You want to meet some new people, some amazing people, or you want to learn how to fight. … No one's going to end up being an MMA fighter when we graduate.”

Multiple Penn MMA members said that they appreciated the club's focus on community building. 

“I feel like the friendships I have over MMA are different than the friendships I have outside of it,” Chan said. “A lot of times, when you spar, you both get in the heat of it. Afterwards, you like them. ‘You're a pretty cool guy.' ‘Yeah, you're pretty good.' And you get really close.”

The club hosts various events to that end, including tournament watch parties and, most recently, retreats over the Easter weekend.

“We walked up a ski resort, we hung out at the top of the mountain, and we did a campfire — just generally team bonding, getting really close,” Velazquez said. “I think that was a really good way [for] the people on the team and members of the club to meet each other [and] learn about each other on a more personal level.”

Penn MMA will become eligible for funding from the Student Activities Council next academic year, and the club hopes to bring in professional coaches.

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“Along with our own training, we've also had to help in the training of others. Bringing in coaches … would definitely help take the load off some,” Velazquez said. “Knowing how to do the sport and knowing how to coach the sport, those are two separate things.”

Diaz said that Penn MMA is likely to last as new people join and become regular members. 

“They come in with no experience, and then, bam, you're seeing them every single day at the club,” Diaz said. “We just had a second-semester senior join, and she was going every single day. With that spirit, I think this club could go on for as long as we want because it's a great community.”

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Martial Arts — Risks And Benefits Of Martial Arts

Risks and Benefits of Martial Arts

• Categories: Martial Arts Taekwondo

About this sample

Words: 1228 |

Published: Apr 11, 2022

Words: 1228 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

Works Cited

• Neyra, D. (2014). The future of mixed martial arts or a detriment to America’s youth? A call to regulate children’s MMA. Journal of Combative Sport, 2(2), 1-12.
• Johnstone, A. (2018). Martial Arts Offers Brain-Boosting Benefits for All Ages. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minding-the-body/201804/martial-arts-offers-brain-boosting-benefits-all-ages
• Maloney, L. (2019). What Are the Benefits of Martial Arts for Kids? Livestrong. Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/146371-what-are-the-benefits-of-martial-arts-for-kids/
• Demorest, R. A., & Koutures, C. G. (2011). Youth participation and injury risk in martial arts. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 21(4), 352-356. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e31821d4e4a
• Pieter, W., & De Martelaer, K. (2014). Injury profiles of young taekwondo, judo and karate athletes. European Journal of Sport Science, 14(Suppl. 1), S130-S136. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2012.740051
• Omiya, M., Yamamoto, Y., & Yamamoto, Y. (2017). Injury rate and type among children and adolescents practicing martial arts. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 16(2), 230-236.
• Zetaruk, M. N., Violán, M. A., Zurakowski, D., & Micheli, L. J. (2005). Karate injuries in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 105(6), e76. doi: 10.1542/peds.105.6.e76
• Gartland, S., & Malik, M. H. (2014). Risk of injury in martial arts: a systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(2), 98-102. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091417
• Balasubramanian, S., & Arumugam, M. (2015). Analysis of martial arts injuries treated in emergency department. International Journal of Scientific Study, 3(3), 108-112. doi: 10.17354/ijss/2015/307
• Cassisi, J. E. (2016). Concussions and head injury in combat sports: a review. Journal of Athletic Training, 51(11), 1036-1042. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-51.12.02

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Breaking news, ufc 300 headliner alex pereira had not yet tried martial arts at time of ufc 100.

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Everyone knows what Alex Pereira will be up to for UFC 300: closing out the milestone night in Las Vegas in the main event.

It’s a far cry from what he was doing around the time of UFC 100: not training in the martial arts.

“In 2009, I actually had not even started really training yet,” Pereira recently told The Post during a video call via interpreter Plinio Cruz, his Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach. “Had not even trained soccer or anything like that. I just later in 2009 I started getting my feet wet in martial arts.”

Clearly, July 11, 2009, was a long time ago, and it’s becoming increasingly common that young men and women were drawn to the sport by events having taken place in the time since Brock Lesnar pounded out Frank Mir in their highly anticipated rematch for the heavyweight title at that tentpole event.

But Pereira isn’t a fresh-faced, 20-something fighter who began his MMA journey as a kid; the UFC light heavyweight champion turns 37 this summer, having spent the past 15 years conquering two weight classes in the world of kickboxing and in the UFC as its former middleweight titleholder.

When “Poatan” came to martial arts, it wasn’t to chase the glory he nonetheless achieved.

Pereira merely sought a way to get his life back on track as he battled alcohol addiction.

The road to sobriety was not a straight one — he says he has not had a drink since about 2013, a year before he began competing for Glory in kickboxing — but even today Pereira keeps himself grounded by not forgetting where he came from as an impoverished youth in Brazil.

“I think almost every day about how far I came,” Pereira said. “That’s just to keep me grounded in my roots.”

Pereira recalled recently watching fights at the home of head coach Glover Teixeira, who lost the final fight of his career last year to Pereira’s upcoming opponent, Jamahal Hill, and his thoughts drifting to “everything it took” to reach this point in his life.

He adds that this is part of why he returns frequently to his homeland — he trains at Teixeira MMA & Fitness in Bethel, Conn. — and hangs out with family and old friends.

Add the honor of headlining one of the most stacked events in UFC history to the list of accomplishments he could not have fathomed, and it’s one more way Pereira has defied critics who doubted a kickboxing champion with just four MMA bouts upon his 2021 UFC debut could make waves in this sport.

Having shut the door on a return to middleweight to reclaim the first UFC championship he won in 2022, Pereira’s focus is squarely making his first light heavyweight title defense — and eventually subsequent ones.

Since dominant division champion Jon Jones vacated the crown in 2020, Pereira is the fifth man to be recognized as undisputed champion following brief reigns by Jan Blachowicz, Teixeira, Jiri Prochazka and Hill.

Hill won the title, vacated by Prochazka due to injury, when he hammered Teixeira for five rounds in Brazil last January, with Pereira cornering his mentor and, notably, leering at Hill in the aftermath.

When Hill also vacated the title due to a ruptured Achilles tendon last July, that paved the way for Pereira to defeat Prochazka and become the champion at 205 pounds — needing just about two years from the day of his UFC debut to become a two-division kingpin, the fasted in promotional history.

Pitting Pereira and Hill against one another gives the champ a chance to become the first man since Blachowicz in March 2021 to successfully defend the light heavyweight belt that has become a hot potato.

And that is all, Pereira maintains, that he is focused on, rather than the narrative that he seeks retribution on behalf of Teixeira.

“Many people say, ‘Oh, he’s going in there to avenge Glover. Is there bad blood and stuff?’ No. I’m just fighting another opponent,” Pereira says.

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• DiSciullo vs. Paiva DiSciullo vs. Paiva

Rico DiSciullo vs. Dinis Paiva

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Disciullo vs. paiva fight predictions, fight predictions, tapology community picks: 0, bout information, event poster.

Fight Details

• Event: Cage Titans 2: Carnage
• Date: Friday 11.05.2010 at 08:00 PM ET
• Venue: Lombardo's
• Enclosure: Cage
• Location: Randolph, Massachusetts, United States
• Bout Billing: Preliminary Card (fight 7 of 15)
• Pro/Am: Amateur
• Weight: 145 lbs (65.8 kg)
• DiSciullo Total Disclosed Pay: DiSciullo Disclosed Pay: None Disclosed
• Paiva Total Disclosed Pay: Paiva Disclosed Pay: None Disclosed

Event Discussion

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Guest Essay

Is This the End of Academic Freedom?

By Paula Chakravartty and Vasuki Nesiah

Dr. Chakravartty is a professor of media, communication and culture at New York University, where Dr. Nesiah is a professor of practice in human rights and international law.

​At New York University, the spring semester began with a poetry reading. Students and faculty gathered in the atrium of Bobst Library. At that time, about 26,000 Palestinians had already been killed in Israel’s horrific war on Gaza; the reading was a collective act of bearing witness.

The last poem read aloud was titled “If I Must Die.” It was written, hauntingly, by a Palestinian poet and academic named Refaat Alareer who was killed weeks earlier by an Israeli airstrike. The poem ends: “If I must die, let it bring hope — let it be a tale.”

Soon after those lines were recited, the university administration shut the reading down . Afterward, we learned that students and faculty members were called into disciplinary meetings for participating in this apparently “disruptive” act; written warnings were issued.

We have both taught at N.Y.U. for over a decade and believe we are in a moment of unparalleled repression. Over the past six months, since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, we have seen the university administration fail to adequately protect dissent on campus, actively squelching it instead. We believe what we are witnessing in response to student, staff and faculty opposition to the war violates the very foundations of academic freedom.

While N.Y.U. says that it remains committed to free expression on campus and that its rules about and approach to protest activity haven’t changed, students and faculty members in solidarity with the Palestinian people have found the campus environment alarmingly constrained.

About a week after Hamas’s attacks in October, the Grand Staircase in the Kimmel student center, a storied site of student protests , closed indefinitely; it has yet to reopen fully. A graduate student employee was reprimanded for putting up fliers in support of Palestinians on the student’s office door and ultimately took them down; that person is not the only N.Y.U. student to face some form of disciplinary consequence for pro-Palestinian speech or action. A resolution calling for the university to reaffirm protection of pro-Palestinian speech and civic activity on campus, passed by the elected Student Government Assembly in December, has apparently been stuck in a procedural black hole since.

The New York Police Department has become a pervasive presence on campus, with over 6,000 hours of officer presence added after the war broke out. Hundreds of faculty members have signed onto an open letter condemning the university’s “culture of fear about campus speech and activism.”

Such draconian interventions are direct threats to academic freedom.

At universities across the country, any criticism of Israel’s policies, expressions of solidarity with Palestinians, organized calls for a cease-fire or even pedagogy on the recent history of the land have all emerged as perilous speech. In a letter to university presidents in November, the A.C.L.U. expressed concern about “impermissible chilling of free speech and association on campus” in relation to pro-Palestinian student groups and views; since then, the atmosphere at colleges has become downright McCarthyite .

The donors, trustees, administrators and third parties who oppose pro-Palestinian speech seem to equate any criticism of the State of Israel — an occupying power under international law and one accused of committing war crimes — with antisemitism. To them, the norms of free speech are inherently problematic, and a broad definition of antisemitism is a tool for censorship . Outside funding has poured into horrifying doxxing and harassment campaigns. Pro-Israel surveillance groups like Canary Mission and CAMERA relentlessly target individuals and groups deemed antisemitic or critical of Israel. Ominous threats follow faculty and students for just expressing their opinions or living out their values.

To be clear, we abhor all expressions of antisemitism and wholeheartedly reject any role for antisemitism on our campuses. Equally, we believe that conflating criticism of Israel or Zionism with antisemitism is dangerous. Equating the criticism of any nation with inherent racism endangers basic democratic freedoms on and off campus. As the A.C.L.U. wrote in its November statement, a university “cannot fulfill its mission as a forum for vigorous debate” if it polices the views of faculty members and students, however much any of us may disagree with them or find them offensive.

In a wave of crackdowns on pro-Palestinian speech nationwide, students have had scholarships revoked, job offers pulled and student groups suspended. At Columbia, protesters have reported being sprayed by what they said was skunk, a chemical weapon used by the Israeli military; at Northwestern, two Black students faced criminal charges , later dropped, for publishing a pro-Palestinian newspaper parody; at Cornell, students were arrested during a peaceful protest . In a shocking episode of violence last fall, three Palestinian students , two of them wearing kaffiyehs, were shot while walking near the University of Vermont.

Many more cases of student repression on campuses are unfolding.

Academic freedom, as defined by the American Association of University Professors in the mid-20th century , provides protection for the pursuit of knowledge by faculty members, whose job is to educate, learn and research both inside and outside the academy. Not only does this resonate with the Constitution’s free speech protections ; international human rights law also affirms the centrality of academic freedom to the right to education and the institutional autonomy of educational institutions.

Across the United States, attacks on free speech are on the rise . In recent years, right-wing groups opposed to the teaching of critical race theory have tried to undermine these principles through measures including restrictions on the discussion of history and structural racism in curriculums, heightened scrutiny of lectures and courses that are seen to promote dissent and disciplinary procedures against academics who work on these topics.

What people may not realize is that speech critical of Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies has long been censored, posing persistent challenges to those of us who uphold academic freedom. Well before Oct. 7, speech and action at N.Y.U. in support of Palestinians faced intense and undue scrutiny.

Our students are heeding Refaat Alareer’s call to bear witness. They are speaking out — writing statements, organizing protests and responding to a plausible threat of genocide with idealism and conviction. As faculty members, we believe that college should be a time when students are encouraged to ask big questions about justice and the future of humanity and to pursue answers however disquieting to the powerful.

Universities must be places where students have access to specialized knowledge that shapes contemporary debates, where faculty members are encouraged to be public intellectuals, even when, or perhaps especially when, they are expressing dissenting opinions speaking truth to power. Classrooms must allow for contextual learning, where rapidly mutating current events are put into a longer historical timeline.

This is a high-stakes moment. A century ago, attacks on open discussion of European antisemitism, the criminalization of dissent and the denial of Jewish histories of oppression and dispossession helped create the conditions for the Holocaust. One crucial “never again” lesson from that period is that the thought police can be dangerous. They can render vulnerable communities targets of oppression. They can convince the world that some lives are not as valuable as others, justifying mass slaughter.

It is no wonder that students across the country are protesting an unpopular and brutal war that, besides Israel, only the United States is capable of stopping. It is extraordinary that the very institutions that ought to safeguard their exercise of free speech are instead escalating surveillance and policing, working on ever more restrictive student conduct rules and essentially risking the death of academic freedom.

From the Vietnam War to apartheid South Africa, universities have been important places for open discussion and disagreement about government policies, the historical record, structural racism and settler colonialism. They have also long served as sites of protest. If the university cannot serve as an arena for such freedoms, the possibilities of democratic life inside and outside the university gates are not only impoverished but under threat of extinction.

Paula Chakravartty is a professor of media, communication and culture at New York University, where Vasuki Nesiah is a professor of practice in human rights and international law. Both are members of the executive committee of the N.Y.U. chapter of the American Association of University Professors and members of N.Y.U.’s Faculty for Justice in Palestine.

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