As
a parent I am concerned with
the harsh reality that the
school playground is a much
rougher place then it was
when I was young. I encouraged
my son Randall to join karate
for both protection and fitness.
He is a little overweight
and I am worried that he may
become a target of bullies.
I
am trying hard to make a change
in our family lifestyle, eating
healthier and getting more
exercise; I really hope my
son sticks it out with karate
as I see the benefits to it
on several levels. As summer
approaches, school will be
getting out soon. Even with
the warmer weather my son
prefers to spend his days
indoors with friends watching
movies and playing video games!
I
came up with a few ideas to
encourage Randall to stay
active, practice his Sanchin
kata and stay away from that
darned television.
1)
He is old enough to stay at
home alone while I am at work;
so I gave him a list of ‘chores’
to do daily. I set up the
video camera in the rec. room,
and now he has to perform
three Sanchin, warm ups, and
Kumite 3 (both as an attacker
and a defender). We watch
it in the evenings when I
get home.
I
move an item on the back bookshelf
each night after he goes to
bed, this way I know he doesn’t
skip a ‘lesson’.
I
know I really can not stop
him from lounging on the sofa
at some point in the day;
the very least I can do is
give him a clear set of rules
that I need to see him practice
for at least 20 minutes a
day. It may seem harsh I know;
It’s too bad as a younger
teenager he cannot see the
big picture as to why I want
him learning Uechi-ryu.
2)
I am going to grab a set of
kicking pads to encourage
nightly practice with me.
I think this is a great way
to get some fun practice and
exercise at home, and we get
some quality time together.
We are now planning on practicing
some of the applications to
Sanchin (1)
found in another article in
the Uechi-ryu online journal;
as well as working on the
kumites (2)
together at home.
So
far I see an increase in his
confidence levels. I feel
that the arm pounding and
sparring drills have definitely
helped Randall to realize
that he can ‘do it’
if he really wants to. Uechi-ryu
is in my opinion a lifesaver
for my family; we found an
activity we like as a family
and offers a solution to a
problem I hope my son never
has to face at school (or
anywhere). While I want him
to learn self defense I am
hoping that his training will
prepare him to deal with bullying
without using what he has
learned.
References
(1)
Taylor S, Morgan G. (2005).
Opening Sanchin. Uechi-ryu
Journal, 1.2, Retrieved June
3, 2007, from http://uechi-ryu-journal.com/june_05_ST.php.
(2)
Mattson, G. (1993). Supplementary
prearranged sparring drills.
Uechiryu Karate Do, 195-198.
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