Club Activities

Okayama University Gymnastics Club

“The Okayama University Gymnastic Club was set up in 1949,” says Captain Kazuyoshi Akaishi, a 2nd year engineering student. “We have 17 members of whom half are female, and again, half are total new comers to gymnastics. The members have stoic personalities.”

Some features of the club include that it has a high level because it has many experienced members and beginners are able to get good training by close interaction with more experienced people because the club does not have too many members.

The members practice 4 times a week and also hold training camps with students from other universities nearby. Training sessions start with warming up followed by dividing up into groups for making our bodies for flexible, and weight training. The club regularly participates in inter-university competitions as well as local student gatherings. For the last two years, the female members of the club have won the group competition in the ‘chug-shi-koku’ contest.

The members of the club go skiing and swimming together during long holidays and they have arrange an ‘old boys’ gathering once every four years.

“Gymnastics does not have language barrier,” says Captain Akaishi. “We openly welcome international students to join us. We can learn more about each other’s culture as well as improving our gymnastics skills.”