By Emeritus Professor Nan Bahr
A time of dramatic change
Adolescence is a time of great change for individuals. Socially, they are increasingly influenced by peers and significant others outside of the family. Their parents are important but their adolescents will begin to form their sense of self and identity as independent from their parents (Bahr & Pendergast, 2007; Bahr, 2020). This comes at a time when they need substantial positive support and behaviour modeling as they experience physical, cognitive, social, and emotional disruption unequaled at any other stage of their lives (Saggers, 2020).
Physically, they experience a growth spurt with elongation of limbs and redistribution of body weight that challenges their balance, coordination, and gross and fine motor control (Bahr, 2017). The onset of puberty is characterized by hormonal disequilibrium which results in hyper-emotional responses to triggers, self-consciousness, and mood swings. The classic MRI discovery of Geidd and his team showed that cognitively their brains are experiencing maturation at a dramatic pace with proliferation followed by pruning of neuronal connections disrupting their management of executive function, motor coordination, and emotional stability (Geidd et al, 1999). The cognitive function during adolescence has been described as “under construction” (Jarvis, 2017). Socially they are forming relationships and partnerships that emanate from and guide the formation of their adult identity with respect to self-concept, and self-confidence, including things like their gendered view of themselves. Martial arts training can assist.
The benefits of martial arts
Martial arts training is conducted individually but, in a group. This provides young people with a sense of individuality in a social context. They are provided with clear direction for self-development as an individual. The syllabus for training is sequential and developmental with every person on their own journey marked by achievement milestones, The training itself practices coordination for gross and fine body control and provides development of strength and flexibility to enable young people to master the management of their new physical assets. Martial arts provide vicarious modeling for positive control of emotions, mood swings, social engagement, anxiety, and anger management. Martial arts become a stable and regular part of the routine for youth which provides a framework for the construction of a strong sense of identity.
As a parent myself, I know that it is hard to see your child go through some of the stresses and changes of adolescence while at the same time feeling that they are becoming more and more independent from your parental influence. They need guidance, but often their parents are grappling to support without constraining. They need a physical outlet and a social context that will help them to form a positive sense of self as an adult. For many young people, martial arts during adolescence can be a vital support for their long-term positive development as an adult.
References
Bahr, N. (2020). The adolescent learner. Chapter 2. In D. Pendergast, K. Main & N. Bahr (Eds). Teaching Middle Years. Taylor and Francis.
Bahr, N., & Pendergast, D. (2007). The millennial adolescent. Acer Press.
Giedd, J. N., Blumenthal, J., Jeffries, N. O., Castellanos, F. X., Liu, H., Zijdenbos, A., ... & Rapoport, J. L. (1999). Brain development during childhood and adolescence: a longitudinal MRI study. Nature neuroscience, 2(10), 861-863.
Jarvis, P. (2017). Caution: Identity under construction: Adolescence on the social network. Psychologist, 30, 38-41.
Saggers, B. (Ed.). (2020). Developing positive classroom environments: Strategies for nurturing adolescent learning. Routledge.
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