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"Not all after-school activities at Pierce Middle School are created equal. The 16 students currently enrolled in Aikido, for example, gain life skills through martial arts."
That's sad that the funding got cut. OC Aikikai used to have a similar program in the early seventies under Ishisaka sensei. From what the old timers tell me, it was a very successful program and brought in a lot of kids from the city who otherwise would be doing something else, let along learning about aikido. But the city's funding got cut.
I will start an aikido class in a few weeks at a school with extra care on numerous subjects.
It is a school for kids from age 11 until 15.
Lots of them have social problems. I also give a course which is called Rock and Water.
It has a lot of aikido principles but no techniques. The next group is a more aggressive group with only boys who in fact stand alone when it really matters. Contact in this group is not done so I thought: maybe teach a little aikido and tenkan principles so the learn to see the other way too.
I hope it will work out.
The course is a bit short; 6 weeks, but when it turns out ok I will try to get another group for a longer time.
Off course for the whole year is fantastic but that will not happen I am afraid.
I've got friends (In middle school, I'm 13) I've convinced to come to the dojo with me by showing them aikido videos. So, yeah, that is great, wish they'd do that at my school.
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
-Barry LePatner