What is an Intelligent Self-defense Curriculum

[MeLisa Turcott Strongheart]

We are involved in a rather revolutionary project involving a change in the what, when, why, and how of teaching people of all ages about self-defense. The project has been launched with my martial arts teacher’s association, The One Hundred (The 100), and involves a concept coined Intelligent Curriculum.

The idea of an "Intelligent Curriculum" is a process where web-technology is applied to teaching people about the depth and scope of self-defense as it applies to today’s world. For example, there isn’t a kick, punch, block, arm-bar, leg lock, or other martial arts maneuver on or anywhere close to a list of top 10 killers of men, women, or children in the Western world. But heart disease is on the list.

With Intelligent Curriculum the martial arts teacher brings a heart disease primer into his or her curriculum, using the Internet, so that the student doesn’t go through years of “self-defense” training without addressing the topic. That’s an intelligent direction for the way we should be addressing self-defense in a world where heart disease affects more than 40% of all deaths in America.

Some of the other issues Intelligent Curriculum is seeking to address include the media; diabetes; anger; emergency situations; diet; care for the environment; and community involvement. While all of these issues may not, at first glance, obviously relate to self-defense, they will in martial arts schools of the future.

From a teacher’s perspective and from someone who has more than just a passing interest in self-defense, I find the approach to be refreshing and valuable. For more information on how we are implementing Intelligent curriculum in my school and in our community, contact me here; www.mercerislandmartialarts.com; or [e-mail]; or of course you can call: [phone].