Japan to require students to take martial arts classes

Bill Mattocks

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That or dance.

http://www.tokyotimes.co.jp/2012/dancing-the-new-challenge-for-japanese-teachers/

New government education guidelines which require students to take dance and martial arts classes have forced some of the teachers to take dance courses themselves before the new school year starts next month.

According to the new regulations, all seventh- and eighth-grade students have to take either sumo, judo, or kendo classes, as well as folk, creative or street dancing courses.

Because of the huge interest of the students for the latter, some teachers understood they need to take classes themselves in order to be convincing enough when school starts.

Should martial arts training be mandatory in your school district?
 

Kenlee25

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Considering they are all just learning Judo, sumo, or kendo which are all mostly sports, I don't really see the problem with it. It's like in America requiring students take gym class. They only difference is that the japanese want to immerse the students in their culture from what I can tell. ( not to mention is a lot more relaxed about the whole violence thing ).

Considering the nature of the three martial arts named, I don't see this either helping or hurting. Judo is the only one I can really see being able to be used in a fight, but honestly kids natural instinct to punch will probably kick in before the judo. If anything it will just make fights a bit cooler to look at, not increase them. Otherwise it's really just and exorcise routine, though it does take some of the honor out of judo and kendo.

As for requiring it in our district? No freaking way! There are way too many idiots in America for everyone to start learning how to fight better...and knowing america, they would require wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, or fencing. Honestly, considering fencers use real swords and boxing and kickboxing can be deadly if learned correctly, I really don't trust most American children learning them.


With that said, sign my butt up for the street dancing. I'd take that class in a second.
 

Xue Sheng

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A friend of mine is from Japan and she took kendo in school and ended up with a black belt and I woulkd consider her a great threat to..... her husband should he ever get out of line... since he went and hung a real katana on the wall of thier home :D
 

Xue Sheng

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That or dance.

http://www.tokyotimes.co.jp/2012/dancing-the-new-challenge-for-japanese-teachers/



Should martial arts training be mandatory in your school district?

It's Japan.... if my memory is correct the police can searc your house once a year justs cause.

And I was required to take square dancing in high school in America.... I HATE square dancing... I was also required to take wrestling and basket ball and foot ball and gymnastics.... I have to tell you...give me a choice between that and MA training....even WAAAAAAAAAAAY back then I would have happitly done the MA stuff...

Square dancing...yeah that was useful.

School districts in America require all sorts of things that range from Great to silly.... I see no issue here at all.
 

oaktree

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Most Japanese kids want to play baseball not martial.arts.
Oh well Japanese are a conformity society so they will
Just do it and accept it.
 

Buka

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Martial Arts mandatory? Here in the United States? Oh, hell no! Who's going to teach it and what are they going to teach? I'm sure we'd all agree with each other and figure out what was best for the students.

But if it ever did become mandatory - I want the government contract supplying the belts. (Please?)
 

Makalakumu

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Martial Arts mandatory? Here in the United States? Oh, hell no! Who's going to teach it and what are they going to teach? I'm sure we'd all agree with each other and figure out what was best for the students.

But if it ever did become mandatory - I want the government contract supplying the belts. (Please?)

Can you imagine how much martial arts would suck if the government controlled it?

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MA-Caver

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Why am I getting the feeling that with this mandate someone in the Japanese government is preparing for an invasion or war? Perhaps maybe a bit too late.
Understandably the Japans have been militarily suppressed and given limited means to protect themselves and enforcing them to become allies to trust the ones that they had waged war against. So this mandate might be just a back up plan or preparation.

I dunno if it would suck? Look at China, I'm guessing a vast majority of the people have some MA-training. Of course no amount of H2H training can compete with a well armed force, unafraid to use it, so no worries about an overthrow of regimes there... at least for the time being. Korea however is a major concern. Those two (Japan and Korea) have never, historically, really liked each other. I suspect the South end of that peninsula is just paying polite lip-service to the island(s) and vice-versa.

But that's just me.
 

Makalakumu

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For taekwondo it wouldn't suck. I don't know about other styles.

Could you elaborate? I know other countries have governmental bodies that control martial arts practice. I'm curious as to how this really affects quality. My earlier statement was definately tongue in cheek.

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puunui

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Could you elaborate? I know other countries have governmental bodies that control martial arts practice. I'm curious as to how this really affects quality. My earlier statement was definately tongue in cheek.

I don't think everyone would like it or benefit from it but if handled properly it could lead to some tremendous things for taekwondo. But the public outrage would be too much, and it wouldn't go forward.

But other professions have government certification requirements, which I think is a good thing. For example, if you had a traumatic brain injury, wouldn't you feel better knowing that your brain surgeon graduated from an AMA approved school and passed their licensing board? Or would anyone in the yellow pages do?
 

Grenadier

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Is it really anything different than what they used to do, back when the more famous alumni of the JKA were in college? All of those guys were all but required to attend martial arts training.

Making them take it earlier wouldn't be that much different, and as Kenlee stated, it would be a good way for them to learn about the Japanese culture. I think it would work quite well in Japan, given their society.


Sadly, though, it would most likely *not* work here in the USA. The way our culture is set up, I really doubt that the parents would go for it. It's too bad, since we could probably generate more prodigies than we currently do. Furthermore, since being a top level martial artist isn't going to get you scholarships, endorsements, etc., that would come with other sports such as baseball, tennis, football, soccer, etc., a lot of parents would rather their children be involved in sports that do offer such opportunities.
 

chinto

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Karate has been PE in the Okinawan schools since before 1910 as I understand it. My understanding is that Judo was introduced to the main islands of japans schools as PE before Karate was on Okinawa. Perhaps they curtailed it just after the second world war? But I was told it was PE in the 1970's by a student who was an exchange student from japan. ( the it being Judo )

So not sure if it was discontinued or just optional? does any one know?
 

puunui

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Is it really anything different than what they used to do, back when the more famous alumni of the JKA were in college? All of those guys were all but required to attend martial arts training.

I don't believe that is true.
 

Senjojutsu

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1) I don't think taking several hours of classes with any activity is going to make a difference - except it may provide a spark of interest within individual students to further pursue study - which in theory is an important part of educational process. The trouble in current America is so much of it is indoctrinational in nature.

2) Speaking of that - if you make the empirical statement that the quality of US Public education peaked during the early 1960s it would be amusing to note that many High Schools back then along with Debate Teams and Chess Clubs actually had Target Rifle Clubs teaching marksmanship and responsible use of firearms to the adolescent 'yutes.

Could you imagine that student activity being sponsored today at schools???

Of course it was different country back then - inDUHviduals were primary judged on their actions and blame was not placed on society or towards inanimate objects.

Besides we also had weekly morality plays on television like The Riflemen. Where Lucas McCain had to teach his son Mark lessons in right-and-wrong by gunning down one, two, maybe even three
ne'er-do-wells a week while the useless sheriff Mica stood by... The good days are gone forever.
 
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itto_seki

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I was talking to a friend of mine today who is working in the education system. Apparently, some of these school clubs are being lead by "fast track" shodans who acquire their rank in a two week intensive. I'd be more worried about children learning from under qualified individuals than anything else.
 

RobinTKD

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I'm not entirely sure what the Japanese currently think of their martial heritage, i know some are embarrassed about it, but it could work well with good instruction.

I'd have loved to have it at when I was at school, I could have trained everyday instead of twice a week. I think if we implemented it now in the UK, it wouldn't go well. Too many overprotective 'all violence is bad' parents, too many kids with a bad attitude, not enough support for the teachers to be able to discipline their students.
 

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