Would it be advisable to teach Karate to young offenders?

[muttley]

Ok, so I have been asked to come up with something that can be delivered to young offenders (juveniles) to try and break the cycle of offending. I firmly believe that if the youth of today had something positive like Karate in their life, then gang membership, drugs, crime, violence would be a far less dominant part of their life.

The idea would be to deliver something to the offenders while in custody and try to set up links with clubs in the young persons area for after release so that they can continue training after release from custody. This in any ordinary setting would be a simple thing, but the issue is pitching it at the right level for management to take seriously and trying to get across that there will be no contact in training, the training will be Kihon and Kata only. Trying to pitch the benefits of Karate such as self esteem, self control, respect etc...I personally am very passionate about this and feel that by introducing these young people to things that they may not have looked at previously could stop them from offending and by introducing positive role models to them, could continue this after custody.

Any ideas on if this type of thing could work or has been tried before elsewhere?

[JCavin]

We have a similar program here. However it is aikido. Which lends itself better to that type of program I think

[ps1]

Yes, it would. The key is that it must be:

1. Structured

2. Highly Physical (tiring)

3. Offer a way out of the sad cycle that go them there in the first place.

[chrissyp]

I think this is great! I wanted to do something similar for troubled youth...my opinion is make them keep up a certain GPA and sign a code of conduct, that they will stay on the right track.

[tallgeese]

I go against the grain on this one, with respect to everyone who has spoken already.

No way.

If they choose to enrich their lives later on, a few years down the road from their infraction, maybe. But no way I would teach them any form of combat art while they were anywhere near that cycle.

If a juvenile has ended up incarcerated or in any sort of controlled environment chances are high that they've been on the offender side of some sort of violent act.

I won't argue that they need something, but the addition of skilled violence to their make up at this point isn't the way to go in my opinion. Teach them chess.

[muttley]

The idea would be a very simple form of strictly non-contact karate, really just opening these lads minds up to something different. Maybe get some of my senseis from old to come in and give talks and demos etc. The provision would be that they all sign a compact, any fights and they are out.

I also think simple things like reciting the dojo-kun every session and the karate-do promise would help them and get them thinking differently. Ongoing support by setting them up with a club in the community would help greatly.

[Dobbersky]

The idea would be a very simple form of strictly non-contact karate, really just opening these lads minds up to something different. Maybe get some of my senseis from old to come in and give talks and demos etc. The provision would be that they all sign a compact, any fights and they are out.

I also think simple things like reciting the dojo-kun every session and the karate-do promise would help them and get them thinking differently. Ongoing support by setting them up with a club in the community would help greatly.

The only thing I would teach them is Kata in it's most basic form

[muttley]

So Kihon up to maybe heian sandan?

[JusticeZero]

So basically "Minus the hard stuff that would drive them to achieve the positive results that i'm looking for, in order to avoid the consequences therein"? I can't see all that many people being greatly improved by kata practice alone. It's more than a bit too abstract.

[Dobbersky]

So basically "Minus the hard stuff that would drive them to achieve the positive results that i'm looking for, in order to avoid the consequences therein"? I can't see all that many people being greatly improved by kata practice alone. It's more than a bit too abstract.

Kata about discipline the same as Tai Chi is the practice of form and discipline too.

Most of the traditional styles today are from nothing more than kata practice and I'm sure they don't lack anything in either