Background and the Director's Perspective
By Rob Nielson, Program Director and Chief Instructor

This article is about what Karate training means for Cedar Ridge students. When I first began my own training, Karate was still new to the United States and very few people truly understood it. Even today the best information about this martial art still comes from historic Asian sources. Over the four decades that I have trained, Karate in the US has shifted away from dedicated traditional training and more toward a sports emphasis. That shift, along with impatience to achieve status in Karate, has altered the way karate schools market themselves and teach. Therefore, when someone else talks about Karate, they might be saying something quite different from what I am saying when I talk about Karate.

During the Vietnam War I was a Hospital Corpsman, and upon discharge I was considering becoming a physical therapist. I could see real value in Karate as a form of physical therapy, and I also sensed that Karate training might be useful in terms of general development. When I returned from Vietnam and entered college, I wrote a research paper on the benefits of teaching Karate to teenagers who were termed "adaptive". I realize now that many of these kids would be identified as having a Non Verbal Learning Disorder or NLD. Essentially, these were students who, for various reasons, were not comfortable with mainstream physical activities. These students were awkward, so they usually avoided participating in team sports. Karate is more challenging for these young people, but they stand to benefit immeasurably from the training.

When I first shared my beliefthat Karate would be a foundation for intervention with troubled youth, manyexpressed doubts about my judgment. Isometimes heard, "These kids are already causing trouble and you want to teachthem to fight." This was a fairobjection. I was already familiar withKarate schools that seemed to create a heightened degree of aggression,although my experience with Karate seemed quite the opposite. When I was aKarate student, none of my peers were mean spirited. I have always taught my classes (for 40+years now) in a manner that helps to curb aggression in any of my students whomight initially have those tendencies.

Why Karate at Cedar Ridge?

A good karate school has twoessential elements (and hopefully much more than that):

1) rigorous training, and 2) an atmosphere of respect. These two characteristics contribute greatlyto helping students develop self-control and respect for themselves andothers. Rigorous training extinguishesanger and aggression because once fatigue sets in, the student must call uponpersistence and determination in order to continue. Ongoing exposure to the challenge of a goodhard workout builds the self-control that is typical of quality martial artstraining. Self-control is the antithesisof impulsivity. Stimulation from thiskind of discipline enhances a person's mental and physical resources. Cedar Ridge students can then utilize theseresources for the tasks ahead. Eventhough our karate training helps develop self-control, we screen carefullyduring intake for a history of physical aggression.

Participating correctly in Karatehas a dramatic effect on the participant's mood. All the mannerisms of Karate, properlyexecuted, suggest confidence and composure. The discipline of Karate contains a form of etiquette that can helpstudents develop assertiveness and confidence. Skilled instructors pay special attention to posture, eye contact, voicetones and attitude. This not onlyenhances effective communication between instructor and students but alsoenhances mood. Mood is dependent on theway a person carries themselves. Aperson cannot feel shy or weak as easily if they stand up straight, have theirchest out, etc. When a student receivesconstructive feedback during class, they are taught to respond affirmativelyand enthusiastically with a verbal acknowledgement, "Os!" This process helps the instructor monitor thestudent's attitude and alerts him if the student is in a poor space. Those who demonstrate lack of spirit areencouraged to get more involved. Seniorstudents interspersed throughout the group help the newer students by settingthe mood through example, promoting growth for the senior students, as well asthe new students.

In a formal Karate school, astudent would probably be confronted if they did not put forth a reasonableeffort. At Cedar Ridge, a student'sattitude and mood are the primary focus of the interaction between student andsensei (teacher). Issues that arise thenbecome the focus of individual and group therapy. Because of my own confidence and past successas an instructor, skillfully teaching Karate provides the benefit of having newstudents more willing to accept what I have to offer them in counsel as atherapist. If I demonstrate knowledgeand skill in Karate, I then have a better chance of being perceived asknowledgeable and skillful in addressing the student's personal problems. This increases the likelihood that rapportwill develop. Resistance to makingchange in their personal life diminishes and students become more open-mindedabout changing. Students correctly viewkarate training as something apart from the dispute/struggle that developedprior to placement. This rapport can beused to influence a more open-minded attitude about change. The reverence and respect fostered in atraditional Karate class helps set the stage for mutual respect between studentand teacher. This positive connection istermed a "yes set" or "acceptance set," which is a powerful mechanism fortherapist and student to come into agreement. At Cedar Ridge this phenomenon occurs between program and student foranyone who engages actively in the Karate class.

Therapeutic Aspects of Karate at Cedar Ridge

Initially, I was consideringteaching Karate only to the students who expressed an interest in learning.Within the first year we made a decision that all students must participate inthe Karate class. Parents who enroll astudent at Cedar Ridge now understand that the Karate class is a mandatory partof the program. Students who initiallyassert that they aren't interested in Karate soon develop a good attituderegarding the workout. When a studentseems absolutely opposed to Karate, they generally are opposed to the wholenotion of treatment. For the most partthis opposition is resistance manifesting itself in Karate class and therebybecomes diagnostically useful. Requiringparticipation in Karate class seems to reduce the time necessary to fullyengage students in the other components of the program. Engagement in Karate becomes a litmus testfor engagement in therapy as a whole. Ifound that I can quite accurately determine a student's overall attitude fromobserving their behavior in Karate class. For most of the students, change of attitude first manifests there.

Brain Development and Karate

Since I started teaching Karateas part of Cedar Ridge, I have learned much more about the developmentalpotentials that are inherent in this discipline. Recent discoveries about how the brain can bestimulated to create new neurons (neurogenesis) indicate that the practice ofKarate is highly beneficial for such development. The more I understand how Karate seemsuniquely structured to help with attention problems like ADD/ADHD, the more Iappreciate the wisdom of those who, in relatively ancient times, developedKarate as a martial art.

A few decades ago scientistsasserted that the brain cells a person had at birth were all they would havefor life. More recent brain research hasrevealed the fact that brain cells continue to form from stem cells throughoutthe lifetime. In order for thisneurogenesis to occur, one or more of three conditions must be present. The first of these conditions is "exercise,"not just a few minutes of exercise, but a sustained level of exercise. The second of these conditions is"novelty." When the brain is presented withnovelty for a sustained length of time, new brain cells can be triggered toform. Lastly, the condition of"enrichment" can stimulate neurogenesis.

The optimal length of time forneurogenesis to be triggered seems to be consistent with the natural body/braincycles of approximately 90 minutes. Recent research suggests that along with exercise, the component ofenrichment can stimulate newly formed neurons to start connecting with othercells. A Cedar Ridge Karate classstimulates connection through supportive peers along with good classspirit. More than simple neuron productionmust occur in order for this process to result in a stable neuron that hasbegun interacting with other neurons. Iam continually mindful of the research regarding neurogenesis and pay attentionto providing an optimal setting for the developmental implications ofneurogenesis in Karate class.

Health Benefits

Lastly, rigorous physicaltraining provides significant health benefits. Karate has been well known for years in the US as a beneficial form ofexercise that emphasizes both physical and mental development. Exercise that produces a good sweatcontributes to good health by helping the body release toxins. Cardiovascularfitness improves. Many of the studentswho arrive at Cedar Ridge are significantly out of shape. In only a few months, parents notice theeffects of Karate conditioning. I haveheard many grateful comments regarding the dramatic improvement some parentnoticed in their son or daughter even after a relatively short time at CedarRidge. Along with good aerobic workouts,we provide healthful meals and adequate sleep time.

Closing Thoughts

Karate has been a successful partof the Cedar Ridge program for ten years now. I am more enthusiastic about its benefits than ever. I remain ever-alert to new information and waysin which I can improve Karate's application and usefulness to our mission.