At Risk Youth

At-Risk Youth

At-risk youth are those youths that have a high risk of ending up in gangs and other criminal activity, low school performance, teen pregnancy, etc. There are many factors which determine whether a child is at risk and most of these factors have to do with their environment.

However some youths who are at-risk grow up to become exceptional model citizens. What are the factors that determine this? It ussually has to do with the influence of a positive role model or peer group. One place where these youths can find great role models and fantastic peer groups is in martial arts training.

While all martial arts can have benefits. It has been found that some in particular have greater benefits. These are are a little harder to find but worth the search. One of these arts that has been found to have tremendous benefits is Shou Shu. I've been running a shou shu school for many years and have seen these benefits in action.

It's actually quite simple to understand. Shou' shu' is an aggressive martial art. While it may seem very counter intuitive to teach youths at risk of being in gangs an aggressive martial art. It works well. Why?

It's often been found that the more aggressive the martial art, the more passive are the practitioners of it. We don't hide from the violence. We embrace it and get a fuller understanding of it and therefor a great respect for it. Delving into it we see the ugliness of it and it becomes something we want to stop rather than foster.

Martial arts gives these at-risk youth not only a peer group, but a peer group where they can work out their aggressions. Being done in a positive and comforting environment this can be really beneficial.

I've been teaching in Valley Springs CA and have seen some incredible results in this small town. Valley Springs has a high percentage of children living in poor income households. 1999 statistics show that 16.5 percent of Calaveras county children are from poor income households. A large number of these children reside in Valley Springs proper. There is a high rate of drug use and criminal activity in this area. Without positive roles models and direction these youths have no other influences other than that of their environment. The chances are great that they will fall into the patterns of criminal activity and drug use that surround them, thereby furthering the problem. Local authorities dealing with these issues have stated that gang activity here can actually be more dangerous to the general public than activity in large cities. The reason for this is that the local youths involved in these activities are trying to emulate their larger city counterparts. They fail to realize that these inner city gangs have certain codes, which contain the activities within their own cultural sphere. These codes somewhat prevent them from randomly attacking the uninvolved public. Our local criminal gangs do not put these limitations on their members and therefore will attack in a more random nature, leaving the public more at risk.

We have seen great success with these at-risk youths. A great number of them have gone on to lead positive productive lives. It is obvious that changing the life of even one of these youths can have a serious impact on our small town.

We've found that, when given the opportunity, at-risk youths excel in our programs. They take to the instruction extremely well and are overly gracious at the opportunity to better themselves. Often they have large amounts of pent up anger and frustrations. Our programs are perfect for dealing with this; as a self-defense art, there is an aggressive nature to the training. This becomes a very healthy outlet for the anger and frustrations inherent in these youths, allowing them to express anger and frustration in a very healthy way. Many of them have become part of our "demo team" where they demonstrate their skills in public forums. This has a parallel to how they would express themselves through violent activity, yet is done in a healthy manner with a cooperative partner rather than an innocent victim. It gives them the opportunity to "be somebody" which is usually the reason they strike out in a criminal nature to begin with.

Our programs provide these youths with:

Positive role models A sense of community Self discipline Self esteem Exercise An outlet for aggressions Mind-body connection The desire to improve character building and much more

The goal is to give these youths a positive direction in a system that teaches them self-esteem, self-discipline, humility and respect. In so doing, we hope to improve not only the lives of these youths but also to improve the community they live in - by assisting them in becoming productive members of the community.

The program will take youths that may otherwise be misdirected and provide them with a healthy outlet for their energies and a sense of direction and achievement. We have found the personal development that is achieved in our programs has formed the foundation for success in other activities. Our experience has shown us that this program can have immense long-term benefits for these youths and the community. Studies have shown that the study of traditional martial arts (as opposed to "sports" martial arts) has benefits no one ever guessed.

Find more information at Sheng Chi Foundation

As explained by psychologist J. Nandi:

*********************************************************************** J. Nandi, a licensed psychologist, psychology professor, black belt instructor and martial arts researcher, states:

"As a psychologist, I have found that martial arts training often provides many benefits to youngsters beyond that offered by other sports. The introverted youngster often begins to blossom when he or she learns martial arts. The structured drills that involve punching, kicking, and yelling help the youngster overcome shyness and timidity.

The anxious or worried child becomes more confident and assertive as he learns to move and control his body. He learns to work and compete with others in a friendly and safe environment. Self-confidence and self-esteem grow. Many parents report a marked increase in the child's social interactions. The youngster feels less threatened by other children or new situations. As a result, there is often more of a willingness to become more involved with others.

The extroverted youngster has a safe, healthy outlet in which to compete with himself and others. Youngsters are taught how to avoid trouble and challenges. They learn to have enough self-confidence that they need not respond to teasing or provocation from peers.

The aggressive child is taught the self-discipline that aids in keeping anger under control. He or she learns that fighting is merely a way of showing off and that showing off is a sign of low self-esteem and a lack of self-confidence.

Martial arts training is a gross motor activity that helps youngster develop a sense of integrity about their bodies. Balance, coordination, posture, and general movements improve with martial arts training. The pre-adolescent, in particular, finds that karate training helps him or her cope with the clumsiness that often accompanies the spurt of growth at this age.

Martial arts training also offers an additional bonus that other sports do not provide. Martial arts teaches self defense. In the unsettling times in which we live, a knowledge of how to protect oneself can be crucial. Parents often report feeling more secure knowing their sons or daughters are capable of defending themselves. Encourage and support your youngsters involvement. You will be pleasantly surprised with the results. And, who knows, you may want to try a class yourself!"

-Thomas J. Nardi, Licensed psychologist, Psychology professor, Black belt instructor, Martial arts researcher.