Martial Arts lecture

PGCE and School Direct PE students returned to the university having completed the first of their two twelve-week school placements and took part in a martial arts lecture with Dr Alex Channon.

The lecture was both theoretical and practical and aimed to expose students to alternative possibilities within the PE curriculum at secondary schools and how the teaching of martial arts can improve young people’s self-concept and confidence and develop physical literacy.

Discussions were based around the philosophical arguments for the place of activities such as kick boxing, kung fu and fencing and the physical benefits that children can accrue for participating in non-contact versions of martial arts.

Dr Channon said: “There are lots of urban myths about martial arts often perpetuated by the media and cinema. Martial arts, if taught properly, can enhance a young person’s self-confidence, self-belief and self-esteem. It can also teach them to be more determined.

Boxing, for an example, can be a metaphor in life. You get knocked down, you get up again.”

PGCE and School Direct PE Course leader Dr Gary Stidder said: “Teacher training programmes rarely feature martial arts so the training of future recruits to the PE profession is often inadequate in this area.

“PE teacher training programmes have an obligation to provide trainee teachers with breadth, depth and balance of experience so that they can offer pupils in school exactly the same experience. Martial arts such as judo, karate and taekwondo are very popular with children and they often request to do different activities such as Mmrtial arts in their PE lessons.”