Issue 53:

Citizenship By Lloyd Lyon

September 2002 saw the introduction of 'Citizenship' Into the British education system. This article highlights the relatlonshlp that exists between martial arts arid the concepts of 'Citizenship'.

For the last two years I have run my own martial arts club as an after-school activity. The classes are well attended and I teach a wide range of disciplines including Kickboxing, JKD, Eskrima and Self Defence. The students I attract are considered well rounded and academically sound and the College has a good reputation for exam results. We have our fair share of disaffected students ranging from a variety of ethnic and social backgrounds but not as many as some schools.

As a teacher in mainstream education and a practitioner of martial arts for the past 14 years, the question of 'Citizenship' has found its way into the conversation on several occasions. Citizenship is a Government-led initiative designed to teach students the true meaning of the phrase 'being a good citizen' and it has led me to write this article now that the Citizenship syllabus has been introduced into the UK education system. Over the past three decades, the make up of British society has changed enormously, a vast array of cultures and communities have emerged in every city in the country bringing with ft new languages, religions and values. It has therefore been deemed necessary by the Government, to re-educate the younger generation and encourage them to be more responsible for their actions.

As a martial arts teacher I feel we have an obligation, not only to teach our students how best to deal with violent situations, but how to conduct ourselves in a modern society. I am not a great follower of Karate, Judo or Kung Fu, however their trad itional teachings of self-control, discipline, respect and on a higher level, self-realisation, are all qualities highlighted in the Citizenship syllabus. Take the diagram above that highlights some of the key elements of Citizenship and apply them to your normal martial arts class. Surely they are all incorporated in your teaching and learning no matter how long you have been involved in martial arts. This is why I believe that martial arts and Citizenship could be/should be part of every child's extra curricular programme.

Each of the elements from the diagram can easily be applied to the majority of martial arts on offer today and form discussion points during my classes. My students are encouraged to set targets, not just for grading purposes but also in life, consistently assess their performance so they can see if they are making progress, or whether they need t0 make adjustments to their fighting style and solve the myriad of problems our ever-growing violent society, and ever-growing complicated lives throw at us.

Each of these criteria were instilled into students through Judo back in the late 1800s and is partially the reason why Judo was successfully introduced into the Japanese education system.

I have trained with some very respected martial artists including Grand Master Cacoy Canete, Grand Master Danny Guba, Grand Master Richard Bustillo, Mo Teague and my instructor Master Andy Gibney. Each one of these people, through their martial arts teaching and the lessons they have learned in life, have helped me become a much hater person on many fronts. I remember one of my Martial arts students saying to me once, 'The more I understand violence, the less I want to be involved in it’. Surely this incorporated the ethos of Citizenship.

I have taught many students who were considered troublesome by fellow teachers, who had a difficult up-bringing or low self-esteem. Six months down the line you could see a marked transformation in their attitude and more importantly their social skills. For instance, I teach a boy who had been in trouble on numerous occasions at school and was getting into fights on a regular basis. He is now a much calmer individual, liked by his teachers and someone you could trust with your daughter. I’m not saying I’m the best teacher in the world or that I hold the secret to solving juvenile crime but I feel the moral lessons to be learnt from martial arts are just as important as the physical elements.