Sport in Education

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Canterbury Christ Church University College

Investigating sumo lessons as an aid for social development amongst city dwelling children

Project team: Fumio Tanishima (Associate professor in Exercise Physiology)

Tokie Izaki* (PhD student in Health Education)

Fumiyuki Onishi (Professor in Educational Psychology)

Affiliation: Yokohama City University

* Canterbury Christ Church University College

Location: Primary/Secondary schools (Area yet to be specified)

This case study will focus on investigating the way of developing social skill and positive feeling through children's sumo in a primary school. It will specifically:

* Investigate the effects (psychological and social) on children of implementing a mixed children's sumo lesson in a primary school.

* Assess the effects of the children's sumo lesson on the school in terms of good practice.

This case study will serve to measure, through interview and focus group, the extent to which children's sumo can address the social and physical problems that are apparent within Japan in the present day and represent an element of good practice.

Case Study Summary

Background

Compared to previous generations in Japan, there are fewer opportunities for children to play in their local communities. Space for play and physical activities is limited due to the increase in traffic on the roads and pavements. There has also been a significant increase in the number of children attending lessons out of school, particularly �cram� schools, limiting the time that children have to socialize with others and to play freely in their neighbourhoods. At the same time, there has been a decline in the birth rate, which has led to an increase the number of smaller families.

The study was carried out over a period of three weeks. The introduction of sumo lessons was observed and interviews were conducted with the children, their parents and the school nurse. In the third week, a preliminary competition was held to select players to participate in a school sumo competition.

Findings

The data collected demonstrated that there were many benefits for the children who took part in the sumo sessions. These can be summarized as follows:

� In physical activities that require contact, manners are very important. For instance, in sumo, competitors must bow to each other before and after the game. Children come to have respect for others as a result of the training process.

� Children develop positive attitudes and acquire the ability to control their emotions after winning or losing a game. They feel fulfilled after they have devoted all their energy to the sumo game. They make an effort to win the game, but also gain valuable experience whether they win or lose.

� Children develop the ability to manage personal relationships. They learn to support other players while they play the sumo and develop a sense of unity through playing sumo.

� Children acquire perseverance and compassion. They come to understand others� pain.

They learn to apologize to others or care about and help others.

� Children lean to strengthen their minds through concentration.

� Children become aware of their own physical capabilities as well as those of others.

� The abilities acquired during playing a sport such as sumo can contribute to the development of skills for other sports.

� Taking part in sumo helped foster parent-child relationships. The children who enjoy the sumo classes were more willing to talk about the sessions with their guardians and in some cases, even reported practicing with their parents.

� The session helped encourage the development of life-long skills which could be used in late adult sports participation.

In conclusion, it can be suggested that playing a sport like sumo at a young age can encourage courtesy, good manners, consideration and patience with others. It also helps create an awareness of the individual body as well as the bodies of others. For example, in this study, most of the children did not hesitate to play and engage in physical contact with the opposite sex.

It is important for elementary school pupils to be motivated in the development of physical activity by engaging in a wide variety of activities.

It is also evident that schools and teachers can have an important influence to be involved in development of their perseverance as well as physical and social skills, particularly in the area of PE and sport for children in school.

[Mark Buckton 1]

My conclusions after 8 years of 'study' of Tokyo - you make your bed - you lie in it! Japan / Japanese kids have problems but they are all of their own making (that said, surprised US or China wasn't blamed for something above)

The 'findings' part is ridiculous and could have been put together by any adult in Japan / any other country with half a brain cell.

How much money was wasted on this project by idiots looking to justify their own existence?

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

I've read that judo is a good sport for youngsters to start with if they are interested in combat sports, as they enjoy grappling in their own play, and it is relatively safe compared to boxing, etc. Sumo should be more or less the same...

[Sasanishiki 57]

I found the part about the children mixing freely with the other sex and that sumo was good for that. If that is the case, let girls into the finals of the national children's tournament at the Kokugikan!! No, instead the girls are allowed to compete at the regional tournaments but can't get anywhere near the sacred clay of Ryogoku. (Sign of disapproval) One crappy finding, I'd say.