You're probably starting to think that all we do is holiday, party and practise aikido, so perhaps it's time to write a little about the project that inspired us to come here in the first place.
First, a little background. Ação Harmonia (Action Harmony) is an NGO set up 5 years ago "offering new perspectives and new options to children and young people living in environments marked by poverty and violence". Specifically, there are about 36 kids from the favela, Jardim Jaquelini who are lucky enough to attend a care facility for children and adolescents called Casa de Criança (literally, house of child). The kids are split into two groups and aikido classes are run every Friday, one class for each group. Açao Harmonia also provides dogi's and even transport for some of the older students to train at the Harmonia Dojo. Many local yudansha have volunteered in the past 5 years, some from other aikido clubs. Last year Ação Harmonia recieved its first international volunteer, Mark Walsh from Aiki-the UK and now...well here we are. Our first day was a mixed aikido/capoeira class with Columbian Capoeira teacher Michael Nino showing the kids some games. Michael does the same work with kids from slums in Colombia. See blog post: 10 de Março de 2007 - Capoeira @ Harmonia Dojo
Gabby: I guess I need to say, first up, that we had no experience with kids classes, and little with kids generally, and really had no idea what to expect. A kids class had started up at our aikido club a few months before we left but hadn't taken off while we were still in Brisbane. And, honestly, it's cool. I can handle 2 x 1hr of playtime every Friday with these kids.
Paul: yeah, we have only been doing these classes for about 5 weeks now so we are only starting to see how it all works. we have about 20 or so kids in each class and I can only remember about 5 names so far. They are not part of the English speaking Brasilian population that we've had so much contact with, so our portuguese ability is stretched.
Gabby: I think Paul is doing amazingly well wih his Portuguese with the kids! I am usually reduced to hand signals, body language and miming.
Paul: hmm, i dont think i'm doing great. I think we are both reduced to hand signals most of the time but also there is usually one other Brasilian volunteer who either takes most of the class or can translate for us. From this point on though, it looks like we will be doing more stuff, leading class more etc.
Gabby: The class has an establshed dojo feel - the older, more experienced students setting the example and generally playing the senior student role in the class. I was amazed the first time we arrived, and every other time subsequently, that they are all in their gi's, sitting in a line in seiza when we arrive. When we were late once a senior student had already started the class and was taking them through some warm ups. Speaking of warm-ups, Bueno Sensei seems to have an original, fun way to practise any useful warm up, making it a game or a co-operative exercise. For example, backward ukemi practise (rock and stand) he may have one group tightly bunched in the centre (a mountain) and the rest in a circle around (the waves). The "rock" makes a crashing sound, as they push the "waves" backwards who make a wave-like swooshing sound as they practise backward ukemi. The kids love it.
Paul: One thing that seems like it could be tricky is the age difference of the kids. I think the youngest are around 6 or 7 and the oldest are around 13. I think the 6 yr olds have enough of the aikido after a short time but 13 yr olds dont always want to play kids games. Bueno seems to be able to keep everyone interested for the whole class and it may just be a matter of experience. Like I said, its only our 4th week or something so we'll see how we go.
Gabby: Ah yeah I think that's why the older kids are invited to train at the dojo on Saturday mornings. Also Sensei gives them more instuction and more advanced techniques during the kids class.
Gabby: The most obvious lesson for me so far, especially regarding kids in this situation who may have violence in their lives, is that co-operative exercises & games, that promote self-confidence and give them an alternative way to deal with conflict - this is the important stuff - not "technique". But maybe also for regular Australian kids....I remember teaching my last aikido class in Australia & we invited the kids class to join in with the adults to play some games. One game I initiated - seiza soccor - which I've played before in an adult class, didn't work so well with the kids, the kids got very competitive and one in particular was obviously very upset when the game was over that they didn't "score". Competitiveness is viewed as a normal part of growing up but I wonder now if there isn't too much emphasis on it.
Paul: One thing that I've learnt is that if you are showing them a picture of a kangaroo or platypus or kookaburra or whatever and you're asking them if they know what it is, you have to cover up the big letters that say "Laughing Kookaburra" or they can just read it and make you think they have an intimate knowledge of Australian fauna.
Gabby: kids smarter than Paul hehe
Gabby: Another lovely technique Bueno Sensei uses is, after an aikido technique has been practised in pairs, we all come back to the circle and then he picks a student to come out (with an uke) and both of them demonstrates the technique. The method of picking the student isn't rank ordered or who performs the best, but the one with the best posture. So now the kids are practising beautiful seiza position, without knowing they are, because they want to be the next one picked.
Gabby: OKay so maybe it's not rocket science and a thousand other aikido teachers who teach kids use these methods, but it has honestly opened my mind a little further, to the potential that aikido can have to enrich people's lives. You just gotta take the principles and apply them in the right way.
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