I am a clinical supervisor at a mental health agency and one of my graduate school trainee's works at this martial arts studio that appeared on MSN. I really liked the message of the founder and director of the program. She was encouraging internal strength, personal responsibility, and cooperation.
I have often wondered if martial arts training may in some way be giving children a message of solving issues through physical violence. Not that they are promoting that, but that children who are very concrete and literal might interpret the message in that way; not understanding the finer points of the philosophy.
I have to say, that in this clip, it appeared that not only does her teaching include technical skills training but also the opportunity to discuss and process their understanding of what they are learning and how it can be applied in their life.
Encouraging children to learn critical thinking, communication skills and self expression adds to the whole of the learning experience. Children can integrate what they are being taught if they have a process that allows them to explore the full adventure.
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