The Exercise Crisis

The Case for 60 Minutes of School-Based Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity

School-based Bushintai-Do for all ages.

We begin our lives on a dramatic upward trajectory of physical development and activity. As infants, we wiggle, kick, and grasp. We progress to lifting our heads, and later, turning over unassisted. Eventually we crawl, then stand, stand, then walk--huge leaps in neuro-motor accomplishment. Our increased mobility as toddlers not only allows us to meet the physical demands of daily living, but also creates a platform for even geater neuro-motor accomplishments – running, riding a bike, swimming, jumping rope, throwing, climbing. Most of us master these skills as a normal part of childhood. At this point, a normal healthy child in an affluent peaceful society, has extensive opportunities for specialized motor skill development and moderate to vigorous physical activity. The greatest challenge they face is whether to choose team sports, dance, figure skating, gymnastics, snowboarding, martial arts, tennis, skiing, mountain biking, skateboarding, swimming, track and field, or any of the exciting possibilities that compete for the active child’s attention.

In previous generations, exercise was part of a child’s daily routine. The primary after school activity was “going out to play”. This included biking, hiking, running, swimming, tree climbing, hopscotch, jumping rope, capture the flag and other active games and pick-up team sports. It was unstructured, could be done nearly every day, and did not require being driven to practice. Today we know that this kind of active play develops the whole child. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that cognitive skills and motor skills develop through this dynamic interaction. Moderate to vigorous physical exercise affects the brain’s physiology and these physiological changes improve cognition, help prevent obesity, help treat depression, prevent many diseases, and lead to greater success – socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically.

Classroom-based exercise stations.

In spite of what may seem like many opportunities for physical activity and despite the well-documented benefits of exercise, according to The President’s council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, only one-third of American children are active on a daily basis. And of those who play team sports, only 25% of them get enough daily exercise. More concerning is that our children’s overall level of physical activity has decreased by 32% over the past 40 years, with the majority in need of more exercise. After school activities, PE classes, active transportation to and from school, and in-class physical activity are all needed to adequately meet the recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for our students. However, the Institute of Medicine reports that 48-69% of children and adolescents in the United States do not attend physical education classes in an average week. One potential high-impact solution is for schools to mandate a movement period during every school day. Second only to mandatory PE classes, in-class physical activity delivers the greatest amount and most consistent form of movement in a child’s day. Studies estimate that classroom-based activity will routinely add at least 20 minutes of the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity to a child’s day.

This would not be the first time American schools have taken the lead in confronting a serious health problem. Schools have been vaccinating children against illness for decades. School lunches, and more recently, breakfast programs, have helped fight malnutrition and food security issues among our children. The next big (and avoidable) health problem for our children is their lack of moderate to vigorous physical activity. As a result of this inactivity, children born today now have a life expectancy that is five years less than the previous generation. Schools need to take advantage of the opportunity they have, and make daily exercise mandatory for every student.

Exercise options for outdoor recess.

There will be opposition from those who say that valuable classroom time will be sacrificed. However, studies have shown that regular exercise--even if it means less classroom time--leads to academic gains. This is an opportunity to dramatically improve the lives of children and to prevent the eventual societal costs of the current exercise crisis. Our school system needs to once again take the lead in helping our children reach their physical, emotional, academic, and social potential.

David Quinlan, Founder and Lead Instructor

Nancy Keller, Education Coordinator

Bushintai-Do Programs

www.bushintai-do.com

Milton, Vermont

Through the Eyes of Middle School Students - Part IV

Bushintai-Do, developed and taught by David Quinlan of Bushintai-Do Programs, is based on the principles of a traditional marital arts program, but contains no violent or dangerous techniques. Bushintai-Do is drawn from the physical, mental and philosophical components of various martial arts, such as Kempo Karate, Judo and Arnis.

As a classroom teacher, I witnessed how success at Bushintai-Do positively influenced student achievement at school.  Through the physical training in Bushintai-Do, a student learns that he or she can set a goal, work towards it in small, consistent steps and achieve success.  This leads to an increase in confidence and to the development of a work ethic that can be applied to both academic and personal goals. 

In addition to classroom-based lessons in Bushintai-Do, students wrote weekly journal entries and reflective essays about their experiences. Featured in this blog and in celebration of Middle Level Education Month, middle school students write about are the qualities of perseverance, respect and self-control they learned through their practice of Bushintia-Do for the Classroom.

Doing your Best Helps

from Jack

Front position is a show of respect.

Doing your best means doing all you can.  You can work harder and be more focused on what you are doing.  It can help you do better at work or do better at sports.  Not every person does their best because they don’t know what their best is.  I think that everyone should do their best because it might make it easier for a lot of people if they did. 

When I started doing wrestling, I did not always do my best because I was winning so much, and I did not have time to really do my best because I was done the match so quickly.  Now I am not winning as much, but I still do my best to win. When I lose a match, my dad always tell me it doesn’t matter.  If I lose, all he says is that I did my best, so now I always focus on doing my best and it helps me win. 

I have learned that if you always do your best, it will make things a little bit easier than what people think.  People don’t know what doing their best means.  I will always do my best so that I get better.  Bushintai-Do helps me because it shows me what doing my best really is.

What Respect Can Accomplish

from Zoe

Without respect, the world would be chaos.  Respect includes listening, being aware and caring for other people.  Respect is related to Bushintai-Do because you have to show respect by bowing to Sensei, and you should always listen to what he says.  You should not talk over Sensei because that is a sign of disrespect.  You show respect by not being rude and not saying what’s on your mind.  Showing respect is important because without it, everyone would be rude.  Respect keeps us from living in a rude disrespectful world. 

Just a couple weeks ago, I was very disrespectful, but I learned how not to be.  It was one of those weeks where I was just in a terrible mood and I hated everybody, but when I was disrespectful, I started to develop an attitude and I became really rude.  I talked back, I ignored my teachers and I wasn’t nice to anyone at all.  I was very disrespectful. Eventually it went away.  I decided to not be rude and to not have an attitude towards adults.  If I wasn't respectful, then I would’ve had a call home because I was really rude to everybody.  It is important to be respectful because it keeps everyone form being rude. Being respectful is important. 

I have learned that showing respect is a rule that everyone should follow.  It helps to keep the atmosphere peaceful.  If you’re respectful to other people, then you’ll get a positive reaction back. “The Way of the Warrior” includes being respectful in all situations.

The Way of Self-Control

from Mary

Self-control requires practice.  To gain self-control, you must be able to sense yourself, and know your limits. Inner strength is the key.  I had to control myself when we first began Bushintai-Do, for I, personally was extremely excited to start.  I also had to prevent myself from jumping all over the place when I could do the White Belt Form.  Self-control happens all the time.  As I become more agitated or irritated, I must practice self-control to prevent myself from acting irrationally.  Sometimes when others bother me, I must use self-control to stop myself from snapping at them to be quiet.  The importance of self-control is that it must be used by many people, and with self-control, life seems to become easier to tolerate. 

One time at school, I wasn’t in a good mood and I had to restrain myself from snapping at everyone around me.  It was a bad day for me, and I just wasn’t feeling good.  Everyone seemed more annoying at that time than usual….Was I going to yell at them and cause a chain reaction, leaving them to hate me, or was I going to stay calm and explain to them that I simply wasn’t feeling good?  I chose the positive thought, and avoided unnecessary conflicts…The practice of self-control that time came in handy; I know how strong I was to not give into the evil thoughts surrounding my mind. 

To follow the way of the warrior, you must practice self-control.  Life becomes simpler when you do not act irrationally.  Bushintai-Do helped me realize that earlier than most people, who may learn it the hard way.  Like Bushintai-Do, you must practice self-control before it is possible to master it.

Nancy Keller, Education Coordinator

Bushintai-Do Programs

Milton, Vermont

Teacher

Winooski Middle and High School

Winooski, Vermont

Through the Eyes of Middle School Students - Part II

Life involves conflict, often with others, but primarily with the self. Avoiding conflict with others is usually the best option. The perseverance, respect, and self-control that are practiced in Bushintai-Do help students work through conflicts in a positive way. If the conflict is in the form of a physical attack, the self-defense training helps students deal with this successfully. If the conflict is with the self, it often comes down to decision-making. The warrior qualities of do your best, show respect and practice self-control described in the lessons of Bushintai-Do for the Classroom give students a framework for positive and healthy decision-making.

In recognition of Middle Level Education month, read the wisdom found in the words of young adolescents as they use their experience with Bushintai-Do to reflect upon their personal growth and well-being.

Doing is Succeeding 

by Mariah 

Students prepare to do their best.

Doing your best means that no matter how boring or hard a task is, you still give it your all. For me, doing my best is something I always strive for. People do their best in Bushintai-Do by listening to the instructor and trying to do the moves as best as they can. It's important to do your best in Bushintai-Do so you will be able to expand your abilities both physically and mentally. But, it's also important to do your best in your everyday life, like when you are in school. If you want to be successful in the future, you need to work as hard as you can. At one point in your life, you are going to be faced with a situation that is too challenging for you. All you can do is try as hard as you can. You can never fail, as long as you are giving it your all. Doing your best is vital for your success.

Last year I had a very strict language arts teacher, but she was just trying to prepare us for high school. That meant that she would push us a little above our intellectual level. One day we had to write a paper about our role model. I chose my mom because she works very hard and does so much for me. But there was one problem; I didn't know what to say about her. There were so many good things I could say, but I didn't know how to word it. I talked to my LA teacher about it. All she told me was to do my best. And that's exactly what I did. I spent about two hours rewriting everything, and eventually I finished. The next day I received my grade--A+. All I had to do was work hard and do my best. You can succeed in anything, as long as you believe in yourself and do your best.

I learned that you can't be great at everything. There are going to be some things in your life that you just aren't good at. The only thing you can do is work as hard as you can and do your best. As long as you are doing your best, you are succeeding. Bushintai-Do has helped me realize this. When we first started learning the yellow belt form, I was really confused. My teacher told me to just do my best. After a couple days of my hardest, I started to understand it more. Bushintai-Do teaches you to always do your best and to never give up, no matter how hard things get.

Showing Respect in Different Countries

by Nishan 

Students practice a self-defense technique.

I am writing an essay for my purple belt in Bushintai-Do. Bushintai-Do is martial art that means the way of warrior in mind and body. For this essay I am writing about one of our rules which is show respect. Respect is very important for me. I want to be respected for who I am. In Bushintai-Do, respect is very important; respect is shown when you practice self-defense moves. You have to show respect when you're practicing self-defense techniques, because you must have a bond between the person you’re working with. To be able to get that bond, you must respect other people and get trust from them. 

In different countries, there are different ways to show respect. For example, in Japan people don't look in the eyes when they're talking to someone older than them. If a younger person makes eye contact with another person that means the other person is being disrespectful. Here in America people have to have eye contact with another person they're talking to. This is a show respect in America. 

Respect is crucial in Nepal, my native country. We couldn't speak back to our elders. In school in Nepal if we were late or did not do some of the homework, they use to hit us with sticks or a small pipe. I did all I could to not to talk back to the teachers. I tried to do my best to show respect to teachers and my friends. One time I showed up late to school--about one minute late. I was tired of showing respect to my teachers because they didn’t show respect to their students. But now when I think back, I was just acting without thinking. We came to America when I was in fifth grade. I didn't talk back to the teachers here as well because that was the way I was taught . After a while, I learned that talking back is not always disrespectful. Sometimes you're just asking questions and trying to learn, so you have to talk to the teachers. 

I show respect so I can be a respectful person. I show respect because that's the right thing to do. If I meet an unknown person and that person greets me, I greet him back because that's the right thing to do. If I meet this person again, I will be more respectful and have more time to know him.

Practice Self-Control

by Damon

Practicing self-control is harnessing unwanted anger. Unwanted anger is not easy to control most of the time. When you let loose on unsuspecting people, the aggression can be passed down to others. This makes a chain reaction of anger and lack of self-discipline. Bushintai-Do requires self-discipline. That is why it is so important to control your temper. 

There was more than one time when I had to practice self-control. One time, however, especially sticks in my memory. When I was ten years old, there was a kids who was bullying me by calling me names and pushing me around. I told him to back off or I’d tell the teacher on him. Instead of escalating the problem any further, I just walked away. After I walked away, he never bothered me again. In this situation, by using self-control, I avoided having a fight and further injuries. 

So far in my life, I’ve learned that using self-control has not only helped my life, but also improved my attitude. I will also use this learning in Bushintai-Do. Self-control is the way of the warrior.

Nancy Keller, Education Coordinator

Bushintai-Do Programs

Milton, Vermont

Teacher at Winooski Middle and High School

Winooski, Vermont 

Through the Eyes of Middle School Students - Part I

The martial art of Bushintai-Do, created for use in schools as a structured recess, a series of brainbreaks or energizers, an after school program, or as a Middle Level Teacher Advisory activity, has three standards for success: Do your best. Show respect. Practice self-control. 

These rules-to-live-by are woven into the movement activities and lessons of Bushintai-Do for the Classroom. In this way, students make both a physical and mental connection to their meanings.  In some classrooms, students write weekly journal entries or reflective essays about their experiences with learning this martial art and these writings are one of the requirements for a belt promotion. By writing, students think more deeply about the philosophical components of their training and how these relate to their lives outside of the classroom "dojo." 

In honor of Middle Level Education month, celebrated this March, Bushintai-Programs will publish weekly words of wisdom from middle schoolers who practice Bushintai-Do, the "way of the warrior in mind and body." As mentioned in a previous blog post, Bill Ayers reminds us that “teachers must understand that even as they teach, they will also be taught.  Even as they help others develop, they will, themselves, change and grow.” In this spirit, let us learn from our middle schoolers:

Do Your Best

from Sujit

Two of the authors pose for a photo.

Doing your best is the one of the rules in Bushintai-Do. When you do your best you will accomplish a lot in life. We have to focus on the forms and on what Sensei teaches us. If you keep doing your best, you will you understand different kinds of belt forms, like yellow, orange, and purple, and self-defense techniques. Doing your best will play an important role in your future and in your life... 

When you do Bushintai-Do, your body gets active and healthy. To make your body healthy, you have to do the exercises like you mean it. In Bushintai-Do, you have to control yourself to focus on the work. Doing your best does not just mean to do what you can, you have to make it better every time. Doing your best is very important in Bushintai-Do.

Show Respect

from Najla

Showing respect is about being kind and calm, focused and open-minded. Most of the time I show respect to myself and others. I show respect by listening and paying attention and not interrupting. I also show respect by participating and not complaining. 

When I practice Bushintai-Do, I always participate and listen and I never make fun of anyone trying to learn something new. I understand that it is important to be safe. I am always trying, but I’m not too hard on myself. Sometimes I complain about doing it which doesn't help or isn't positive. 

I understand that showing respect is important. Respect is important so you don’t get in trouble and you must show respect to get respect. Respecting myself helps me understand everything and everyone.

Practice Self-Control in Mind and Body

from Xavier

Self-control is the main key of Bushintai-Do. Self-control means relaxation, along with focus and slow breathing. In Bushintai-Do, self-control leads to being healthy and persistent. In other areas of life, self-control leads to success. 

I remember when I wasn't focused and I didn't get a Bushintai-Do class credit. I was upset, but when I focused, I got the credit. Bushintai-Do gives me a chance to calm down and focus on what is important: School and concentration. I have lowered my energy and Bushintai-Do forms and techniques have helped. I believe Bushintai-Do will help me in the long run. In other words, it will help me mellow out and bring success in fulfilling my dreams. 

I realized that when you use self-control, you get more things completed, especially when you pay attention in class. It adds to the success. I learned how important self-control is in reality. Without self-control, we wouldn't understand anything and we wouldn't know how to learn. We wouldn't care because we couldn't control our bodies. Self-control is the "way of the warrior in mind and body." 

Nancy Keller, Education Coordinator

Bushintai-Do Programs, Inc.

Milton, Vermont  

Teacher at Winooski Middle/High School 

Winooski, Vermont

Why Martial Arts for Children

Bushintai-Do for the Middle School Classroom

There are many reasons to consider martial arts for children. One of the best reasons was illustrated to me in an exchange I once had with a former student. It had been a random meeting at a public place, when I struck up a conversation with a young couple. We had chatted briefly, and the young man asked my name. When I told him, his face brightened and he said with a smile, “You taught me Kempo!”

This happens occasionally, and it is often hard for me to place the former student. In this case, the young man told me he had been part of a class I had taught at a local school ten years earlier. I didn’t recognize his name at first, but remembered the program. My goal going in had been to help the kids develop self-esteem, learn the value of hard work, and the importance of respect and self-control. Until that day, I had considered the effort a huge failure.

I’d like to say that in our brief chat, he told me that martial arts had changed his life for the better; that he had taken the lessons learned on the mat and applied them to everyday situations, allowing him to become a successful adult in spite of his troubled childhood. Not only did he not say that, he didn’t even imply it. But it was clear that the experience, which I remembered as a negative, had meant something positive to him. His choice of words, “you taught me,” not “I was in your class,” seemed significant. And as I considered that, I remembered him. Chris. He was an enthusiastic and hard-working student, and I had forgotten about him. I had let the negatives of the experience outweigh the positives--something I vowed not to do again.

We want so much for our children. We want them to have every tool we can give them, to help them through the day-to-day challenges of their present, and along the great unknown path of their future. I hope that we can help build a foundation for your child’s academic, professional, and personal success. I hope we can help our students’ develop a lifelong interest in learning, and an appreciation for a healthy lifestyle. I hope their fighting skills will be there if they are ever needed, along with their compassion and self-control, which will always be of use. I hope they can get all of the benefits of the martial arts, and apply them every day of their lives.

And, if nothing more, I hope that someday, long after the martial arts belts have been thrown out or moved up to the attic, if I meet up with your child again, his or her face will brighten at the memory of learning martial arts.

David Quinlan, Founder and Lead Instructor

Martial Way Self-Defense Center
and Bushintai-Do Programs, Inc.

Milton, Vermont