Personal Safety and Self-Defense Training Program for PE Professionals Part 1

Introduction

Do your students feel safe & strong?  Are your teachers prepared to help students become safe & strong?

Do you currently have a personal safety/self-defense unit or course in your PE program? If you do, kudos to you – but please continue to read both parts 1 and 2 of this article! And if you don’t currently have a program, please read both parts of this article! If you currently have a personal safety/self-defense unit in your PE program – are your teachers professionally trained to deliver the information and teach the physical skills properly? 

Does your current program include:

• PE teachers who have been professionally trained to teach this subject?

• Comprehensive curriculum that can be adapted to any specific teacher/course requirements?

• In-depth personal safety information and basic physical skills training?

Today’s Reality

Unfortunately, based on statistics, societal violence is increasing. Are you providing personal safety knowledge and self-defense skills that will enhance student safety in school and in daily life? 

School districts typically task their PE departments with designing and teaching personal safety/self-defense training to students. However, the reality is that most physical education professionals have little to no experience in this training. So, a PE teacher must either:

• Find and hire a professional trainer to teach the course, or 

• Attempt to design and teach their own unproven and potentially impractical program. 

Whichever situation you are in, you must ask the question, “Are we providing the highest possible quality education and experience for our students?”

Physical Education Departments need:

• Professionally designed and proven curriculum that includes student assessment methods.

• Teachers who are confident in delivering the curriculum accurately, effectively and efficiently.

Why Provide Personal Safety & Self-Defense Training to Students?

Along with teaching students how to protect themselves, a properly designed training program can empower students through:

• Improved self-confidence, self-esteem, discipline, focus, respect and emotional control.

• Heightened mental, emotional, environmental and physical awareness.

• Improved physical fitness and mental/emotional health.

• Enhanced communication skills, especially applicable during potential conflict situations. 

Before getting into more detail about programming, I want to:

• Define personal safety training and self-defense training, and

• Identify why personal safety and self-defense training should be provided for students.

Personal Safety & Awareness Training educates the mind – providing information helps your students: 

• Recognize & Avoid a potential or real conflict situation

• Recognize & De-escalate a potential or real conflict situation

• Recognize & Exit from a potential or real conflict situation, or

• Recognize & Defend (only if necessary) – teaches “When” not “How” to defend

• Understand the 4 Types of Awareness – Mental, Emotional, Environmental, and Physical

Self-Defense Physical Skills Training provides students with the opportunity to learn, practice, and improve basic physical skills that may be necessary for a combative situation. Students need to understand that physical self-defense training does not make them invincible – it is a “discovery” experience. Students discover their current and potential individual physical defensive capabilities, which will enhance their decision-making abilities (fight or flight) if confronted with a potential threat of violence.

This article defined what personal safety and self-defense training are, while also explaining why this training should be included in and provided by a Physical Education program. Part 2 of this 2-part article continues the discussion by identifying what could (should) be included in both personal safety training and physical self-defense skills training.

If you have questions or would like more information about personal safety and self-defense training and/or a complete program that integrates personal safety education, physical self-defense skills training and kickboxing fitness conditioning into one PE program, please contact EmpowerUSA through the web site – www.empower-usa.com or email me directly at Tim@empower-usa.com. 

Remember, “ONE BODY, ONE LIFE, ONE CHOICE – BE SAFE & STRONG!”

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