Martial Arts in Schools
As educators and/or parents, we all hope to raise healthy, happy, independent, and kind individuals. However, the value of these abstract concepts varies widely among cultures, communities, schools, families, and individuals, making it difficult to determine where responsibility for imbuing them lies. In recent years, an increasing number of schools have taken it upon themselves to introduce practices and curricula that address the development of competencies that have the potential to positively affect one's learning, relationships, mental health, and overall well-being.
A step away from the traditional academic rigour that once held schools accountable for high grades and perfectionistic standards, these approaches emphasize the importance of social and emotional competence in students’ learning experiences and outcomes. Social and emotional competencies are defined as a set of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive skills and dispositions that enable individuals to be better prepared for life’s opportunities, responsibilities, and challenges.
For many children, school is often where they first learn and practice these skills with people outside of their family unit. Learning, which occurs within one’s specific cultural context, is informed and influenced through social connections and one’s motivation to “fit in”; how one fits in and meets the expectations or demands of the environment requires self and social awareness and management. Self-regulation, or the ability to manage oneself, is a key component of social and emotional competence, which gives individuals a sense of control over their lives and in the learning context, control over their own learning. Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a process whereby students actively manage their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour in order to achieve their goals or learning objectives.
Martial arts may not be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to developing one’s academic engagement or outcomes, but as a discipline that places a strong emphasis on mental, emotional, and physical self-regulation, there are many skills developed within that are primed to transfer to other domains of one’s life. This idea makes it an appealing approach for schools seeking to empower their students in becoming resilient and lifelong learners, create a safe and connected community, and achieve greater academic success and well-being all around.
Martial art based interventions align with SRL practices to provide an experiential and integrated learning opportunity for students in which they are supported, equipped, and empowered in their learning. By providing safe and supportive learning environments, integrating complex activities, and integrating support and SRL-promoting assessment and feedback practices, martial art based interventions foster self-regulation, social and emotional competence, and empower learners in all their educational contexts and in their lives beyond the school setting.
By incorporating martial art based interventions into school curricula, educators can provide students with an experiential and integrated learning opportunity that supports their academic engagement and outcomes, as well as their overall well-being.
