Does Martial Arts encourage violence in schools?
The simple answer is, No.
As most of you know, I have been trying to take my martial arts program into schools. What you don’t know is that I have been trying for over a decade. Although, a few schools have been receptive, it’s only been a small percentage. I even obtained a letter from my psychologist supporting the benefits of learning martial arts. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, which leaves a large majority of schools reluctant to take it on board and I totally get it.
It’s in our DNA to try anything new we learn; especially when it’s not something we are exposed to everyday i.e. martial arts. That said, we also do the same with the every sports we learn in school i.e. be it tennis, cricket, playing piano, basketball, etc., we can’t help ourselves, we need to do it.
However, we are not talking about other activities; we are talking about martial arts. From the surface, it makes sense to assume that martial arts encourage violence, but when you dig a little deeper, you find it has the opposite effect.
Speaking from experience, I have presented workshops in Adelaide schools and my own individual clients who have seen the benefits, some almost immediately.
In addition, there is also evidence based research which supports that fact that martial can reduce levels of aggression, hostility and anger as mentioned by Wilkinson, 2023. It also shows a positive response to those who have violent or behaviour problems – Lafuente, Zubiar & Garcia, 2021.
Furthermore, it increases confidence, improves self esteem, emotional regulation, and overall mental health as supported by Moore, Dudley and Woodcock, 2023, who suggest that Martial arts training may be an effective psychosocial treatment that can be used to compliment other approaches to promote mental health.
Lastly, don’t take my word for it, rather book a group (school) session or come see me privately. You won’t regret it!
Vickie Simos is a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist who is also a Fourth Degree Black Belt in the Filipino martial art of Doce Pares Eskrima (stick fighting) and a Second Degree Black Belt in Anjukanpo Karate. Vickie is a Silver Medallist World Stickfighting Championships, Pan Pacific Gold Medallist for Stick Fighting, and a qualified Personal Trainer. Vickie is the founder of Thelo Active Therapy, an initiative that combines martial arts and mainstream therapy. In 2017, Vickie published her memoir called The Boxer Within where she reflects on her experiences with depression and anxiety and how martial arts helped her overcome those mental issues.