<p>I took a look at the PE courses offered at Cornell, and I have to say, I am very impressed by the selection they have...</p>
<p>I was thinking about taking either a martial arts course or a racquet sports class (I know how to swim) to fulfill my PE requirement, and I had a couple questions. </p>
<p>Firstly, how many PE courses do I need to take to fulfill the requirements?</p>
<p>Secondly, for anyone who has taken the martial arts courses, do they do a good job of teaching the basics, and how in depth can they go?</p>
<p>Lastly, does having a more intensive PE class interfere with the workload?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>You only need to take two PE courses assuming you’re a freshman and not a transfer.</p>
<p>Haven’t taken martial arts courses so can’t comment on that.</p>
<p>Yes, for example, there’s a class called “Intro to competitive rowing”, which is pretty much a 2 or 3 week session of rigorous physical training at level of Div I varsity athletics. A class like that is going to be much more strenuous then say, intro to massage.</p>
<p>I took Thai Boxing three semesters ago. It is a great introduction to the art, but the class went a little slow for me because I had trained in it previously (I still learned a good deal - Sifu Kevin Seaman is a great instructor). I don’t think any of the martial arts classes will go super deep, as you would if you went to a reputable gym/trained regularly (and there probably won’t be much sparring, if any at all in these classes), but you’ll learn some stuff.</p>
<p>PE is the hidden gem of Cornell. While only 2 are required, I recommend taking a PE any semester it fits into your schedule. If you already don’t have a problem staying active on your own, the variety is interesting enough that they’re worth taking.</p>
<p>I took Tai Chi, Yoga, and Tennis. I guess Tai Chi is a martial art, but it’s more about movement and breathing than actually fighting. We only got into the basics. I liked Tennis since it allowed me to play a couple times a week and they offer classes at all levels with good instructors. My sense of the martial arts classes is they will be very introductory. I didn’t really consider them since I have a 3rd degree black belt myself and would have likely been bored.</p>