Slap Kick

Teaching martial arts to children is always a challenge… and I don’t mean that in a “they’re so hard to control” kind of way.  I mean it in a “what’s appropriate to teach them” kind of way.

Certainly, some children are difficult to teach but quite honestly, the same is true of adults.  The big difference is that children who are struggling to understand the teacher usually let their difficulties be known.  Adults, on the other hand, often nod their heads yes when in fact they have no idea what is going on at all… but anyway, that’s not the point of this entry.

What’s appropriate?  How about a kick to the groin, is that appropriate?  Since we score a groin kick in tournament sparring as a point, it seems relevant to what we do and certainly a good solid groin kick can be an effective self defense technique even against a larger opponent.  However, the voice of common decency raises its head and asks “How many of these children are going to go home after today’s class and kick their siblings and/or friends in the groin?”  And I answer, “Probably zero.”

Probably?  Is that a good enough answer?  I think so.  Whenever I teach a technique that seems even borderline inappropriate (and honestly, all of it is inappropriate in normal social situations) I remind students to contemplate the consequences of their actions and that if they go kicking someone in the groin they better have a very good reason for doing so.

We are, after all, a system that is supposed to be making our students think about the appropriate use of force, the ethics of force and what our personal boundaries are around the use of force.  I see no difference between teaching adults or children this lesson.  For me, the sooner people start understanding that their actions affect other people, the better.  If martial arts is the medium through which they gain that insight, then I am doing my job.