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Title [Martial Arts Globe] Judo as an education tool to develop autonomy in a VUCA world
* Photo is not directly related to the writing. Photo by Fas Khan on Unsplash Judo as an education tool to develop autonomy in a
VUCA world Patrícia Mattos Taveira
do Amaral
Judo can be an educational tool to develop in children
the autonomy necessary to be agents of change towards the cultivation of
sustainability in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous
world—a set of characteristics that are usually synthesized by the acronym
"VUCA". Thus, judo instructors can intentionally design training
experiences adapted to the characteristics and needs of the contemporary world.
The impact of the VUCA world on children The contemporary world
is characterized by increasingly rapid and unexpected changes (volatility), by
the lack of predictability and by the lack of knowledge of the future
(uncertainty), by a greater web of interconnected, interdependent, and often
hidden variables and factors that contribute to the emergence of phenomena
(complexity), and by the fact that we have to make decisions and act from a
nebulous vision and subject to various interpretations of what is happening
(ambiguous). However, a large number
of children today are still exposed to an obsolete worldview incompatible with
the characteristics of the contemporary world that can impose obstacles to
sustainability goals: how could it be possible to ensure sustainability when,
faced with an increasingly VUCA world, education is still conducted under
obsolete assumptions? At this rate, society will be able to experience with
increasing force the potential consequences of the disparity between the
complexity of the world and the complexity of the development of children who,
in the future, will make decisions and act in the world. Currently, society
largely assumes that children are only passive recipients and, thus, fails to
prepare them to develop the necessary skills so that they can adapt to the
characteristics of the contemporary world and can contribute to a more
sustainable world. However, by 2050, children will make up 21% of the world's
population, and together they could have a major impact on the world's
unfolding (von Braun, 2017). Judo as a non-formal
education method The UN (1987) defines sustainable development as that
which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. To achieve sustainability goals, it is
necessary to review the education model and the role of children in society.
Education, in this perspective, must collaborate for the development of
children who are agents of change, that is, children whose actions can impact
their families, colleagues and local community and, thus, contribute to a more
sustainable world. Judo can be a powerful tool to develop children's
autonomy, a fundamental ingredient for sustainable development in the face of the
VUCA world. Part of the challenge of understanding judo (and other martial
arts) as a means of education lies in the
idea that education equates to schooling. However, schooling is a part of the
lifelong learning process. Education is not restricted to formal school
learning. On the contrary, learning can take place in different contexts, in an
organized way or not, addressed by different stakeholders (Sabates &
Yardeni, 2020, p. 16). Indeed, judo, like other martial arts, can be understood
as a non-formal education tool.
The four historic waves of judo Jigoro Kano believed that the practice of judo should
be adapted according to the prevailing characteristics in society (Kano, 2008,
p. 79). As UNESCO-ICM (2021) points out, the adaptability of a martial art is
fundamental to its continued existence and relevance. The unfolding of the
history of judo reveals how it went through different "waves" in
which the objective of its practice was adapted to correspond to the current
needs (Nakajima & Thompson, 2012; Sánchez-García, 2016). After the first wave of educational judo, the second wave of militarized judo, the third wave of the globalization of judo is preceded by the fourth wave of the Renaissance (Mitsumoto et al., 2013), which calls for a return to the educational roots of judo. The idea, however, is not a return to the 19th century, when judo was created, but a return to the educational vision of judo initially postulated by Kano, adapted to the needs of the contemporary world. From this perspective, judo training experiences can favor the cultivation of autonomy, a contemporary need for sustainable development. Judo and the development of autonomy Through practicing judo,
children can learn that their actions matter and they are capable of exercising
autonomy and making choices with the potential to influence themselves and
other. Ultimately, these experience help them to feel increasingly
self-confident to take the initiative and to assume the necessary sense of
responsibility to be agent of change. In the VUCA world, this sense
of autonomy is the foundation for critical thinking, a self-taught learning
stance, taking action in their communities, and nurturing the sense of social
justice which are all fundamental to sustainable development.
Practical suggestions for judo instructors
for the development of autonomy In the same line of thinking as Sheldon & Ryan
(2011), the structure and discipline inherent in martial arts classes and
support for autonomy may seem antagonistic, however, structure and autonomy can
be integrated to optimize results. Research on supporting autonomy in physical education
(How & Wang, 2016) demonstrates that the combination of (1) integrating
activities and tasks with students' interests; (2) provide meaningful
rationales in order to make explicit the importance of the proposed activity or
task; (3) use flexible, informational and non-controlling language; (4) display
patience for students' learning; (5) knowing how to deal with negative affect
and misbehavior, especially taking into account the student's perspective; and
(6) to the extent possible, giving students some power of choice over
activities and tasks, may be a strategy adopted by judo instructors
intentionally to create training experiences with the potential to develop in
children the autonomy necessary in the VUCA world for them to be agents of
change towards sustainability.
References
※ Views in this writing are the author's own. |