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Changemakers Forum:
Karate and mental health; Teaching children with disability and the results are amazing
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Dear Anand,
We are impressed by the karate lessons you are giving to such a divers group and we would love to join the training once to see how you are working. It is great that you include children with all kind of disabilities, but we were wondering if you also plan to include people without disabilities or to make your children joining able-bodied clubs. Because in your entry you speak about the power of sport in inclusion, but it is not clear to us what you mean by inclusion. Besides, we would like to know if you work together with the national Paralympic Committee or Special Olympics, since they might be able to help you with the growing of the project.
We wish you all the luck.
Pierre and Steffi
University of Paris
Dear Pierre and Steffi,
Thank you so much for your comments, yes I do have classes for people without disabilities where inclusion is being made. Also we do have tournaments where able - disable participate with no special rules. And this has been amazing.
Thank you for your advice, I would look into those.
Thanking You,
Regards,
Anand
Hi Anand:
I wanted to draw your attention to a few other projects on the changemakers site also working with children with a disability:
- paralympic school day
- zambian paralympic sports
- mysa inclusive sports initiative
- and others...
I am a boxing coach. I do not work with children with intellectual disabilities but with children and young women using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Please take a look at my entry (Boxgirls roadwork) and lets start a discussion around how to define what fighting sports bring to youth. You could also look at the Fight for Peace entry. Luke has an exceptional programme based in Brazil but expanding all over.
All the best from Berlin
Heather Cameron
Heather Cameron
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Thank you so much with the references. I like what you are doing ? Yes, and am sure you tooo would be able to see many psychological changes in the longer run while you are imparting boxing training program.
I will write more,
Regards,
Anand
Hi Anand,
just a few quick questions: Are these children you´re working with still the ones from the orphanage? What is your framework exactly? How do you and these children get together in the first place? Do you have any explicit paedagogical approach/method? And could you elaborate a little more on your idea of mental health and how karate training contributes to it?
Best,
Jasper Nicolaisen
Free University Berlin
Hello Jasper,
Right now am working with children who are not from the orphanage. I have got my karate classes and one of the classes is for special need children they are great when they perform. After doing a need assessment I start my training; main focus is the development to be seen not teaching him karate.
Martial Arts is a discipline involving the whole body as it concentrates the mind as well as conditioning the physique. It is a form of escapism as you focus on the moves you are making. When the physical and mental state are as one and they control the same movement, the bodies muscles will be in their entirety and the mental state will benefit. Learning how to control your movement into a fluid and adaptable motion will also benefit other areas of your life, such as the ability to understand one's own mind better. It has also been proven from studies that "exercise appears to be associated with positive changes in mood states and reductions in anxiety and depression". (Weinberg & Gould, 1999).
It's not surprising, of course: martial arts -- even mild forms like Tai Chi -- have long been known to confer tremendous anti-aging health benefits to their followers. Throughout Asia, it's not uncommon to see large groups of elderly (people in their 60's, 70's and 80's) practicing Tai Chi at sunrise in the community parks. Despire their age, these people have better aerobic conditioning, balance, strength, flexibility and coordination than many typical Americans in their 30's who are already suffering from chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and cancer. People who practice Tai Chi simply don't experience those diseases with anywhere near the frequency. As a result, they live longer, healthier, happier lives.
Thanking you,
Regards,
Anand