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Punch, block, kick, parry… These words and many others have played a significant role in the life of one of Grand View’s most well known professors.

Dr. Joshua Call is an English professor at GV, and martial arts have played a large role throughout his life.

“I’m an 80’s kid,” Call said. “I was watching the Karate Kid in theaters thinking, ‘wow, it would be so cool if I could do that,’ so I began studying martial arts when I was little and the rest is history.”

Some think martial arts are about self-discipline and self-improvement, but it’s different for Call. “My ideals behind martial arts are slightly different,” Call said. “At first, I practiced them because I liked the thought of punching and kicking, but I then realized it was all about ritualized practice.”

According to Call, ritualized practice is the process of practicing something over and over again and improving on it in every way. Call practices every day to get his technique just right and work out the kinks.

“There’s no such thing as perfection,” Call said. “You could have five people in a line all of them doing the same move the same way. They might appear uniform, but there are subtle variations that are distinctly their own.”

The idea of offering martial arts programs at Grand View would be a great one, but it would take tremendous effort from the athletics department.­­

“Sports are introduced if the conference allows it,” Call said. “In order to introduce a new sport to the college, you would have to have it approved by the conference, and that can be very difficult.”

However, Call said he would approve of martial arts classes­ being held in the Wellness Center in order to raise awareness for it. According to the official website for Farrell’s Xtreme Bodybuilding, martial arts are a high-aerobic workout that uses every muscle group in the body. It improves stamina, muscle tone, flexibility, balance and strength.

Call has practiced many forms of martial arts including Tae-Kwon-Do and boxing.

“I started with Tae-Kwon-Do and boxing,” Call said. “My grandfather was my first teacher; he boxed in the Marines. From him, I learned some traditional golden-gloved pugilism. As I got into high school, I started studying more advanced martial arts like kempo, kendo, and Florentine fencing.” Call was also a wrestler throughout high school, and he had a short career as an amateur MMA fighter.

“I transitioned into Tai Chi later on,” Call said. “Tai Chi is the most stable martial art I have practiced.” Tai chi involves stretching and working out the mind and body. Tai Chi movements, with unusual names like “stork spreads wings” and “bend bow and shoot tiger” require a good deal of strength and great concentration. Some practitioners believe Tai Chi to be a kind of medicine that can help prevent illness, but for Call, it is about what any martial art is about.

According to Call, the idea is to injure the opponent. “It relies on a series of strikes, grabs, blocks to help you with your own survival,” Call said. “The fact that it teaches self-discipline is a bonus, and it is great exercise as well.”

Martial arts often shape a person and influence their personality, and Call is no exception. He’s extremely competitive and constantly strives to be the best he can be. However, he has acknowledged that there is still a lot for him to learn.

“Martial arts has taught me that it doesn’t matter how big, strong, smart, or tough you are,” Call said. “There is always going to be someone who is better than you, in all aspects of life.”

According to Call, martial arts had little influence in his pursuit of his many academic degrees and his approach to life.

“I pursued multiple because I loved writing, not because of martial arts,” Call said. “Eventually, I found enjoyment in helping others with their writing and sharing my love of it with others.”