Martial Arts in schools...

[geezer]

We were going over school supply lists, immunization forms and other paperwork to get my sixth-grader back in school next week, and out popped a list of after school activities that we could sign him up for during "after school care". Among the activities listed were Aikido and Tae Kwon Do.

Now this is at a public "charter school" which is a publicly funded school run under a "charter", and independent of the regular school districts. I have never seen any martial arts offered or even allowed at the regular district schools. Well, except the school where I teach. A buddy of mine teaches rapier fencing, but I think he gets away with it only because a. Administration probably confuses it with sport fencing, b. He's a history teacher, and he made a big pitch about how much history was being taught through this activity, and c. He got the club approved on an experimental basis only, with it being pretty clear that his job was on the line if anyone got injured. Nevermind that kids get injured all the time in mainstream sports like football. And even kids in those established programs have to get insurance. Liability concerns are a really big thing these days.

Anyway, do any of you have martial arts programs connected with the public grade schools or high schools in your area? If so, are any of you involved in these programs?

 

[dancingalone]

I do not personally, but a friend of mine teaches at a charter school. He enjoys teaching the kids and it's a entry point for the children to his regular school. He teaches beginner material at the charter school right after the school classes end with lots of age appropriate fun games added in. Some of the kids that take to martial arts eventually enroll with him.

 

[Omar B]

Awesome man! Actually I started karate when I was in Prep school at 5, it was offered as an after school program and it became a lifelong passion, after leaving Prep school at 12 I moved on to the regular Seido dojo. Also, if you sign your child up for a MA at school I think they are more likely to stick with it, because he's gonna be doing it with all his little friends and it'll be like soccer or tennis or any other sport that bonds kids. That's the way it worked for me, my class friends and I got together even on days we did not have class after school to practise together and we all pushed each other to do better, heck, we all even moved on to the regular dojo and all made black belt at the same time.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Fencing club at my kids' high school; public school. When I was in high school, I took Shotokan as an elective.

Daniel

 

[Grenadier]

Anyway, do any of you have martial arts programs connected with the public grade schools or high schools in your area? If so, are any of you involved in these programs?

Yes.

We've always been on good terms with the local elementary school, and they allow us to conduct Karate classes there for the kids, as an after-school activity. The school has been quite cooperative and supportive, and allows us to conduct demonstrations for the school's general populace.

One of the local intermediate schools (grades 4-5) also allowed us to conduct an after school program, but alas, there wasn't much interest from the kids there.

The nice thing about being able to teach in the schools, is that it turns into a great feeder program for bringing those kids to train at your main dojo. If the parents like what they see out of their kids (and most of them do, then there's usually very little hesitation in allowing the to enroll at the dojo itself, instead of the after-school program.

The only disadvantage is the facilities. You're either going to be teaching in the gymnasium, which isn't too bad at all, or you'll be using the cafeteria room, which isn't the greatest choice, but it's better than not being there!

 

[terryl965]

Our school currently has three Charter school we teach for and have been for a couple of years. It is all basic material and then they can roll over to the primary school which I own and operate.

 

[Omar B]

Yes.

We've always been on good terms with the local elementary school, and they allow us to conduct Karate classes there for the kids, as an after-school activity. The school has been quite cooperative and supportive, and allows us to conduct demonstrations for the school's general populace.

One of the local intermediate schools (grades 4-5) also allowed us to conduct an after school program, but alas, there wasn't much interest from the kids there.

The nice thing about being able to teach in the schools, is that it turns into a great feeder program for bringing those kids to train at your main dojo. If the parents like what they see out of their kids (and most of them do, then there's usually very little hesitation in allowing the to enroll at the dojo itself, instead of the after-school program.

The only disadvantage is the facilities. You're either going to be teaching in the gymnasium, which isn't too bad at all, or you'll be using the cafeteria room, which isn't the greatest choice, but it's better than not being there!

When I was a kid in the after school karate thing it was taught in the gym or on a nice day on the basketball court or soccer field. I will say our Sensei had all the facilities to have us run on the track, use the mats in the gym, anything you can think of.

 

[ArmorOfGod]

Yes, I work at a public middle school in South Carolina and I have run the martial arts club there for 2 years now. This is not a charter school; it is a standard public school.
Our school has "club day" once a month. We have clubs such as Narnia club, scrapbooking, soccer, sports, karaoke, walking, poetry, and about a dozen others.
The catch to my club was that we couldn't call it "martial arts." We had to call it "cardio-defense" to avoid any issues with the disctrict worrying about injuries or parents worrying about eastern mysticism (which surprisingly was not an issue). I had a full year and covered a ton of material each time. They stretched, exercised, learned history (I am big on that), did some mat rolls and falls, learned a kata, and that went on the whole year.
It had to be a non-contact class due to liability and dealing with middle schoolers in general. The boys kept on tackling and kicking each other and I dealt with the "that's not how I learned it in boxing 4 years ago when I was 8--so you are wrong" kind if junk.
I had a great time the first year, but am not doing it again this year. The state and quality of kids behavior is too shoddy in my area for something like martial arts in that environment. In a middle school environment (in my area), these are kids on the far end of the social spectrum. The school is in a rural impoverished area so this group is mostly kids who can barely read and are 15 years old and still in middle school. No one lives with 2 parents and each mother around here had 3-4 kids from 3-4 dads. I am basically saying they have no idea how to act civilly because their parents never taught them. I always had a few great kids, a whole bunch of normal kids, and a few terrible kids, so it was such a hodge-podge of behavior and mentality levels that it was more of a chore the 2nd year.
I guess I am no help really because the 1st year I did it was one of the coolest martial arts things I have done in my 18 years of training. The 2nd year was a train wreck and it had to do with (both times) which kids I got.
By the way, on the first year, I made a belt between white and yellow (kind of a white and a half) and let most of the kids test for it at the end of the program. We didn't wear uniforms or belts, so they got the certificate at the end of the program. That was a lot of fun.
AoG

 

[rmclain]

At Mooresville High School in North Carolina, there is a Chayon-Ryu PE credit program taught during school, like other classes. It is not an after-school program.

Here's a link to a story about it: http://www.kimsookarate.com/cyrnews/NCpublicSchool/cyrPublicSchool.htm

I flew out in May to help with the public demonstration/celebration to celebrate the program. I met with the Principal and conducted an interview with J.D. Haglan while I was there. I hope to release the interview in the next issue of Totally TKD, with Stuart's approval. J.D. Haglan gives some tips fo rothers wanting to start a program elsewhere.

R. McLain

 

[PictonMA]

I currently run after-school programs at 4 different schools in my area (one Roman Catholic Separate School and three public elementary schools).

Over the years I've run programs in all different kinds of schools - private schools, public schools, faith based schools and regular schools.

In some cases they are lunch programs, others are afterschool.

In some cases the schools provide the space for free and the programs are run at a nominal fee. In other cases the school boards charge a ridiculous rate per hour and also require a stupid amount of additional liability insurance - requiring that we charge more for the programs.

These programs are typically run in 8-12weeks sessions, once per week and are a fun based introduction to martial arts, a small percentage of the students end up taking up regular lessons at our dojo but most do not.

 

[still learning]

Hello, History has shown for those schools who had "JUDO" taught to lower grade students results in

...less injuries, because the kids learn how to fall and roll...

...less bullying, because the kids were learning self-defense and respect for others..

...Proper Role models for kids to follow in!

America is so far behind in what is consider good education...many believe it has to be book learning topics only.....

Sad...we do not have many physcial activeties...for our youths...?

Aloha,

JUDO...is more than you think it is....

 

[terryl965]

SL everything you do is about Judo, is this the art you practice? If so how long?

 

[David43515]

Dude, I teach school in Japan. I`ve seen public schools with Judo, Sumo, and Kendo teams all the time. We hosted the prefectural judo turnament last year.The only one that suprised me was a high school with a shorinji kenpo club.

 

[Phoenix44]

I tried introducing a martial arts fitness program into public schools in New York City, where 25% of incoming kindergarteners are already OBESE. Fuggedaboudit! All they could talk about was liability and lawsuits.

 

[Omar B]

I feel your pain man. When I and my family moved to NY and I started high school I thought I would finally get a chance to learn wrestling, no dice. Such a cry baby and litigious society that's totally aided by people's sloth.

 

[sgtmac_46]

Wrestling is a martial art.......I know it's not an Asian art, but that's not the criteria for being a martial art..........wrestling is a long stapple of public high schools and should get the props it deserves.

 

[geezer]

I feel your pain man. When I and my family moved to NY and I started high school I thought I would finally get a chance to learn wrestling, no dice. Such a cry baby and litigious society that's totally aided by people's sloth.

They don't have wrestling taught as a sport (collegiate, freestyle, greco-roman, etc.) in NY schools?!?

 

[rdonovan1]

I kind of think that martial arts should be a mandatory part of the school curriculm just like reading, writing, math, and history but I also think that it should also be supplemented with other types of activities like music and sports as I know that the training that you get from the martial arts can and does help to give you the self discipline, motivation, and confidence to do really well in your other studies as you are always challenging yourself and the hand eye coordination is good for other sports like football, soccer, baseball and other forms of sports.

I also tend to believe that it would also help to lower the amounts of violence both out on the street and in the schools as people would learn to have better morals and values and would more than likely be more willing and able to settle their differences with words rather than violence.

I don't know about anyone else, but I personally think that it is deplorable that we have little kids bringing things like guns to school.