Hi all,
I'm Chris Good, a freelance journalist. I'm doing a piece for FQ magazine that explores the ethics and responsibilities related to teaching our children how to fight -with martial arts or boxing. The idea is for the piece to be unbiased, but have within it all sides of the argument;
Do you think it's right?
Do you think it's wrong?
and -of course- WHY?
Please consider some of the following;
Shouldn't we teach our children to defend themselves? There are bullies out there?
Are we equipping our children to be bullies?
If a child knows how to block a punch and break an arm (which is the first thing I learned at Jiu Jitsu at the age of 15, is he controlled enough (given a young person's susceptibility to peer pressure and actions of social redemption) to be responsible with the power and strength he has? Will he ONLY use reasonable force, and therefore be innocent in the eyes of the law? Are we irresponsible for putting them in this position of responsiblity?
Or, is it great for building confidence and character?
Does the fact that it's an appealing and attractive form of exercise outweigh the responsibilities of having such power and strength?
If you would like to take part, please email me, with some of your thoughts and a contact number. It's an exciting article to be part of, and I'm sure will help many dad's figure this issue out. I'm a dad myself, with mixed thoughts, but I'm now (after some research) much clearer on my personal view. I hope the article is as helpful to others!
Many thanks,
Chris
goodbyname@yahoo.co.uk
www.chrisgoodfreelance.110mb.com