YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

THROUGH MARTIAL ARTS

SELECTED GOOD PRACTICES
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH MARTIAL ARTS
SELECTED GOOD PRACTICES
Published in 2019 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 7, place
de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France; UNESCO Office in Bangkok, 920 Sukhumvit Rd., Prakanong, Klongtoei,
Bangkok 10110, Thailand, and the International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement
under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICM), 27339, International Centre of Martial Arts, 5th floor, Eutteumro 21,
Chungju-si, Chungcheongbukdo, (Geumreung-dong, Chungju City Hall), Republic of Korea

© UNESCO and UNESCO-ICM 2019

ISBN 978-92-9223-616-8 (Print version)

ISBN 978-92-9223-615-1 (Electronic version)

This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO) license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept
to be bound by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://www.unesco.org/open-access/
terms-use-ccbysa-en).

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO and UNESCO-ICM concerning the legal status of
any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of
UNESCO and UNESCO-ICM and do not commit the Organization.

This report was written by Caroline Baxter Tresise, Dr Colin Higgs and Dr Sue Vize utilizing research conducted by
Dr Colin Higgs, Caroline Baxter Tresise and Richie Steward. The draft was reviewed by Dr Fred Coalter, Dr Joo Hee
Park, Dr Jung Heon Kim, Philipp Mueller-Wirth, Dr Benno Böer, Christian Dohrmann, David Young, Nick Crang and
Tim Bender and edited by Dr Sue Vize.

UNESCO would like to thank Michal Buchel, Chief Executive Office, International Sambo Federation and
Mr Stephan Fox, Vice President of the Global Association of International Sports Federations and General Secretary
of the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur for supporting and contributing to the report.

This project was made possible through the support of the International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth
Development and Engagement, a Category II Center under the auspices of UNESCO supported by the
Government of Korea.

Cover photo: © Asociación Proyecto Alto Perú

Production coordinator: Sirisak Chaiyasook
Graphic design: Alessandro Mearini

TH/C3-4164/SHS/19/006-1000

ii
UNESCO remarks
We place a lot of expectations on young people. Youth face a multitude of challenges and still
we expect them to be positive development actors to support their communities to achieve
peace and development. To reinforce such efforts needs sustained support to build skills,
confidence and commitment to realizing these expectations.

UNESCO has a history of supporting youth in a proactive way that puts youth at the centre
of programme development and design. Working in martial arts should be no different – the
young people need opportunities to express their needs and utilize their energy and talents.
Our role is essentially to help to make such youth-led action a reality.

Understanding how we can be effective through martial arts programmes is fundamental to

being able to provide quality support that will help to achieve real progress. This work brings
together the findings of the technical study by Dr Colin Higgs, Youth Development through
Martial Arts: a Framework for Sport for Development, and presents this knowledge together with
practical examples from existing martial arts programmes working for youth from around
the world.

Many martial arts federations and community organizations have recognized the great
potential of martial arts to be used as a positive force to improve the lives of young women
and men. The selected examples in this volume illustrate the diversity in these programmes,
which have been designed for many different reasons from improving access to employment
to physical safety.

Key aspects for all effective programmes, are clear objectives, good design and understanding
whether you are achieving your aims. The evaluation provides a systematic way to measure
these elements and the draft principles are intended as a first step in providing straightforward
guidance on how you can do this, or improve the way you are currently doing things.

We acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Higgs and express our sincere gratitude to the
International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement for supporting
this project.

Shigeru Aoyagi
Director
UNESCO Bangkok

iii
 Special note from the secretary-general
of the ICM
The ‘International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement under
the auspices of UNESCO (ICM)’ is committed to promoting martial arts as an educational
tool for the development and social engagement of youth and women.

It is my pleasure to convey my gratitude, on behalf of the International Centre of Martial Arts

for Youth Development and Engagement under the auspices of UNESCO (ICM), to the UNESCO
Bangkok Office, the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA) and the experts in
physical education & youth development who have endeavored to create this Evaluation
Framework and Martial Arts Good Practices Guide for Youth Development.

As examples of sports practices and intangible cultural heritage, the importance of martial arts
for young people cannot be overstated. Martial arts can foster intercultural dialogue, ethical
sport practices and also act as an empowering tool for youth development.

The ICM was officially established in December 2016, with the clear objective of utilizing
martial arts as an educational method to teach young people the values and life skills that are
needed to build a peaceful and non-violent culture, including respect for oneself and others,
self-discipline, fair play, resiliency and respect for cultural diversity.

Along with the overarching objective of the ICM, we have prepared this “Good Practices Guide”
in cooperation with the UNESCO Bangkok office, in order to share the underpinning theories
for martial arts education. This guide will play a role as a practical indicator for martial arts
instructors and policy-makers in consolidating youth martial arts education.

Once again, thank you in advance for all of your support of the ICM. We will also keep
implementing our duty as a crucial institution for martial arts development, especially for
youth and women.

Kim Si Hyun
Secretary-General
ICM

iv
Table of contents
UNESCO remarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Special note from the secretary-general of the ICM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Preface  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

PART ONE: MARTIAL ARTS FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.1 Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 The case for investing in youth  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 The added value of martial arts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Psycho-social development  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Protection and safeguarding  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Risk of injury in martial arts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Gender equality in martial arts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
What does this mean for youth development?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

PART TWO: DESIGNING FOR GOOD PRACTICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2.1 How martial arts can be used in positive youth development  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2 Using developmentally appropriate activities in youth-focused martial arts programmes. . . 12
Development objectives   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Building youth resilience  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.3 The different types of organizations delivering martial arts youth programmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Martial arts specific organizations   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Issue specific organizations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Location specific organizations   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2.4 Appropriate design for youth-oriented martial arts programmes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Experiential learning model  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Right to Play model  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

PART THREE: EXAMPLES OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MARTIAL ARTS. . 25

3.1 Examples of good practices  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Transforming cities through sport, Malabon City, Philippines  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Sport Is Your Gang   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fight for Peace/Luta Pela Paz   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
World Taekwondo Peace Corps  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Nari Uddug Kendra  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Empire Fighting Chance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Okichitaw Martial Arts Programme  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Skillshare International  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Sharing Youth Centre  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Alto Perú  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

v
 Escuela Kawsay  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Teen Moms  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
East LA Muaythai  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3.2 Conclusions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

PART FOUR: YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES FOR MARTIAL ARTS

ORGANIZATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
References   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

List of figures
Figure 1:  A Simple Black Box relationship between participation in martial arts and
psycho-social outcomes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Figure 2:  Factors contributing to positive or negative psycho-social outcomes from martial arts
participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 3:  Graduated “return to play” following concussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 4:  Stages of human development across multiple domains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Figure 5:  Example of impact of stage of development on sport for development activities. . . . . . . . . 15
Figure 6:  The simplified relationship between seven components of resilience, enhanced
participant resilience and desired social, health and educational outcomes.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 7:  The experiential learning model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Figure 8:  The Right to Play model of pedagogy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

List of tables
Table 1:  Breakdown of the human lifespan into developmental stages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Table 2:  Differences in programme focus based on two developmental ages across multiple
domains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Table 3:  Resilience resources at individual, family, and social/environment levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Table 4:  Ways to build resilience in youth-oriented martial arts programmes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

vi
Preface
This report, Youth Development through Martial Arts:
Selected Good Practices, was developed through the
collaboration of the UNESCO International Centre of
Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement,
Republic of Korea and UNESCO Bangkok Regional Unit
for Social & Human Sciences. Its intention is to provide
a selection of good practices from martial arts on youth
development and youth empowerment, evaluated
through a rigorous academic method to determine
their effectiveness and impact. The companion volume
Youth Development through Martial Arts: an Evaluation
Framework for Youth Activities provides additional detail
on the evaluation method and how it was developed.
The good practices presented in this report have been
selected through a systematic approach reviewing
the practices of several existing martial arts-based
youth programmes that contribute to positive youth
development and youth empowerment in diverse
parts of the world. While the field evidence and good
practices collected in this report are largely anecdotal,
the nature of the programmes, the enthusiasm of the
youth involved and the personal stories of positive life
transformations are particularly compelling.
Mandated to protect and promote sport, UNESCO’s
interest in youth development through sport is part
of a broader agenda to quantify the impact of sport
on sustainable development in different contexts. The
Kazan Action Plan1 and the corresponding MINEPS
Follow-up Framework, adopted by the sixth International
Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible
for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VI), provide an
overarching, common reference for structuring sport
policy that is integrated with the United Nations 2030
Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Of
the three policy areas reflected in the Kazan Action Plan,
theme II is dedicated to “maximizing the contribution
of sport to sustainable development and peace”. It also
specifically recognizes the importance of empowering
youth to drive change.
In 2018, the United Nations launched Youth 2030:
The UN Youth Strategy2 (Youth Strategy). Designed to
orient and inform youth programming within the UN
1
UNESCO (2016)
2
United Nations (2018)
system, the Youth Strategy focuses on strengthening
engagement with young people improving their
lives through quality education and health, including
sexuality education, economic empowerment, human
rights, and civic and political engagement. Martial arts
can be adapted to have an impact on all five areas
of the Youth-SWAP. Its most valuable, cost-effective
impact can be made in informal settings, such as gyms,
community centres or public parks. This is due to its
universal appeal and special ability to engage at-risk
youth where other sports may be less appealing.
Academic enquiry into martial arts is broadening,
with a number of journals and publications emerging
in recent years (e.g., Journal of Asian Martial Arts,
Archives of Budo, Journal of Chinese Martial Studies, IDO
Movement for Culture, Electronic Journals of Martial Arts
and Sciences, Classical Fighting Arts). A 2010 study on the
socio-psychological outcomes of martial arts practice
among youth reveal its popularity globally, with some
form of martial art (i.e. boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo)
being one of the ten most practised sports in five
countries surveyed (the Netherlands, Australia, France,
Finland and Canada). Unsurprisingly given its origins,
engagement in martial arts in Asia remains high, with
several Governments claiming a particular form as
their national sport (Taekwondo in Korea, Muaythai in
Thailand, Sumo in Japan, Wrestling in Iran, for example).
In 2013, the Republic of Korea established the
first International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth
Development and Engagement under the auspices
of UNESCO. The Centre seeks to promote and protect
martial arts for their cultural and historical value, as well
as support humanitarian interventions using martial
arts for youth development and youth empowerment.
This publication forms part of the International Centre
of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement
and UNESCO’s work on the implementation of the
Kazan Action Plan.
vii
 PART ONE
MARTIAL ARTS
FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
© ICM

1
 Part one: Martial arts for youth development
1.1 Introduction
Irrespective of where they are in the world, youth face
significant risks and challenges. They are especially
vulnerable to violence, poverty, exploitation and
exclusion; in particular youth belonging to vulnerable
or marginalized groups or those living in situations of
crisis or conflict. Young women and girls face additional
risks, as well as youth that identify as other genders. In
many countries, programmes and services to support
the healthy development of youth are inadequate and
the systems in place to support their implementation
are fragile and inconsistent.
Nearly half the current global population is younger
than 25 years of age, making it the largest ever
generation of youth and children. Given the right
support and opportunities, youth can play a significant
role in moving the world closer to achieving the
ambitious United Nations Agenda 2030 / Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). However, the vast majority
of young people live in developing countries where
quality of life varies greatly and their life-chances may
be hampered by poverty and crisis.
The use of sport in pursuit of national and international
development objectives has traditionally been
associated with the development of elite sport to raise
the international profile of a particular country, advance
a particular sport, or to promote the health and well-
being of citizens. Interest in sport as a tool for positive
social transformations is relatively new (since the 1990s).
Although Sport for Development is still an emerging field,
it has attracted the interests of development practitioners
seeking cost-effective, creative and high-impact solutions
to development challenges, especially in the area of
health and well-being. The type of sport used is often left
the individual preferences of those designing (or funding)
the programme.
Community programmes play a significant role, as
often it is those living close to the issues that want to
take action. They don’t rely on donors or development
partners but use their own resources to take action
independently. Sporting organisations are among
those community programme hosts that can take this
kind of action.
The nature of grass-roots sport for development
programmes has both advantages and disadvantages.
These programmes are almost all delivered locally by
2
Youth development
local champions responding to immediate problems in
their communities, which is an important foundation
for their success. However, programmes developed
using this “bottom-up” approach are generally resource
scarce and operate independently of the Government
or established institutions. Without a detailed
understanding of their technical issues and design,
the delivery of grass-roots sport for development
programmes is often unpredictable and infrequent. In
situations where these programmes do not connect
with the broader national development priorities of
their Governments, or when Governments design local
interventions that are not based on the needs of those
living in the communities, they are not likely to be
successful.
While there are many grass-roots youth-focused
martial arts programmes currently active around the
world, these programmes are often led by martial
arts enthusiasts or practitioners in club or gym
settings, rather than by development practitioners or
professionals trained in youth development pedagogy.
This approach raises questions over the quality of the
programmes, the qualifications of the instructors and
ultimately, the effectiveness and safety for the youth
involved.
The safeguarding of children and youth participating
in sport is an increasingly prominent concern for
policymakers and development practitioners. Instances
of varied forms of abuse and exploitation against
children and youth by coaches, teachers, instructors and
teammates in sport-settings are quite regularly reported.
Despite some initiatives to develop safeguarding
measures from sport practitioners, there is growing
international interest in developing evidence-based
policies and standards to protect children and youth
involved in sport. Recognized explicitly in the Kazan
Action Plan, safeguarding systems must be embedded
into all sport programming to ensure positive sport
experiences.
It is important to note that martial arts by their nature
raise the potential for injury and therefore strict
adherence to safeguarding measures is essential. This
factor may also attract the participation of young
people seeking to be tough or learn fighting skills.
Martial arts programmes teach respect and self-control,
both key elements in the heritage of martial arts and
part of the modern practice.
Selected good practices Part one: Martial arts for youth development
1.2 The case for investing in youth
The largest ever generation of youth aged 15 to 24
years is close to 1.8 billion, of whom nearly 90% live in
developing countries3. Despite considerable progress in
areas such as education, health and employment, there
are many youth who are still left behind: they are not
benefiting greatly from this progress. Involving these
young people in programmes to support the transition
to adulthood and addressing key challenges including
illiteracy, unemployment and marginalization remains
a global priority.
There is no globally accepted definition of youth: even
within the UN a range of definitions are applied, though
30 years is generally the upper limit. At the national
level, this is even broader where upper limits may be
as high as 45 years. For the purposes of this report, a
flexible approach will be applied, the important factor
being that programmes with specific development
goals aimed at young people (including children) will
be the focus.
Youth start from a point of lower status, fewer income-
generation opportunities and limits to their voice and
behaviour, often excluding them from decision-making.
In a world with increasing inequality, youth are often
further marginalized by ethnicity, gender, social class
or disability. They are over-represented in a number
of vulnerable or marginalized groups, including the
unemployed, people living in poverty and those without
access to resources. Young women and men clearly
have vulnerabilities that we should and must address
to ensure their transition to adulthood. Targeting youth
as beneficiaries of development programmes has
clear benefits for national productivity, lower health
costs, peace building and many other aspect of socio-
economic development.
“
Young people are diverse, with distinct needs
and interests shaped by their gender, context, ability,
wealth, and age. For all of them, however, youth
is a time of transition: from school to work, from
dependence to autonomy, and into sexual maturity.
Investment in youth generates the greatest returns
”
when started in early childhood and continued
through these transitions.4
3
ODI (2013)
4
ibid
Youth are also actors in development and often play
an important role in initiating and leading action
themselves. Designing youth programmes that
respond to development challenges and to playing a
role as enablers of youth as actors is at the centre of
UNESCO’s Operational Strategy on Youth.5
“
Investment in this age cohort is an effective
development strategy because it generates changes
”
that will last throughout their lifetime, with higher
absolute returns than investment in older adults.6
The linkages between youth development and sport
are clear. Some of the critical challenges we face
are the epidemic of non-communicable diseases,
effective ways to deal with mental illness and promote
psycho-social well-being, and addressing violence,
discrimination and abuses of human rights. Sport can
be used to teach healthy living, promote well-being
and foster intercultural dialogue and peace building.
It fosters cognitive development, which has a range of
wider benefits in all aspects of learning, socialization
and well-being.
Non-communicable diseases are the leading global
cause of death, causing more deaths than all other
causes combined. People in low- and middle-
income countries are disproportionately affected,
and in these countries they kill at a younger age and
disproportionately in lower socio-economic groups.7
Sedentary lifestyles, smoking and unhealthy diets
are the leading causes of disease, and the harmful
affects of these could be significantly reduced through
sport and physical activity programmes. Importantly,
it is behaviours developed during childhood and
adolescence that influence our lifestyles later in life,
including physical activity and diet. Although youth
are less at-risk, it is important to address the risk factors
during these formative years as investing in young
people is an effective development strategy, because
it generates changes that will last throughout their
lifetime.8
5
UNESCO Operational Strategy on Youth
6
ODI as above
7
World Health Organization (2010)
8
ODI (2013)
3
 Part one: Martial arts for youth development Youth development

Global Health Observatory data 2015 reveals suicide in sport specifically promote social cohesion
as the second largest cause of death globally for youth and intercultural understanding, and therein
between 15 to 29 years of age, with interpersonal or peace, to combat issues of violence and abuse.13

“
domestic violence being the third.9 Investment in youth
therefore needs to deal with mental health issues and The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the
address violence and abuse. service of the harmonious development of man, with
a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned
Approximately 20% of youth globally experience a

”
with the preservation of human dignity.
mental health issue each year, which creates significant
– Fundamental Principles of Olympism, Olympic Charter14
socio-economic challenges, as well as associated
healthcare costs. In the regions of the world with the
The inclusion of sport in youth development
highest youth populations, mental health resources are
programmes can elevate their scale to a much greater
often scarce. The World Health Organization cites that
level as the outreach of sport is enormous, as is the
most low to middle income countries have only one
appeal, which spans cultures, languages, academic
available child psychiatrist between 1 and 4 million
abilities and age. The Overseas Development Institute
people. In areas affected by conflict or disaster (which
(ODI), an international think tank, proposes investment
disproportionately affect the poorest countries), mental
for youth development with six target areas: post-
health disorders tend to double.10 Efforts to provide
primary education; work and livelihoods; sexual and
adequate services to support youth suffering from
reproductive health and healthy lives; environmental
mental health problems are hindered by negative
sustainability; conflict and crime; and civic engagement.
cultural attitudes towards mental illness in both high
Investment in each area both supports and is
and low income countries. The World Economic Forum
dependent on progress in the others. Sport can be
estimates the global cost of mental health issues in
adapted to support youth programmes in all of these
terms of lost economic output to be $16 trillion over the
areas, when the programmes are specifically designed
next two decades, of which youth are the group most
for this purpose, further expanding its potential as a
affected.11
development tool.
Violence and abuse can take many forms: physical,
emotional, sexual and economic, and includes forms of
intimidation, bullying and isolation. Youth are especially
vulnerable to non-physical violence or abuse due to
their lack of autonomy and voice. They are expected to
do as they are told, and not to speak up. The increasing
interconnectivity of the world, especially the rise of
social media, has created new forms of intimidation
and bullying through cyber-spaces. UNESCO has found
that children who are considered vulnerable for varying
reasons are also often at a greater risk of suffering from
violence and bullying.12 This is especially the case for
girls, young women and young people who identify as
other genders. Strong social and cultural norms often
reinforce the gender bias in bullying.

In addition to playing a specific and direct role in

improved health and well-being, the traditional
principles of friendship, respect and excellence © ICM

9
World Health Organization (2015)
10
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2012)
11 13
World Health Organization (2013) ODI as above
12 14
UNESCO (2017) IOC (n.d.)

4
Selected good practices Part one: Martial arts for youth development
1.3 The added value of martial arts
Usually with rich cultural histories and elements of
philosophy and mutual respect, the practice of martial
arts is often described as energy intensive, focused
and a source of tension release. Advocates for martial
arts claim additional benefits, such as increased
patience, tolerance and confidence, associated with
both the obvious physical transformations through
regular practice and the sense of being self-confident.
In the face of bullying, abuse or violence, this self
confidence can help young people to build positive
responses, especially for women, girls and vulnerable
groups building self-worth and self-confidence is very
important.
Martial arts practitioner and youth coach Richie Steward
from New Zealand, who contributed to the research
on martial arts youth programmes around the world,
describes the practice of martial arts as a framework for
both mental and physical health. Particularly suited to
youth suffering from social isolation or victims of abuse,
the emphasis of martial arts for youth development is
often on teaching respect, self-control and discipline
through regular practice.
Psycho-social development
The specific value of martial arts to promote
mental health among youth and support individual
functioning and well-being can be demonstrated in
different contexts. Examples include the Sport Is Your
Gang programme that originated in Bangkok, Thailand,
to provide spaces for young people in low income,
inner city areas; Fight for Peace in Brazil and England,
which was established to support the rehabilitation
of youth suffering from chronic substance abuse; or
Escuela Kawsay in Lima, Peru in which at-risk youth are
building their own gyms in their local neighbourhoods.
Other programmes target youth vulnerable to different
kinds of abuse and violence, such as Nari Udduf Kendra,
which has a self-defence element for females, or the
Teen Moms programme in Lima, Peru, which seeks to
provide psycho-social support through sport to female
victims of sexual assault resulting in teenage pregnancy.
15
Higgs (2018)
A study by Vertonghen & Theeboom (2010) into
the social-psychological impacts of martial arts
programmes is the most comprehensive review of
the impact of martial arts on youth development to
date. Out of 380 papers considered, 27 that met the
following criteria were analysed:
1. Only studies measuring social-psychological
outcomes of practicing a martial art were included;
2. Studies in which martial arts were incorporated
as part of a larger intervention programme,
were excluded;
3. Studies evaluating self-defence programmes were
also excluded;
4. If the research methodology used was unclear or
the study authors reported many limitations, the
study was excluded;
5. Studies were excluded if the target population was
specialized (e.g. persons with a disability);
6. Studies were limited to those from the mid-1990s
onward, with the exception of major earlier studies;
7. Only studies in English, French or Dutch
were included.
The study revealed significantly more evidence
to support positive psycho-social outcomes from
participation in martial arts than evidence to support
negative outcomes. The major findings include specific
outcomes in the areas of greater self-esteem; greater
confidence; reduced aggression and greater self-
control (risk-aversion).
The evaluation framework developed for reviewing
good practices in youth development through martial
arts15 offers a useful explanation for contradictory
findings, comparing martial arts programming to a
‘black box’ analogy: Individuals participating in martial
arts experience a variety of brain functions that may
lead to positive societal and psychological outcomes.
The exact effect of cognitive change is difficult to
measure, and whether positive or negative outcomes
are found depends on the social and psychological
outcomes being measured, as well as on the
neurological processes in the brain of the participants.
5
 Part one: Martial arts for youth development
Whether these outcomes can be attributed to the
specific activity is another point of contention among
the academic community attempting to measure
the impact of youth development programmes on
individuals and communities.
Figure 1 below illustrates a simple Black Box relationship
between participation in martial arts and psycho-
social outcomes.
What is inside the black box depends on the structural
qualities of the specific martial art examined, the
social context of participation, characteristics of the
participants and the instructional pedagogy used.
Participation Black Box
in Martial Arts Where things happen
Programme in the brain
of the participant
Figure 1:  A Simple Black Box relationship between participation in martial arts and psycho-social outcomes
Age: The developmental age of participants
determines their capacity to learn physical and
psychological skills, their emotional response/
control, and moral reasoning.
Sex: Little information is available on sex differences
in response to martial arts training. However, it should
be noted that females appear more susceptible to
concussion in recreational, hard, martial arts.16
Socio-economic status: The available evidence
suggests that children and youth with lower socio-
economic status are more attracted to “harder”
martial arts, with a stronger focus on efficiency,
where efficiency is a focus on “winning” in a formal
competition setting. Children and youth with higher
socio-economic status appear more attracted
to the softer martial arts where there is a higher
focus on mastery of movement and skills, and on
progress achieved.
16
Koh, Cassidy, and Watkinson. (2003)
6
Youth development
Structural Quality of the Martial Art: This is the type
of martial art used in the intervention. There are many
different types of martial arts, although they can
generally be viewed as “Hard” or “Soft.”
Hard Martial Arts – those in which the most important
characteristics are hitting, striking and kicking.
Soft Martial Arts – those in which the most important
characteristics are absorbing and deflecting.
Characteristics of the Participants: A variety of partici-
pant characteristics influence the impact of martial arts
programmes on social and psychological outcomes.
Positive social and
psychological
outcomes
Negative social
and psychological
outcomes
Instructional Pedagogy: The literature describes three
distinct types of martial arts pedagogies.17
Traditional: Traditional pedagogy places emphasis
on respect for the rules of the gym (dojo), respect
for the masters of the craft (sensei, kru), respect for
opponents, and respect for the traditions and forms
of the specific martial art.
Educational Sporting: An educational sporting
approach to pedagogy places martial arts within
the standard youth-sport paradigm, with emphasis
on developing martial arts skill and performance in
competition through standard coaching approaches.
Efficiency: Efficiency pedagogy focuses on results
– most usually the results in sparring. In contrast to
traditional and educational sporting approaches,
there is greater flexibility in permitting individual
variations in technique if a variation improves
performance outcomes.
17
Vertonghen, Theeboom & Cloes (2012)
Selected good practices Part one: Martial arts for youth development

Implications for youth-development vary according
to the differences in teaching styles and can best be
illustrated through their approaches to inappropriate
behaviour. While there will be individual differences
in approach between individual instructors, in general
instructors using the different approaches respond
as follows:
Social Context of participation: From the literature,
this component of the “black box” is least easily
described in sport for development appropriate terms.
In simplified form, this can be considered the “internal”
or “external” focus of the participant with respect to his
or her belief in the nature of the body-mind link, which
can be either:

Traditional: Participant is removed from the situation,
instructed to return to the mat and kneel in the same
manner as for opening ceremonies, to close his or
her eyes, and to think about the way they behaved
until they are ready to return to the class.
Efficiency: Participant is moved to sparring with
an older or more advanced student who imposes
discipline on them. The potential in this approach is
to reinforce with the misbehaving student that the
use of force is an acceptable method of changing
behaviour.
Educational Sporting: Usually a combination of
traditional and efficiency methods.
External/Instrumental: Where the “mind” sees the
body as that part of them that impacts and interacts
with the world around them. Put simple, the body
is the object with which a person “does” something.
Internal: Where what happens to the body, or
what the body does in martial arts participation
influences the mind and changes the way the person
thinks and acts.
The four elements of the “black box” theory (see
Figure 2) are not universally agreed and are not fully
understood. In addition, they interact in complex ways.
The figure below simplifies these complex interactions
to illustrate the conditions most and least likely to
lead to positive or negative social and psychological
outcomes for youth.

Simplified probability chain of Black Box contributions to increased probability of positive or negative outcomes
from martial arts participation
Characteristics of Structural qualities Instructional Social context of Probability of
the participants of martial art pedagogy participation outcome

Traditional
Efficiency
Greater likelihood of
Low SES 1 participants Hard martial arts Education/Sport External
More likely More likely More likely More likely negative outcome
Internal

External
More likely More likely More likely More likely Greater likelihood of
High SES 2 participants Soft martial arts Traditional Internal
positive outcome
Efficiency
Education/Sport

Note 1: Outcome of martial arts participation far more likely to be positive than negative.
Note 2: There are no available data on which to calculate the cumulative probability of positive or negative based on the individual contributions of
SES, pedagogy, style of martial art [or] social context.
[SES = socioeconomic status]

Figure 2:  Factors contributing to positive or negative psycho-social outcomes from martial arts participation

7
 Part one: Martial arts for youth development
Protection and safeguarding
Most literature in this area was developed for
programmes involving children, but the principles
also apply to programmes working with youth, as their
care and well-being must still remain a key concern.
While child protection is about keeping children
and adolescents safe from neglect and physical,
psychological and sexual abuse, child safeguarding
extends this concept. The UK Government defines the
term ‘safeguarding children’ as:
“
The process of protecting children from abuse
or neglect, preventing impairment of their health
and development, and ensuring they are growing
up in circumstances consistent with the provision
of safe and effective care that enables children to
”
have optimum life chances and enter adulthood
successfully.”18
The extension of protection and safeguarding to all
youth is important and is not limited to one setting, it
should be a continuous process embedded into the
core of the programme and mainstreamed into every
activity. To ensure the safety of participants in the
sport, all instructors, staff and programme managers
should be regularly trained to follow protection and
safeguarding principles. Screening of all staff engaged
with children and youth, including background checks
and references, should be a requirement.
Risk of injury in martial arts
The simulated, and in competition, the real nature
of martial arts makes it likely that injuries, including
concussions, will occur from time to time. A 2008
study of 282 practitioners of boxing, kick-boxing, judo,
jujutsu and karate at elite level found the most frequent
injuries to be broken bones (21%) and damage to
knee ligaments (16%) followed by the less frequent
occurrences of eyebrow ridge cuts, elbow injuries,
knocked out teeth (all consist 1%) and tensioned
muscles, strained muscles, fractured bones, strained
Achilles’ tendon, hand injuries, bruises, hurts and
injuries of an eye (all consist 2%).19
18
HM Government, Department for Education and Skills (2006)
19
Cynarski & Kudlacz (2008)
8
Youth development
Of greater concern is the risk of head injuries, especially
as future impacts of damage to the brain may be
unpredictable in children. Data on exact numbers of
concussions in martial arts are difficult to locate, and with
different reports using different criteria and time scales,
the exact extent of the problem remains unknown.
Minimizing the risk of head injury caused during
participation in any sport should be an important
consideration and embedded into the programme
design, particularly as concussions are difficult to detect
and if left untreated, they can result in permanent brain
damage and may even be fatal. Medical authorities
have become increasingly concerned about the long-
term impact of concussed athletes, particularly young
athletes, returning to exercise and competition before
the injury is fully resolved.
For this reason, all organizations instructing martial arts
should comply with internationally developed protocols.
The “Return to Play” protocol was developed based on
the international “Consensus statement on concussion
in sport, Berlin, 2016”, a revision and update20 of the
recommendations from the International Conference
on Concussion in Sport.21 The protocol provides an
important framework to protect participants in sport
from excess damage following a concussion. Figure 3
(see page 9) illustrates this protocol.
It should be noted that many other high-impact contact
sports such as rugby, hockey, soccer and football, as
well as high-velocity sports such as skiing, bicycling
and motor sports carry similar risks of concussion.22
Furthermore, the likelihood of a concussion occurring
during martial arts competition varies significantly
between the types of martial arts.
20
Revisions Vienna, 2001; Prague, 2004; Zurich, 2008; and Zurich, 2012
21
McRory et al (2017)
22
As per CDC Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics Data
Selected good practices Part one: Martial arts for youth development

Post Concussion
5
Return to Play
4 FULL CONTACT
PRACTICE
3 NON-CONTACT (Restore confidence
TRAINING DRILLS and assess
2 SPORT SPECIFIC (Increase exercise, functional skills)
EXERCISE coordination and
1 LIGHT AEROBIC (Add movement) If symptom free,
attention) return to normal
EXERCISE
NO ACTIVITY Activity that is Progress to complete training activities
(Increased heart rate)
(Recovery) appropriate to the sport and normal non-contact
Walking Skating
Complete physical and training drills
Swimming Running
cognitive rest until Stationary Bike Swimming
medical clearance
Heart rate Heart rate Heart rate
< 70% - 15min < 80% - 45min < 90% - 60min

Symptom Free for Symptom Free for Symptom Free for Symptom Free for Symptom Free for
24 hours? Next 24 hours? Next 24 hours? Next 24 hours? Next 24 hours?

NO NO NO NO NO
Continue resting Continue resting until Return to Step 2 Return to Step 3 Return to Step 4
symptom free until symptom free until symptom free until symptom free

YES YES YES YES YES

Begin Step 2 Move to step 3 Move to step 4 Move to step 5 RETURN TO PLAY

Figure 3:  Graduated “return to play” following concussion

Gender equality in martial arts
Traditional attitudes towards gender permeate some
martial arts. For example, professional sumo is notable
for its exclusion of women from competition and
ceremonies. Women are not allowed to enter or touch
the sumo wrestling ring as this is traditionally seen
to be a violation of its purity. As recently as 2008, the
female Governor of Osaka, Fusae Ohta, when called
upon to present the Governor’s Prize to the champion
of the annual Osaka sumo tournament, was required
to do so on the walkway beside the ring or to send a
male representative in her place. Despite repeatedly
challenging the Japan Sumo Association’s policy by
requesting to be allowed to fulfill her traditional role as
Governor, her requests were denied.
Traditional Muaythai has similar barriers to female
participation. The International Federation of Muaythai
Amateur has been able to address these through
establishing a Female Commission and establishing
specific guidelines on female participation, including
such elements as the requirement for all national teams
to be comprised of both female and male athletes, and
competition rules and dress codes that cater for different
cultural and religious groups.
There is however no standard way of integrating
gender equality in martial arts, and each recognized
federation for combat sports and martial arts has
developed its own standard (including those that do
not allow female participation). The combat sports
(martial arts) governed by International Federations
that adhere to a strict Code of Ethics aligned to the
International Olympic Committee, generally have
policies to ensure the inclusion of women at all levels
and areas of the sport and to advance gender equality
in the broader community.23
The issue of gender in martial arts and combat sports
has recently become an area of academic study, and in
2016 a symposium of the topic was held in Brighton,
United Kingdom, which attracted approximately 30
academics and practitioners. Key issues identified
during the symposium are access, work-life balance,
lack of female role models, an unwelcoming social
environment in gyms, and the differentiation of needs
of different groups of women.24

23
IOC (2018)
24
Channon & Matthews (2016)
9
 Part one: Martial arts for youth development
However, since sport for development programmes
are designed, developed and delivered in societies
with vastly different cultures and embedded gender
norms, it is not clear how applicable this Western-based
information is to non-Western programmes. Further
detailed information is needed to identify culturally-
specific martial arts gender issues. The Brighton seminar
recommended addressing three issues.
SupportiveTraining Environments – environments that
are welcoming, safe and trusting social environments
are important to overcome male-dominated spaces
and the sexualizing of martial arts and combat sports in
the mainstream media. This requires separate changing
facilities and hygiene standards, as well as avoiding
“male-dominated” decoration, signs, etc.
Instructors and Instruction – encouraging female
instructors and managers across the gym or
organisation (i.e., not only for children and women’s
sessions) and ensuring adequate education to properly
support female trainees. One way proposed to do this
is to implement gender awareness training as part of
instructor qualification programmes.
Segregation and Integration – whilst there are
different opinions with respect to the merits of each,
both segregation and integration may be used in
different ways. Women-only sessions can create a
higher level of comfort for some women who find
training in front of men and boys intimidating. On the
downside, women-only sessions may be considered
condescending or of lower quality. Ideally both
approaches should be considered in scheduling.
Interviews with female Muaythai athletes undertaken
by UNESCO during the 2016 International Federation
of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA) World Championships
in Jönköping, Sweden, reveal that participation in
Muaythai may be empowering for women in a range
of different cultural and social contexts.25 This factor
may be utilized in developing targeted programmes
for female athletes.
25
Teams surveyed include Australia, Canada, Germany, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Thailand, Russian Federation,
Sweden, Turkey, United States of America, United Kingdom
26
WHO (2018)
27
UNESCO (2016)
10
Youth development
What does this mean for youth
development?
Given the significant risks youth all over the world are
facing today, especially risks related to mental health
and increasing occurrence of non-communicable
diseases, participation in some form of physical activity
is advised by the World Health Organization as critical
for well-being. The positive effects have been well
documented and are reflected in the Global Action
Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030.26
Due to the unique characteristics and the promotion
of core values such as peace, respect, mindfulness
and discipline, martial arts offer an important vehicle
for achieving additional positive development
outcomes for young people, including techniques
for dealing with aggression, developing personal
intercultural competencies, instilling positive values
and developing soft-skills such as leadership, self-
awareness, intercultural understanding and team-work
abilities.
The positive psycho-social outcomes that have been
observed in different types of martial arts-based
programmes are an indication of the impact martial
arts can have on youth development. To harness
their full value, it is critical that these interventions
are well designed, monitored and evaluated, and take
into account appropriate safeguarding measures to
prevent serious injury, abuse or other risks. Although
there is currently no universal framework to compare
data collected through martial arts-based youth
development programmes, Action 2 of the Kazan Action
Plan seeks to resolve this issue by developing a series of
model indicators that could guide programmes in the
future and contribute to a broadening evidence-base.27
Whether martial arts can contribute to broader
structural changes, such as contributing to gender
equality, is difficult to determine, although there is
significant anecdotal evidence to suggest that female
participation in martial arts is both empowering for the
individuals, and challenges traditional gender roles.
PART TWO
DESIGNING FOR
GOOD PRACTICE
© ICM

11

2.1 How martial arts can be used in positive youth
development
Martial arts can impact youth development in three
separate and distinct ways:
Martial arts can attract youth (particularly those
searching for strong role models and street credibility)
to attend programmes. The convening power of sport is
widely recognized, and martial arts can expand upon that
recognition by reaching some of the most vulnerable,
“at-risk” individuals through their unique characteristics,
such as a controlled used of force, meditative elements
and an association with rich cultural histories. Once
integrated into a well-designed programme, youth have
the opportunity to bond with other youth and concerned
adults, be exposed to positive role models and improve
their lives through education and community-building
activities.
Martial arts can build youth resilience. Youth are
more likely to achieve healthy, favourable outcomes
and to thrive if they are resilient. Resilience is defined
as the process of managing stress and functioning well
even when faced with adversity or trauma. Resilience
2.2 Using developmentally appropriate activities in
youth-focused martial arts programmes
For many years, school-based physical education has
focused on training teachers to deliver developmentally
appropriate learning activities to children and youth.
Grass-roots sport, however, has been slow to follow.
Since the early 2000s a number of long-term “athlete
development” frameworks have been developed, and
while they differ from each other, they all, without
fail, recognize that children grow and mature as they
pass from infancy through childhood, puberty and
adolescence, and emerge as functioning adults. As
children grow and mature their capabilities change,
and this maturation drives changes in:
●● Physical capacities such as strength, endurance,
speed and flexibility;
●● Ability to learn and perform complex skills;
12
Part two: Designing for good practice Youth development
has several components, and since it is central to
how youth-focused sport programmes function, it is
examined at length in a separate section of this report
(see page 18 for details). For such change to occur,
participants will need to believe and know how to
apply their new skills to daily problems.
Martial arts can be used as a medium through which
to teach youth. Conditioning-based games, drills and
physical activities can be set up to achieve specific desired
outcomes. Although for this to happen consistently,
appropriate teaching and learning strategies are required.
Appropriate design is critical to the success of sport-
based youth development programmes and is examined
separately (see page 25). In general, martial arts can be an
effective means of teaching or changing:
a. Knowledge
b. Attitudes/Values
c. Behaviours or
d. Skills
●● Cognitive capacity to understand cause and effect
relationships, abstract thinking and the ability to
think strategically;
●● Executive function, including working memory,
cognitive flexibility, and inhibition control;
●● Psychological capacity related to attention, focus,
anxiety control, and visualization;
●● Emotional capacity; and,
●● Moral capacity and the ability to act with integrity.
There is a fairly well-defined sequence to human
maturation, but the timing of maturation differs
between males and females while also having great
individual variability within each sex. This is best
observed in the onset of the adolescent growth spurt,
which can start in 8 year old females and 9 year old
Selected good practices Part two: Designing for good practice

males, and is often experienced later in some late There is no universal agreement on the names and
developing 14 year old males. duration of different stages of human development,
although the breakdown shown in Table 1 is
It is therefore imperative that youth-development
considered standard.
programme design considers and takes into account
the maturity of participants, to ensure that activities are With many national governments defining youth as
not just appropriate but are optimal for participants’ someone from early adolescence (10–12 years of age)
physical, cognitive, psychological, moral and emotional until 25, 29 or in some cases 30 years of age, it should
stage of development. be apparent that “one size of programming” will not fit
the needs of all participants.
However, in a series of evaluations of sport for develop-
ment programmes in Southern Africa undertaken by
Thachuk and Higgs in 2008–2009, the authors showed
that, in each programme evaluated, there was little to no
adjustment in the activities undertaken with children of
different ages and therefore at different stages of devel-
opment. The activities undertaken with 19 year olds were
frequently identical to activities undertaken with 9 to 10
year olds.

Table 1:  Breakdown of the human lifespan into developmental stages

Stage Approximate age Defining characteristics

Early childhood Birth to 6 years Onset of stage defined by birth, and upper end of stage approximately the age at which
humans have their maximum number of brain cells.

Middle childhood 6–8 years in boys By the end of this stage the majority of children exhibit adult-like patterns of common
6–9 years in girls movements, such as walking, running, catching, kicking and throwing. They are developing
some independence from parents/care givers, and engage with a wider group of peers.

Late childhood From 8 years in girls, 9 years This stage is marked by rapid improvement in physical skills, and in general and academic
in boys, until the onset of the knowledge. By the end of this stage, most children can think in abstract terms. Moral values
adolescent growth spurt. develop during this stage where most children develop a sense of self.

Adolescence From onset to end of
adolescent growth spurt.
Usually 11-15 years in girls and
12-16 years in boys, but with
significant individual variation
Rapid physical growth and increases in strength, speed, and endurance, often accompanied
by a decrease in flexibility (especially in males).
Rapid sexual maturity and interest in developing sexual relations, emergence of sexual
orientation.
Peers often more important socially than family.
First introduction to alcohol, drugs or sex for a significant number of individuals.

Early Adulthood End of adolescent growth
spurt to establishment of self
in the adult community. Wide
variation in age, but often in
early to mid 20s
Establishment of romantic and sexual relationships, necessity of finding employment (or
continuing education in expectation of later employment)
Starting a family.
Establishment of position in local community.
Heaviest exposure to alcohol, drugs, sexual activity and violence.

Middle adulthood Mid 20s to middle age Building a job, career or profession.
Building a family.
Often a period of stability.

Seniors Middle age to death In many communities, a period of family instability as children grow, leave home and enter
own adult relationships.
Time of maximum standing in many communities.
Onset of deterioration of health with advancing age.

13
 Part two: Designing for good practice Youth development

The consequence of this is that programmes Individualizing programmes to meet the needs of every
must either: participant is exceptionally difficult, and for most sport for
development programmes, the best that can be achieved
●● Restrict the age range of participants; or,
is to ensure that the programme is designed around the
●● Modify activities to best meet the developmental average physical, cognitive, moral, psychological and
needs of children and youth as they pass through emotional development of participants. Internationally,
different developmental stages, including age- some sport-participation development frameworks
relevant outcome measures. have addressed this difficult problem, with the Athlete
Development Matrix of Canadian Sport for Life: Long-
Where sport for development programmes use sport
Term Athlete Development containing the most detailed
or physical activity to achieve social-objective goals, the
information.28
activities must be developmentally-appropriate and the
link to the social objective must be formulated to align Figure 4 below shows, in simple form, the relationship
with each participant’s cognitive, moral, psychological between the stage of human development of a
and emotional stage of development. participant in a sport for development programme,

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Age in years (approximate guide only) Range of adolescent growth

Males Early childhood Middle childhood Late childhood Adolescence Early adulthood
Stages of long-term athlete development Range of adolescent growth
Females Early childhood Middle childhood Late childhood Adolescence Early adulthood
Skills

Basic human movements Focus during physical development

Fundamental movement skills
Basic sport specific skills
Physical capacities

Advanced sport specific skills

Lifelong recreational skills
Agility, balance, coordination
Flexibility
Speed
Endurance
Strength

Sensorimotor stage Stages of intellectual development

Can follow simple instructions
Concrete thinking, no strategy
Able to deal with strategy

Trust Stages of emotional development

Start of autonomy
Development of autonomy
Competence: compare to others – withdraw if lacking
Individuals establish personal identity

Obedience and punishment avoidance Stages of moral development

Self-interest - what’s in it for me?
Societal expectations
Maintaining social order: following the rules
Doing what is right even if against rules

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Age in years (approximate guide only)

Figure 4:  Stages of human development across multiple domains

28
Sport for Life Society (2016)

14
Selected good practices Part two: Designing for good practice

and the key physical, cognitive, moral and emotional To see how this focus on developmentally-appropriate
considerations. In addition, it shows in very simplified programming is applied in practice, consider a martial
form the changes in focus required if the programmes arts based youth programme with two cohorts of
are to best meet the developmental needs of participants – a younger group of 9–10 year olds and an
participants. older group of 15–16 year olds (see Figure 5).

Younger group Older group

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Age in years (approximate guide only) Range of adolescent growth

Males Early childhood Middle childhood Late childhood Adolescence Early adulthood
Stages of long-term athlete development Range of adolescent growth
Females Early childhood Middle childhood Late childhood Adolescence Early adulthood
Skills

Basic human movements Focus during physical development

Fundamental movement skills
Basic sport specific skills
Physical capacities

Advanced sport specific skills

Lifelong recreational skills
Agility, balance, coordination
Flexibility
Speed
Endurance
Strength

Sensorimotor stage Stages of intellectual development

Can follow simple instructions
Concrete thinking, no strategy
Able to deal with strategy

Trust Stages of emotional development

Start of autonomy
Development of autonomy
Competence: compare to others – withdraw if lacking
Individuals establish personal identity

Obedience and punishment avoidance Stages of moral development

Self-interest - what’s in it for me?
Societal expectations
Maintaining social order: following the rules
Doing what is right even if against rules

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Age in years (approximate guide only)

Figure 5:  Example of impact of stage of development on sport for development activities

15
 Part two: Designing for good practice Youth development

Programmatic differences between martial arts based and economic needs and the opportunities that might
youth development activities for the two groups are be available. Programmes targeting the pyscho-social
shown in Table 2 below. realm such as self-esteem require a knowledge of social

Table 2:  Differences in programme focus based on two developmental ages across multiple domains

Stage Approximate age Defining characteristics

Physical – skill Games and activities to teach basic martial arts skills Targeted skills training and focused learning through skills-
based games

Physical – capacities Games and activities that develop speed of movement, Games and activities that maintain endurance and
and flexibility (particularly for boys) build strength

Cognitive (intellectual) Games and activities in which participants make specific Games and activities in which participants have the
decisions – for example, “when the opponent moves opportunity to plan and discuss their strategy for success.
forward, take a step to the left”.

Emotional Since children at this stage are comparing their Since youth at this stage are formulating their identity,
competence to others, provide activities that have provide opportunities for self-selection of roles and
multiple solutions and to which many different people responsibilities
contribute.

Moral Focus on rule-based games and activities and Encourage debate about the reasons for rules, and whether
reinforce idea that by taking part in the game/activity, there are situations in which the right thing to do is break
participants are agreeing to abide by the rules. the rules.

Development objectives
For organizations to design a programme with clear
development outcomes, there needs to be a clear
articulation of the issues, objectives and pathways to
achieving these. This is called intentional design. A key
point raised by the Evaluation Framework, was that
when programmes have not designed a pedagogy
to achieve desired results, they will rarely produce
an activity for youth which can claim to specifically
address youth development.
Intentional design may be targeting personal issues
for young women and men such as mental health,
employment or education, or it may focus on
community issues such as the local environment,
affordable housing or community facilities. Just as
understanding human development is necessary, local
knowledge is critical in the design or adaptation of
programmes to suit local circumstances and the needs
of participants.
This means creating a logical pathway between the
objectives and the activities. For example, a programme
established to improve education needs to understand
the current educational status of potential participants,
the learning outcomes that would meet their social
and mental health issues and how to work with young
people to build self-esteem. Just as with the diversity
in individual development of each young person, each
community faces its own issues and possibilities.
Most sporting organizations do not automatically have
the skills to develop such programmes, though their
members might include teachers, doctors and other
specialists who could play a part in such design.
The Kazan Action Plan29 and its corresponding
MINEPS Follow-up Framework provides a structure for
organizing good practice along 20 policy areas, across
three themes: Inclusive access for all to sport; sport for
sustainable development and sport integrity. As the
follow-up framework becomes more comprehensive
and the collection of information on good practices
is expanded, it will be easier to identify sport-based
programmes with specific development objectives.
Contribution to the framework is voluntary and UNESCO
urges all stakeholders to align relevant research, policy
tools, programmes and other initiatives with these
policy areas, and to share their work. The policy areas
reflected in the Kazan Action Plan are in the text box.

29
UNESCO (2016)

16
Selected good practices Part two: Designing for good practice
Kazan Action Plan key standards for
achieving development through sport
I. Inclusive Access for All to Sport
I.1 Aligning with sustainable development
priorities
I.2 Partnerships
I.3 Quality physical education
I.4 Research-based evidence and
strengthened higher education
I.5 Gender equality & female empowerment
I.6 Youth in decision-making processes
I.7 Empowerment and inclusive
participation for all
II. Maximizing the Contributions of Sport to
Sustainable Development and Peace
II.1 Health and well-being of all
II.2 Resilient, safe and sustainable cities
II.3 Quality education and skills development
through sport
II.4 Peaceful, inclusive and equitable societies
II.5 Economic growth and full and
productive employment for all
II.6 Gender equality and female
empowerment
II.7 Sustainable consumption and
production patterns & combatting
climate change
II.8 Effective, accountable and inclusive
institutions at all levels
III. Protecting the Integrity of Sport
III.1 Safeguarding athletes, spectators,
workers and other groups involved
III.2 Protection of children, youth and other
vulnerable groups
III.3 Good governance of sports organizations
III.4 Anti-competition manipulation
III.5 Anti-doping and effective
compliance measures
30
Centre for the Study of Social Policy (n.d.)
31
Tak Yan Lee, Chau Kiu Cheung, and Wai Man Kwon (2011)
Building youth resilience
The idea of resilience is built on the observation that
some youth exposed to serious disadvantage or trauma
– often called at-risk youth – do well, while others under
similar circumstances turn to drugs, alcohol, anti-social
behaviour or crime. What protects those who do well
in life is labelled “resilience”. In academic circles, the idea
of resilience is problematic due to a lack of consensus
on an operational definition, and multiple overlapping
but different understandings of the components that
make up resilience.
What is resilience?
Resilience is the process of managing life, including both
positive and negative experiences, and functioning
well even when faced with adversity and trauma.30 Tak
Yan Lee, Chau Kiu Cheung, and Wai Man Kwong report
that there are three critical conditions for resilience to
occur in youth:31
i Growing up in distressing life conditions
or demanding societal conditions that are
considered significant threats or severe
adversities;
ii The availability of protective factors, including
internal assets and external resources that may
be associated with counteracting the effects of
risk factors; and,
iii The achievement of positive adaptation despite
experiences of significant adversity.
Though resilience may also develop without meeting
all three of these criteria, extracting from their definition,
the component of resilience that is accessible to direct
change through martial arts based interventions
suggests that the role of martial arts in building
resilience is to enhance, “protective factors”, which
include “both internal assets and external resources” to
offset the effects of risk factors.
Factors promoting resilience have been identified at
the level of:
●● The individual
●● The family
●● Society
17
 Part two: Designing for good practice Youth development

A very detailed list of protective factors has been
developed by Fleming and Ledogar (2008).32 While
the list was developed to be applicable to building
resilience in Indigenous populations, it appears to be
applicable more widely – particularly with respect to
many aspects that are inherent to martial arts, including
the inclusion of traditional activities, spirituality,
language and healing. (see Table 3)
In addition, Michael Ungar has developed a range
of age-specific questionnaires relating to resilience
that are useful for practitioners wanting to consider
monitoring and evaluation.34
A simplified set of resilience components are used in
this document:
Mechanisms and processes:
Connection: Having a good connection with other
people at home, in school and in the community.
For youth, a strong connection to a good adult role
model is one of the most important contributions
to resilience.
Coping: Developing effective coping strategies can
reduce self-destructive behaviour.

Table 3:  Resilience resources at individual, family, and social/environment levels33

Personal attributes Family and community attributes

Constitutional resilience Positive temperament Supportive families Parental warmth, encouragement, assistance

Robust neurobiology Cohesion and care within the family

Sociability Responsiveness to others Close relationship with a caring adult

Pro-social attitudes Belief in the child

Attachment to others Non-blaming

Intelligence Academic achievement Marital support

Planning and decision making Talent or hobby valued by others

Communication skills Developed language Socioeconomic status Material resources

Advanced reading School experiences Supportive peers

Attitudes and Values Tolerance for negative affect Positive teacher influences

Self-efficacy Success (academic or other)

Self-esteem
Supportive Belief in the individual
Foundational sense of self communities
Non-punitive
Internal locus of control
Provisions and resources to assist belief in the
Sense of humour
values of society
Hopefulness
Cultural resources Traditional activities
Strategies to deal with stress
Traditional spirituality
Enduring set of values
Traditional languages
Balanced perspective on experience

Malleability and flexibility Traditional healing

Fortitude, conviction, tenacity,

and resolve

32
Fleming & Ledogar (2008)
33
ibid.
34
Resilience Research Center

18
Selected good practices Part two: Designing for good practice
Contribution: Contributing to the well-being of
others in the family, at school or in the community,
makes youth feel good about themselves and can
support the development of positive relationships.
In addition, youth civic participation can have a
positive effect on the entire community.
Outcomes:
Competence: The feeling of ability to successfully
perform a task both in a sport-setting or in everyday
life, based on having learned and had earlier success
with the task.
Confidence: Having a belief in one’s own ability.
Character: A clear sense and understanding of right
and wrong and a commitment to act with integrity.
Control: Feeling in control of your body and
emotions in stressful situations reduces the
tendency to over-react or make unwise decisions.
Table 4:  Ways to build resilience in youth-oriented martial arts programmes
American Psychological Association recommendation
Maintain good relationships with close family members, friends
and others
Avoid seeing crises or stressful events as unbearable problems
Accept circumstances that cannot be changed
Develop realistic goals and move towards them
Take decisive actions in adverse situations
Look for opportunities of self-discovery after a struggle with loss
Develop self-confidence
Keep a long-term perspective and consider the stressful event in a
broader context
Maintain a hopeful outlook, expecting good things and visualizing
what is wished
Take care of one's mind and body, exercising regularly, paying attention
to one's own needs and feelings
35
American Psychological Assocation (n.d.)
The American Psychological Association has suggested
ten ways to build resilience, and these can be adapted
for use in youth-oriented martial arts programmes.35
(see Table 4)
Given the expertise of the American Psychological
Association, it is worth noting that for almost every
one of their suggested actions to enhance resilience,
martial arts provide an immediate and concrete setting
in which to:
●● Experience set-backs through being cut from a
team, competitive loss, or injury,
●● Apply well-established training techniques to
address the setback,
●● Discuss ways in which the skills and lessons
learned in the gym environment can be applied
to daily living settings.
Adaptation to martial arts programmes
Build good relations with teammates and programme leaders
Develop anxiety reduction techniques and strategies for facing stressful
martial arts situations
Accept martial arts circumstances that cannot be changed
Develop realistic martial arts goals and work towards them
Take decisive action when things go wrong in martial arts
Use martial arts losses as opportunity to explore what went wrong and
find ways to overcome the problem
Develop self-confidence through the mastery of martial arts skills
Consider individual competition losses in the broader context
Use positive visualization developed in martial art psychology in day-to-
day activities
In some ways, this is the essence of martial arts participation for health
and well-being
19

It is interesting to consider the degree to which
building resilience through involvement in martial
arts is an inherent function of the nature of the sport,
or something that can only be built through specific
actions, in the right way at specific times during a
participant’s involvement (see Figure 6).
The simplified model below shows the relationship
between the seven components of resilience, the
development of participant resilience and the desired
outcome of the martial arts programme for social,
health and education improvements.
Key areas of development supported
through martial arts programmes
There is ample evidence in the human capital model
to conclude that improved fitness, and the learning
and successful execution of fundamental and basic
sport skills, increases participants’ competence and,
consequently, their confidence.36
Effective mental training in martial arts encompasses
important skills, such as anxiety reduction, emotional
control, concentration, discipline, re-focusing, and
multi-sensory visualization of desired future actions.
It also contributes to an individual’s feelings of
confidence. All of these skills lead directly to greater
emotional control and can be important in helping
Programmes use
Fitness
Inherent in sport
Psycho-motor skills
participation
Mental training
Nutrition/recovery
Rule-based games
Dependent on
appropriate Teamwork
pedagogy
Coaching
Figure 6:  The simplified relationship between seven components of resilience, enhanced participant resilience
and desired social, health and educational outcomes.
36
For example see Bailey et al. (2013)
20
Part two: Designing for good practice Youth development
youth plan and practice a course of action when faced
with a future stressful situation.
Good nutrition, along with adequate physical and
mental rest and regeneration (recovery) are important
for coping with the demands of participation in martial
arts, and may carry over into daily living. Therefore, to
a certain degree, competence, confidence, control
and coping are possible outcomes of participation in
martial arts in the absence of structured pedagogy.
Simply practising a martial art can be valuable in its
own right, as it develops fitness, skills and potential
social connections with other practitioners, the gym,
teammates and the wider community. Fitness, physical
aptitude and skills, mental focus and having adequate
nutrition contribute greatly to youth resilience. These
benefits can be significantly increased with appropriate
pedagogy.
The remaining components of resilience; feeling
connected, making a contribution to the team or gym
(as well as the wider community) and developing
character, require greater consideration for effective
pedagogy and programme design.
The elements around pedagogy and design are
critically important to effective outcomes.
to develop which creates that leads to
Competence
Confidence
Control
Improved general social,
Enhanced health and educational
Coping outcomes from
participant resilience
S4D programmes
Contribution
Character
Connection
Selected good practices Part two: Designing for good practice
2.3 The different types of organizations delivering martial
arts youth programmes
Despite the variety of approaches and the diversity
between the different types of organizations delivering
youth-focused martial arts programmes, they can
generally be divided into three groups:
Martial arts specific
organizations
These are typically international, national or local martial
arts organizations (gyms, national federations etc.) that
have taken steps to undertake youth development
initiatives. For these, the primary organizational
objective is the advancement of the martial art,
although advancing the sport and the performance
of athletes is undertaken with a clear understanding
that, delivered well, their martial art can also make a
contribution to the positive development of youth.
These organizations are often well established in
local communities, and are frequently well supported
by those communities. While they may struggle
with finances, they have good prospects for long-
term viability. They are likely to be around for many
years, and have the potential to positively influence
generations of youth.
It is likely that however well-meaning and however
well-intentioned a martial art specific organization
is in the delivery of youth programming, it is almost
certainly going to be delivered at a lower priority than
sport specific training, or competition preparation.
In addition, martial arts leaders (masters, coaches and
instructors) are likely engaged with the organization
because of their love, and knowledge, of the sport.
They may have little or no training in effective youth
development pedagogy, and may not be prepared
to give up their time to become trained in effective
programme delivery.
Lastly, the culture of martial arts places the instructor/
master in a position of power over those practising.
This power imbalance can be a barrier to open,
non-judgmental discussions of the sensitive topics that
come up in youth development programming. It could
also lead to abuses of power in various forms.
In the instances where youth development objectives
align with sport performance objectives, such as
physical and mental health, targeted education to
enhance youth development pedagogy should be
incorporated into the approach. However, in general,
martial arts specific coaches are poorly trained to
deliver youth development activities and messages.
With younger athletes generally coached by the least
qualified coaches, the younger the athlete, the less
likely he or she will receive effective instruction from a
youth development perspective.
Issue specific organizations
These organizations are most frequently set up to
combat major social issues and see martial arts as
an effective complement to their objectives. Prime
examples are Fight for Peace in Brazil, which targets
peace-building in disadvantaged communities, or
Teen Moms, led by the Peruvian Muaythai Federation
in Lima, which provides psycho-social support to
female victims of sexual assault resulting in teenage
pregnancy. Sport is typically used to complement
other non-sport activities.
These organizations are set up to address an existing
issue or social problem and are therefore focused on
using martial arts as a tool to address the root cause
of the issue. Leaders of these programmes are often
well trained in positive youth development pedagogy
and are well placed to help participants link the lessons
learned through martial arts to the issues they face in
their daily lives.
Issue specific programmes are almost always delivered
by organizations specifically established to address an
issue of importance to national or local governments,
or to international agencies and donors. Funding for
such programmes is usually external and there is a very
great risk that externally funded programmes will cease
to exist when governments or international donors
turn their attention to other, sometimes new and
emerging, social issues.
21
 Part two: Designing for good practice Youth development

Leaders in issue specific organizations are usually of the leader may also vary greatly with impacts on the
not well equipped or trained to develop sporting quality and professionalism of the programme.
talent through effective sport coaching. While they
Some of the best-known sport for development
have effective pedagogy and usually a high level
programmes have been built around direct sport
of understanding of the issue with which they are
participation – in which engagement in community
dealing, they frequently do not develop martial art
building activities and education is a prerequisite
specific skills, which can lead to athletes stagnating
to participation in sport. Sport in these types of
and getting bored. This in turn can lead to programme
programmes is frequently used as an attraction and
drop-out. Helping leaders incorporate martial art
an incentive. In addition, the organization of sport
specific skill development activities in their youth
training and competition by youth for youth provides
and sport programming could significantly increase
an exceptional foundation for the development of
programme quality.
life-skills – specifically organization and leadership skills.

While the intended outcomes of youth development

Location specific organizations
These organizations most frequently emerge from
local youth groups, youth organizations, church
groups or municipal governments that see martial arts
as an effective tool to engage their youth community.
They are usually located in low-income, high-risk
neighbourhoods as a grass-roots attempt to solve
major local social problems including, but not limited
to, drug and alcohol abuse, violence against girls
and women, specific disease threats (such as HIV/
AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis), chronic unemployment,
crime, unsanitary living conditions, or environmental
pollution. Sport is typically used to complement other
non-sport activities.
through martial arts programmes may be similar
regardless of the type of organization responsible
for the initiative, those that are conducted by Sports
Federations recognized by the Global Association of
International Sports Federations (GASIF) should align to
the core values of the International Olympic Committee,
as reflected in the Olympic Charter 37. Athlete protection,
gender equality and the harmonious development of
humankind are embedded into the Charter, to which
all GAISF Members are signatories.

These organizations are established within a

community, are usually well linked to both formal
and informal local institutions and have a deep
understanding of the cultural dynamics that drive
local social issues. Although generally poorly funded,
such organizations have a good probability of
self-sustaining since they rarely rely on external
funding to be established. Local leaders who organize
and run location specific organizations are usually well
respected within and often outside of the immediate
community and have good credibility with local youth.

Often poorly funded, leaders of these organizations

frequently have little or no opportunity to receive
training in youth programming and pedagogy, and
frequently have no one to turn to when they need
assistance or information. Programmes often grow up
around a key leader, and following the departure of such
a leader, the programmes may collapse. The expertise

37
IOC (2017)

22
Selected good practices Part two: Designing for good practice

2.4 Appropriate design for youth-oriented martial arts

programmes
There is no single best pedagogy for youth-oriented confident” should be connected to future real-life
martial arts programmes. Different practitioners and experiences where the lesson could then be applied to
organizations have developed their own approaches a non-sport related activity.
and two widely accepted and respected versions are
The key elements of experiential learning are shown in
offered in this report.
Figure 7 below.

Experiential learning model

Right to Play model
While experiential learning is often described as the
process of learning through experience, it should The international play-based NGO dedicated to helping
more accurately be described as “learning through improve the lives of children through sport, Right to
reflection on doing”. Experiential learning emerged in Play (RTP)38, uses a simplified version of experiential
the early 1970s. David A. Kolb was an early promoter education called Reflect-Connect-Apply. RTP have
and developer of the modern theory of experiential determined that for play to be an effective teaching
learning, building on the earlier work of John Dewey, tool, children must understand the activity being
Kurt Lewin, and Jean Piaget. delivered along with the associated life-lesson, and be
able to relate it to their own life experiences. At the end
Applied to martial arts-based youth development
of games, mentors lead children through a three-step
programmes, the experiential learning model focuses
discussion.
largely on the learning experience of the individual,
where the participant is asked to share his/her The Reflect-Connect-Apply model encourages children
experience practicing the sport, reflect and then to connect the sport-based activity to a similar
recommence the activity. The participant is expected experience in their own lives and it asks them to
to link his/her observations with self-identified themes, contemplate how they will apply what they have learnt
problems and opportunities. All important learnings from participating in the sport to their daily lives. The
during the activity, such as “I felt stronger and more benefit of this model is that it is simple enough for

ds on experience
Han
1
5
Sh
s
nce

1 Participants engage in S4D experience

are
erie

Experience
exp

Participants asked to describe their experience and their observations of

Apply exp

2
eriences

what happened
3 Participants asked to identify themes, problems and opportunities
Apply Share 2
4 Participants asked to connect important learnings to real-life experiences
4
5 Participants asked how and when they will use what they learned to
respond in similar situations
Ge

es
ne

nc
ra

ze r
ie

pe
li

ex
pe
ri e n
3
ss ex
ce s P ro ce

Figure 7:  The experiential learning model

38
Right to Play International (n.d.)

23
 Part two: Designing for good practice Youth development

children at any age to grasp and it encourages healthy

conversation among peers and with supervisors.
(see Figure 8)

Right to PlayTM Three phase “Reflect-Connect-Apply” pedagogy

Participants engage in S4D game, activity or sport

Reflect 1 Participants engage in a S4D experience and think about the game
Participants compare and connect what they experienced during
2
3
the game to a similar experience from their own lives
Apply Connect 3
Participants explore how they can apply what they’ve learned from
the game to an area of their daily lives

Figure 8:  The Right to Play model of pedagogy

© ICM

24
 PART THREE
EXAMPLES OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH MARTIAL ARTS
© ICM

25
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts
3.1 Examples of good practices
The programmes described in this section represent
a curated selection of martial arts-based programmes
that have been developed specifically to promote
youth development and youth empowerment.
Information on the programmes was collected through
review of websites, contacting organizations and site
visits where possible. The programmes were chosen
based on the following criteria:
●● There is a clear youth development and youth
empowerment focus;
●● The programme makes a clear contribution to the
MINEPS Follow-up Framework;
●● Core elements of the programme correspond to
the Youth Development Evaluation Framework
presented in this report;
●● The programme must have an educational or
support aspect in addition to the physical (martial
arts) training.
Using the framework, a brief analysis of the approach
and potential impact of the programme has been
included. However, this analysis should be interpreted
with great care for the following reasons:
●● Analysis was based partly on self-reported
information provided by the organization, and
as there was no standard set of questions, critical
information is frequently missing. Organizations
may in fact have very useful, additional,
information in their records, but elected not to
make it available for public consumption.
●● Different organizations provided different types and
depth of information, reported over different time
periods, making meaningful comparisons between
organizations impossible.
●● There is no well accepted, standard, language
used by organizations to describe the intended
outcomes of their programmes, and for many
organizations English is not their first language
leading to considerable room for errors of
interpretation.
In assessing potential programme impact, reports were
analysed with respect to the following:
1. Nature of programme delivery organization:
a. Sport/martial arts organization
b. Social issue based organization using a
martial art
26
Youth development
c. Location/community based organization using
a martial art.
2. Were programme participants clearly identified?
a. By sex?
b. By age/age group?
c. By status (at-risk, in trouble with the law, out of
school, general population)
3. What was the scope of participation?
a. How long did participants spend in the
programme (weeks, months)?
b. How often (times per week) and for how
much time (hours) did participants attend the
programme?
4. Were programme objectives clearly articulated?
a. Were there clear specific and measurable
objectives related to youth development; for
example, personal development, strengthening
values, leadership or addressing mental health
or behavioural problems
b. Were objectives general?
c. Were objectives broken down by age and/or
sex of participants
5. Which of the following components did the
programme deliver?
a. Martial arts participation?
b. Formal or informal education
c. Personal development?
d. Community engagement/Improvement
e. Support for participants outside of the
martial arts component (health, education,
employment, counselling, etc.)
6. Did the programme provide different activities for
children and youth of different ages?
7. Did the programme take into account gender
differences?
8. Did the programme identify the pedagogy used,
and did the pedagogy change with the age of the
participants.
9. Did the programme train local youth leaders?
10. Was there a robust monitoring and evaluation
process in place?
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

11. Was a process for sustaining the programme Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence!
in place?
To provide an overview or snapshot, the criteria
Absence of evidence that a specific programme have been summarized in the “score card” below and
component was in place maybe the result of: each profile has a quick guide to how well it does for
each of the seven criteria. In many cases there is little
●● The component being in place but not reported
evidence, or not enough evidence, to know how well
in the limited information available to the
the programme has performed.
independent external expert, or
●● The component not being in place.

Programme target group clearly identified

Programme adapted to suit different ages
Attention given to involving marginalized and vulnerable groups
Clearly targets the participation of females at all ages
Inclusive of youth with different abilities
Mention of other gender groups
Frequency of participation
Activities Bi-Weekly or more (twice per week)
Weekly activities
Monthly activities
Less than monthly
Length of participation
Participants spent at least one year in the programme
Participants spent at least six months in the programme
Participants spent at least three months in the programme
Programme objectives clearly articulated
Objectives Identified with appropriate corresponding indicators for measurement
Objectives broken down by sex / age (bonus points)
Participant surveying (before/after);
Some indication of monitoring changes over time
No mention of monitoring & evaluation
Personal/community development delivered as part of the programme
Personal development
Support for participants outside of the martial arts component (health, education, employment, counselling, etc.)
Involvement of the broader community in the intervention / community improvement
Well-developed educational components taught by professionals / specialists in that area
Programme design
Identifies the pedagogy used
No mention of programme pedagogy
Sustainability
Youth leaders were trained to continue the programme
Growth and sustainability plan clearly identified

Not being achieved

Evidence of some achievement but either not consistent or difficult to measure success
Clear evidence of achievement
Not enough evidence to rate

Again it is important to stress that the programmes available. Red is assigned only where it is clear that the
in the orange and grey categories may be achieving programme has not addressed this criterion.
more than can be evaluated from the information

27
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Transforming cities through sport, Malabon City, Philippines

A partnership between UNESCO, the Muaythai Association of the Philippines and the Malabon
City Council

Geographical scope: Malabon City, Philippines and global

Type of martial art: Muaythai

Type of project: Focusing on urban-renewal and empowering youth through Muaythai and other sports

Status: Active, launched 2017

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot
Structure:
The global campaign, Transforming Cities through
Sport was launched in December 2017 in Malabon
City, Philippines, an area of metro Manila. Each iteration
of the programme seeks to rejuvenate a public space
within an urban informal settlement (“slum” area) and
combines various sport-based activities to seek out
disadvantaged youth. The project aims to create new
safe spaces available for sport in poor urban areas,
improve social cohesion, reduce violence by and
against youth and promote greater gender equality
by insisting on the participation of girls and vulnerable
gender groups. It also aims to engage city-level
authorities, advocate for the importance of safe spaces
for sport and challenge the stigma associated with the
urban poor and informal settlements.
Designed to run over an initial period of a year, the
programme is divided into three stages.
Stage one:
Once an appropriate community space is identified
and permission is granted from the local government, a
safety inspection of the area is carried out, followed by
a month-long “clean-up” and rehabilitation of the space
involving the local community in the transformation.
This includes replacing and repairing sports equipment
(such as a basketball hoop or volleyball net) and
painting the area, as well as planting trees and grass. A
comprehensive survey based on the UN Youth-SWAP
28
of the youth living in the area is conducted (at least
100 potential participants) seeking to reveal trends
and barriers to education (including comprehensive
sexuality education), healthcare, employment, political
inclusion and any human rights violations. Experts
and other targeted interventions are then planned
accordingly, depending on the survey results and the
local context.
Stage two:
Bi-weekly sport sessions led by champion athletes
from the National Federations for different sports and
other interventions led by subject-matter experts, are
conducted over a 3 to 12 month period (depending on
the availability of funding).
Stage three:
Evaluation stage and preparation for continuation
of the programme. New youth leaders should be
sufficiently knowledgeable to continue the programme
autonomously (with occasional expert interventions).
Over one year:
1. 75% sustained participation of youth (at least
100 participants)
2. Evidence to support the contribution of sport
towards economic development and health
(reduced NCDs) (measured by prevalence
of NCDs before and after, including signs of
reduced obesity, awareness of sexual health &
the benefits of PA etc.)
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

3. A greater understanding of the local 6. Out-of-school youth involved in the

demographics and some data revealing life programme transferring into the formal
in informal settlements (measured through education system
surveying and local school enrolment data)
7. Reduced violence by and against youth
4. An enhanced appreciation for the importance (measured by surveying and neighbourhood
of safe, inclusive spaces for sport in urban areas crime rate data)
for both the local council and the community
8. An opportunity to design informed
(measured through before/after surveying)
interventions and policies (health, educational,
5. The development of young leaders to continue urban etc.) that meet the specific needs of
the project independently out-of-school, disabled, marginalized and
vulnerable groups

Notes by an independent expert:

Overview:
This is a social development through sport programme with sub-programmes tied to specific locations. It uses a variety of sports including, but not limited to,
martial arts, to empower youth from disadvantaged communities and for community development.
1. Nature of programme delivery Location/community based organization using a martial art (Muaythai) in one or more locations.
organization:

2. Were programme participants Participants not identified by sex or age, but identified as “youth”.
clearly identified? Participants identified as “disadvantaged” who were sought out. This is particularly positive since this is a
demographic that generally does not volunteer for participation in community activities.

3. What was the scope of participation Programming is anticipated to last approximately 1 year, with bi-weekly spot activities. (2 x per week).
(months of participation, sessions per
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly
articulated?
Some objectives were clearly identified, and measures for some were reported. Some of the reported
measures, for example reduced crime measured by neighbourhood crime rates appear to be insufficiently
sensitive, and subject to wide variations due to factors outside the control of the programme. This
generally makes them poor measures. However others, such as participant surveys measuring perceptions
of safety are likely to be sensitive enough to detect improvements.
Measures around the prevalence of Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are unlikely to generate
meaningful results given the time-span between poor life choices (around food intake and exercise) and
the emergence of measurable NCDs. However, measures around awareness of sexual health and benefits
of physical activity are appropriate and likely to generate meaningful data that can be attributed to
programme interventions.
Some objectives were general – such as empowerment of youth, with no clear indication of how changes
in empowerment would be measured.
Objectives were not broken down by age and/or sex of participants.

5. What components did the Martial arts participation (in some programme locations)
programme deliver Educational opportunities, with potential transfer into the formal education system. Personal
development, and improved health information.
Community engagement/Improvement is a high priority, especially around the provision of safe-spaces
for sport.

6. Did the programme provide No evidence of this.

different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into No evidence of this.

account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the No evidence of this.

pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

29
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

9. Did the programme train local Yes, local youth leaders trained.
youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and There is clear evidence of monitoring and evaluation, but insufficient detail provided to assess quality.
evaluation process in place? Some measures seem inappropriate due to lack of sensitivity.

11. Was a process for sustaining the Yes, the engagement of local authorities and training local youth leaders bodes well for sustainability of
programme in place? the programme. Recruiting and engaging more senior local leaders to support the programme within the
community should be considered if this is not already in place.

Conclusions:
This programme is based on solid programme design and delivery principles. Consideration should be given to more clearly articulating the
role of martial arts in the programme, to more clearly identifying the pedagogy used, and more clearly defining participants. The age and sex of
participants should be included in future reporting, and based on the age and sex distribution of participants additional thought might be given
to age-appropriate modifications of the programme, and taking into account well established principles related to the differences in working
with males and females in the area of sport and physical activity.

Waiting for a
suitable picture

30
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Sport Is Your Gang

An International Federation of Muaythai Amateurs project, supported by UNESCO

Geographical scope: Global; currently operating in Dominican Republic, Germany, Madagascar, Mexico, Peru,
Portugal and Thailand

Type of martial art: Muaythai

Type of project: Focusing on vulnerable youth in disadvantage communities, particularly areas with high
crime rates

Status: Active, launched 1991

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot
Structure:
Sport Is Your Gang (SIYG), is a global Muaythai campaign
designed to empower at-risk youth in disadvantaged
communities and deter them from associating with
gangs and organized crime. It is currently active in
seven countries (Dominican Republic, Germany,
Madagascar, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Thailand), and is
implemented by the National Federations of Muaythai
Amateur, under the guidance of the International
Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA). In 2014, the
programme won the SportAccord Spirit of Sport award
for the best community-based sports project.
The trainers involved are all associated with the National
Federations and are appropriately qualified to work
with youth. On average, 60% of the participants are
female and the total participant age-range is from 12
to 19 years old. The programme impacts are measured
through monthly surveying of the participants to
evaluate their psychological well-being and reveal
any changes in their lifestyles (i.e. school drop-
outs). The trainers monitor the youth and submit an
evaluation of each individual monthly, which includes
changes in morale, attendance patterns and any other
signs of harm.
Links to relevant materials and websites:

With a focus on youth susceptible to drugs, alcohol www.ifmamuaythai.org

and different forms of violence, the project seeks to
promote an alternative to everyday vices by providing
quality Muaythai-based training and psychological
support to youth living in impoverished urban areas.
The main focus of the programme is advocacy for
healthy lifestyles and alternate choices, such as civic
engagement and careers in sport.

In Bangkok, Thailand, the project is supported by the

local council and is carried out once a week in two
locations. Over the last decade, the physical structures
for sport in the two designated areas have been
rejuvenated through donations. Once a year, IFMA, also
based in Bangkok, hosts a fundraising event on-site
where the youth demonstrate their skills and embassies
are invited to donate to support the programme. ©DragonImages/Getty Images

31 31
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Notes by an independent expert:

Overview:
This is a personal/community development through sport programme operating in different countries. It uses Muaythai, to empower youth from disadvantaged
communities with a focus on reducing gang affiliation and reducing violence.

1. Nature of programme delivery A sport based organization using a martial art (Muaythai) in one or more locations.
organization:

2. Were programme participants Age and sex of participants clearly identified

clearly identified? Participants identified as “at-risk” from engagement in gang-related activities. It is not clear whether
participants are actively recruited or are attracted to the programme by local word of mouth.

3. What was the scope of participation Clear description of frequency and duration of participant engagement, with participation tracked as part
(months of participation, sessions per of the monitoring and evaluation process
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly Very clear identification of programme objectives and of tracking of progress towards those objectives.
articulated? Empowerment of participants clearly identified as objective. However, there was no clear indication of
how empowerment was measured.
Objectives were not broken down by age and/or sex of participants.

5. What components did the Muaythai participation a key component

programme deliver Psychological support and education
Community engagement/Improvement
Opportunities for employment through a sport career

6. Did the programme provide No evidence of this.

different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into No clear evidence although 60% or more of participants are female. (5 points)
account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the No evidence of this.

pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Not clear, as the training of local youth leaders is not directly addressed.
youth leaders? However, there is reference to “careers in sport” but it is unclear if this is through professional competition/
performance or through training to become a paid instructor.

10. Was there a robust monitoring and There is clear evidence of good monitoring and evaluation practices. For a more detailed analysis greater
evaluation process in place? detail is required

11. Was a process for sustaining the Yes, although it appears as though the programme’s sustainability is predicated on external donations.
programme in place?

Conclusions:
This programme is based on solid programme design and delivery principles, and this has been previously recognized through its receipt of a
major international award. Based on the limited information available the one clear weakness appears to be the continued reliance on donations
for sustainability.

32
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Fight for Peace/Luta Pela Paz

A partnership between Reebok, Ikea Foundation, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Credit Suisse,
the Embassy of Brazil in England

Geographical scope: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and London, England

Type of martial art: Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Muaythai

Type of project: The organization provides mentoring, competition and fitness training, education, social
Interaction and role-modelling. It also provides pathways to employment and careers as athletes.

Status: Active, since 2000

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot outside the formal education system or who

have learning difficulties;
Structure: III. Improving youth individual employability
Fight for Peace receives funding from donations, through targeted training programmes,
corporate partnerships and fundraising initiatives. vocational courses, and referrals to job
Local Government Units in Brazil support specific opportunities;
projects through in-kind contributions, such as access IV. Additional support services offered by a
to public spaces. The main donors for projects run in multidisciplinary social-support team. The
Rio de Janeiro are NGOs and private donors, with the services include individual mentoring, social,
IKEA foundation being their biggest private funder. The medical and legal referrals, home visits and
International Olympic Committee (IOC) funds some community interventions and outreach;
programmes. V. Youth leadership. Youth leaders form special
Fight for Peace was founded in Rio de Janeiro in 2000 youth councils to represent the Organization
and launched in London in 2007. The programme’s externally and liaise with staff on strategy and
key focus is youth empowerment through education programme development.
and employment opportunities, violence prevention
Both the Rio de Janeiro and London sites are direct
and addressing the physical, emotional and mental
service providers offering martial arts instruction,
well-being of youth. Fight for Peace uses a five-pillar
education and other support services to those
“public health methodology” to empower participants,
who attend. In the interest of strengthening the
using martial arts to attract participants to participate
Organizational pedagogy, Fight for Peace partners with
in targeted education programmes. The five pillars are
other organizations across the globe to share their
integrated throughout each Fight for Peace activity.
framework, learn from other programmes and help
These five pillars are:
develop local projects.
I. Enhancing the cultural and traditional aspects
Fight for Peace regularly submit their programmes
of boxing and martial arts to promote respect,
for external evaluation and release annual reports
discipline, self-control, feelings of belonging
documenting their impact. Their research and
and self-esteem, and the high-energy, “fun”
independent assessments are freely available on their
aspects to attract youth to join the programme;
website: http://fightforpeace.net/research
II. Education. Fight for Peace offer support and
educational opportunities for students who are

33
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Using the five-pillar methodology, Fight for Peace

empowers participants with tools and support
structures to build futures for themselves and thus
break cycle of poverty and violence.

Links to relevant materials and websites:

http://fightforpeace.net

http://fightforpeace.net/xxaltxx/wp-content/
uploads/2015/06/Fight-for-Peace-2016-Annual-
Report.pdf
© Vi t a l i j S o v a / G e t t y I m a g e s
https://www.youtube.com/user/fightforpeacegroup

Notes by an independent expert:

Overview:
This is a personal/community development through sport programme operating in at least two countries. It uses a number of different martial arts, to
empower youth from disadvantaged communities and additionally provides education, health and employment support using a public health approach

1. Nature of programme delivery A sport-based organization using a variety of culturally appropriate martial arts in different locations (for
organization: example Boxing in London and Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil).

2. Were programme participants Age and sex of participants not clearly identified in available documentation.
clearly identified? Participants identified as “at-risk” from engagement in gang-related activities. It is not clear how
participants are recruited.

3. What was the scope of participation Not clearly identified in available documentation.
(months of participation, sessions per
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly Very clear identification of programme objectives: education and employment opportunities, violence
articulated? prevention physical, emotional and mental well-being.
Objectives were not differentiated by age and/or sex of participants.

5. What components did the Martial arts participation a key component

programme deliver Education, legal health and psychological support
Links to employment opportunities

6. Did the programme provide No evidence of this.

different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into No gender differences in programming described.

account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the Very clear articulation of the processes used in the programme, but not of the martial arts pedagogy used.
pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Yes, clearly an important component of the programme, and the youth councils additionally create
youth leaders? stronger links to the community.

10. Was there a robust monitoring and There is clear evidence of good monitoring and evaluation practices, with the use of external evaluators,
evaluation process in place? and publication of research documents. In this regard the programme is an exemplar.

11. Was a process for sustaining the Difficult to access through available documentation.
programme in place?

Conclusions:
Overall, an excellent programme. The use of a public health intervention framework, and transparent monitoring and evaluation documentation
are to be applauded. Areas that (based on documentation available to me) may require attention (a) are fine-tuning the programme to better
meet the needs of participants at different stages of the growth and development, (b) the specific role of martial arts in meeting programme
objectives, and (c) the way in which an experiential education pedagogy might help reach programme objectives.

34
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

World Taekwondo Peace Corps

A partnership between National Governments and National Taekwondo Federations

Geographical scope: Operates from the Republic of Korea running programmes globally receiving countries
depend on interest. Usually low to middle income countries

Type of martial art: Taekwondo

Type of project: A “peace corps” style programme for Korean youth exporting Taekwondo and Korean culture
internationally

Status: Active since 2009

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme Snapshot Before their dispatch, the volunteers participate in a

Structure:
The World Taekwondo Peace Corps is a youth
development programme for Korean youth created
by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). Designed
to instil values of peace and mutual respect, facilitate
intercultural dialogue and promote Korean culture
internationally, the programme is run intermittently
throughout the year depending on available funding
and normally operates in conjunction with major
sports events over several weeks. The first Peace
Corps programme launched in 2009 consisted of 59
participants (volunteers) of South Korean nationality
dispatched internationally to 13 different host
countries. By the end of 2014, the Peace Corps had
1500 volunteers and the programme had gained the
support of the former United Nations Office on Sport
for Development and Peace (UNOSDP).
Each Peace Corps team consists of 4 volunteers, 3
Taekwondo masters, one language student. Depending
on the specific needs of the host country, the
programmes last between 2 – 6 months. The activities
include Taekwondo instruction in the host country,
cultural exchange (sharing traditional Korean food,
dance and music with the host culture) and dispatching
provisions and donations (sports equipment, uniforms
and toys) from the Republic of Korea.
The participants are chosen based on applications and
interviews. All Peace Corps volunteers are over 18 years
of age, hold at least a 3rd black belt in Taekwondo and
are normally enrolled in university.
one-week training course to prepare them. The World
Taekwondo Peace Corps cover the airfare expenses,
whereas the host countries cover local costs, such as
accommodation, local transportation and meals.
Focusing on capacity-building of youth, the specific
goals of the six month programme are to:
●● Provide youth, including college students, an
opportunity to broaden their experience and
enhance their intercultural competencies by
dispatching them to countries around the world
to engage in public service activities
●● Foster youth civic participation through the
development of soft skills and capacity-building
●● Promote Korean values internationally and instil a
sense of national pride in Korean youth
●● Enhance national and corporate competitiveness
(including through soft skills gained during the
volunteer experience)
●● Create leaders and change-makers
The specific outcomes of the programme are:
●● A ‘support network’ for young people: a mentoring
system based on respect and inclusion
●● Positive international attitudes towards Korea:
alignment with national development goals
and international development agendas (ie. UN
Agenda 2030)
●● Enhanced youth employability through soft skills
such as leadership and team-work / language
skills leading to long-term contribution to
economic development
35
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

●● Peace/development campaign through Links to relevant materials and websites

sports through donation of sports equipment,
http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/development/tpc
community involvement
●● Advancing the sport leading to discovering new
talent and encouraging participation in the sport
●● The World Taekwondo Federation was nominated
for the Peace and Sport Award at the 2012 Peace
and Sport International Forum held in Sochi,
Russian Federation. The nomination was for
the remarkable contribution to communities in
developing countries by Peace Corps volunteers.

Notes by an independent expert:

© Gerville/Getty Images

Overview:
This is a programme of significant magnitude, operating in multiple countries. While it is a sport-organization based programme, in addition to promoting the
sport it undertakes well-planned youth development interventions. The use of 4-person teams (three with sport and one with language competencies) appears to
be a critical success factor.

1. Nature of programme delivery A sport based organization, using Taekwondo to attract youth participants.
organization:

2. Were programme participants Age and sex of participants not clearly identified in available documentation, but described as youth.
clearly identified?

3. What was the scope of participation Korean leadership team placed in host country for 6-months. Unclear if departing leaders are replaced
(months of participation, sessions per by new Korean leadership team, and the programme continues in the same location, or if a new location
week etc.)? is selected.

4. Were programme objectives clearly Clear identification of programme objectives for the Korean leaders who are placed overseas, but
articulated? participant objectives – other than advancing Taekwondo, and fostering positive attitudes towards Korea
are not clear.

5. What components did the Martial arts participation a key component

programme deliver

6. Did the programme provide No evidence of programme differentiation based on age of participants.
different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into No indication of accommodating gender differences.

account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the No evidence of a specific pedagogy.

pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Not mentioned.

youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and Monitoring and evaluation not mentioned.
evaluation process in place?

11. Was a process for sustaining the While the programme is clearly sustainable at a National level for the leaders placed overseas, there is no
programme in place? indication of systematic planning for sustainability within the countries to which Korean sport leaders are
sent. It appears that the assumption is that programmes will continue under the auspices of individual
National Taekwondo Federations.

Conclusions:
A large, well organized programme. It appears that the Korean sport and language leaders who serve 6-months overseas may be the biggest
beneficiaries, and the programme is clearly designed to raise the profile of Korea within developing countries, and benefit Korea on the leaders’
return. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and it is almost certain that youth in developing countries benefit from this programme.

36
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Nari Uddug Kendra

A partnership between national governments and national martial arts federations

Geographical scope: Bangladesh

Type of martial art: Karate

Type of project: A female-focused youth development programme using martial arts to empower
women and girls

Status: Active since 1991

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot a reputable organization recognized by the

Structure:
The Non-Governmental Organization, Nari Udduf
Kendra (NUK) was found in 1991 and is led by human
rights and gender expert, Mashuda Khatun Shefali.
The NUK team is comprised of approximately 300 staff,
and delivers a wide range of programmes, including
specialized gender and human rights training for
Physical Education teachers, grants for young females
interested in becoming physical education teachers,
youth physical literacy programmes, as well as
numeracy courses and financial assistance through
small micro-loans to support female mobility and
entrepreneurship. In addition, NUK commissions
research into the experience of women in sport, as well
as advocacy materials to promote the participation of
women in sport in Bangladesh, a country which has
historically excluded them.
NUK use a range of techniques to achieve their goals, one
of them being through the use of Karate. Adapting the
Fight for Peace framework and modifying it to include
gender-specific elements from their own programme,
NUK focus equally on education and physical training.
The ultimate goal of the organization is to develop and
deliver a ‘Fight for Your Rights’ programme in every
school in Bangladesh in partnership with NGOs, CSOs
and sports federations.
International Working Group on Women in Sport
(IWG). SPAWE is supported by the Ministry of Youth and
Sports, Bangladesh.
The programme runs for three months at a time (weekly)
and has engaged approximately 1800 girls, with 30 girls
participating each time. The instructor is a black-belt
in Karate and the activities include physical training
and ‘reflection’ including discussion of gender-related
issues. Surveying before and after the programme has
revealed that the majority of participants feel “safer in
public” and consider themselves to be more confident.
Many said they would continue to practice physical
activity and Karate even after the programme has
finished.
The programme has developed its own qualitative
guidelines:
●● FGD (Focus Group Discussion) and in-depth
interview guidelines
●● A case study checklist
Links to relevant materials and websites:
Website: http://nuk-bd.org/women_sports.php
Video: https://youtu.be/mHek8QXrDyU

Another NUK project, Sports and Physical Activities for

Women’s Empowerment (SPAWE), which uses a variety
of sports including Karate, is funded by Women Win,

37
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Notes by an independent expert:

Overview:
This national-level programme specifically focuses on gender issues, and on the empowerment of girls through involvement in Karate and reflection activities.
Empowerment is supported through ancillary activities related to career planning and advancement and economic empowerment.

1. Nature of programme delivery An issue based organization (advancement of women and girls in sport/female empowerment).
organization:

2. Were programme participants Programme focuses on females. No age range provided (5 points)
clearly identified?

3. What was the scope of participation Programme runs weekly for 3-months at a time. Duration of weekly sessions not reported
(months of participation, sessions per
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly Very clear programme objectives around empowerment of females and safety of females.
articulated?

5. What components did the Karate participation a key component.

programme deliver Reflection, Human Rights training, and economic empowerment.
Strengthening physical education in schools for females

6. Did the programme provide No evidence of programme differentiation based on age of participants.
different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into Programme is focused on female participation.

account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the While a specific pedagogy is not mentioned, the focus on reflection suggests that the organization
pedagogy used, and did the is aware of and uses a well-founded experiential education approach. No indication of change in
pedagogy change with the age of pedagogy with age.
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Focus on assisting young women become female physical education teachers
youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and Yes, a robust monitoring and evaluation culture is in place and the organization has created its own
evaluation process in place? evaluation tools

11. Was a process for sustaining the Involvement of international organizations and the National Government increases the likelihood of
programme in place? programme being sustained.

Conclusions:
A large national programme with a clear focus on female empowerment. Objectives are clear, and a wide range of activities help in attaining
those objectives. Clear use of effective pedagogy.

© Po c o _ b w / G e t t y I m a g e s

38
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Empire Fighting Chance

A partnership between Amateur Boxing Association of England, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Sport
England Lottery, Bristol Council, Avon and Somerset Police, Bristol National Health Service

Geographical scope: Bristol, England

Type of martial art: Boxing

Type of project: A female-focused youth development programme using martial arts to empower
women and girls

Status: Active since 2006

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot IV. Youth support services offering home visits

Structure:
The Empire Amateur Boxing Club has been active for
over 40 years producing competitive boxing athletes.
In 2006, the gym began a social outreach programme
in the local community. The programme is supported
by England’s National Health Service (NHS) and follows
the Fight for Peace 5-pillar methodology, also offering
supplementary courses in numeracy, financial literacy
and life-based skills training. The gym has an established
youth council which acts as a reporting mechanism
and supports the involvement of youth in the gym’s
decision-making process. A network of partners make
up the support system (doctors, legal advisors etc.) and
youth are referred on a case-by-case basis.
to youth in need, as well as street out-reach
and case work for those in need of social and
psychological support;
Youth leadership. A special Youth Leadership
Programme comprised of elected youth members
partake in the organization’s decision-making process.
In addition to the standard methodology, Empire
Fighting Chance offers a special programme targeting
obesity and physical inactivity. Nutritional advice is
regularly shared with the participants and the wider
community via social media.
The programme is held year-round in their own gym,
as well as within selected schools as an alternative
education programme.

Empire Fighting Chance follows an adapted Fight for According to their own figures, Empire Fighting Chance
Peace methodology: engage approximately 200 young people every week.
The goals of the alternative education programme are:
I. Boxing is used as a means to instil important
values such as discipline, pride and self-control ●● Heightened academic performance
in club members; ●● Improved school attendance
II. Education is an important part of the ●● Improved behavioural issues
programme. The gym offers classes in ●● Reduced disruptive behaviour
numeracy and literacy, as well as pathways to
●● Increased confidence
formal qualifications;
●● Increased self-esteem
III. Employability. Members of the gym have
access to specific training courses offered by ●● Increased aspiration
the organization’s partners; ●● Increased participation in school life

39
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Links to relevant materials and websites:

http://www.empirefightingchance.org
http://www.empirefightingchance.org/programmes/schools

Notes by an independent expert:

Overview:
A boxing-based youth intervention programme with a long history. Organization was originally sport-only, but for more than a decade has had a youth
development outreach programme.

1. Nature of programme delivery A sport based organization (boxing).

organization:

2. Were programme participants Programme focuses on youth, with no focus on specific participant targets (age or sex), though mentions
clearly identified? in the overview it is female focused, this is not described further

3. What was the scope of participation Programme runs continuously within the sport club, with shorter duration school-based satellite
(months of participation, sessions per programmes
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly Very clear programme objectives around raising aspirations, increasing academic performance, and
articulated? building empowerment through increased self-confidence and self-esteem. Reduction in disruptive and
anti-social behaviour.

5. What components did the Boxing participation, education, employability, support services and building leadership skills and
programme deliver opportunities. Special anti-obesity and nutrition programmes.

6. Did the programme provide No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on age of participants.
different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on gender
account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the Range of pedagogy used, with no indication of pedagogy variations with changing participant age.
pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Leadership opportunities for peer-elected youth.
youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and Insufficient evidence to evaluate

evaluation process in place?

11. Was a process for sustaining the No evidence provided.

programme in place?

Conclusions:
A well-established programme with clear objectives and clear strategy to achieve those objectives. Boxing used as instructional tool, with the
opportunity for those with the talent and determination to advance their competitive boxing.

© Antonio_Diaz/Getty Images

40
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Okichitaw Martial Arts Programme

A partnership with Public Health Agency of Canada

Geographical scope: Toronto, Canada

Type of martial art: Indigenous Canadian Martial Art

Type of project: A special programme for urban Aboriginal youth over 18 years, designed to empower them
through martial arts and constructive dialogue, as well as preserve Indigenous traditions and culture

Status: Active since 1994

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot Links to relevant materials and websites:

Structure: http://ncct.on.ca

The Okichitaw Martial Arts programme teaches http://www.okichitaw.com

an indigenous Canadian combat art to empower
http://cbpp-pcpe.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aboriginalwtt/
aboriginal youth and adults emotionally and physically,
okichitaw-indigenous-martial-arts-program/
but also as a means of preserving Native culture and
history. Developed and led by a Chief Instructor,
George Lépine, the programme is based on the combat
techniques of the Plains Cree First Nations people and
is recognized by the Public Health Agency of Canada as
a best practice public health intervention.

The martial arts programme is offered at the Native

Canadian Centre of Toronto.

The outcomes at the individual level are:

I. Improved physical health including weight-

loss and diabetes prevention, as well as self-
defence skills
II. Spiritual growth and greater cultural
sensibilities
III. Emotional well-being
IV. Social support through group therapy and
team-building, as well as an association with
the centre
V. Trauma relief through mediation and practice
in martial arts
© w w w. o k i c h i t a w. c o m

41
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Notes by an independent expert:

Overview:
An intervention programme for both youth and adults designed to empower indigenous citizens, and preserve an important cultural heritage.

1. Nature of programme delivery A sport and culture based organization (Okichitaw traditional martial art).
organization:

2. Were programme participants Indigenous people; age and gender not referenced.
clearly identified?

3. What was the scope of participation Frequency and duration of participation not described in documentation
(months of participation, sessions per
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly
articulated?
High level objectives of emotional and physical empowerment, through the preservation of indigenous
cultural heritage. Additionally, improved physical health including weight-loss and diabetes prevention,
as well as self-defence skills; Spiritual growth and greater cultural sensibilities. Emotional well-being Social
support through group therapy and team-building. Trauma relief through mediation and practice in
martial arts.

5. What components did the Okichitaw participation

programme deliver

6. Did the programme provide No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on age of participants.
different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on gender
account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the No clear evidence of pedagogy used.

pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Not known.

youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and Monitoring and evaluation not referenced
evaluation process in place?

11. Was a process for sustaining the No evidence provided.

programme in place?

Conclusions:
A niche programme based on its targeted participants (indigenous population) and a martial art that is essentially unknown outside of the
target population. Given the difficulties faced by indigenous populations in many countries across the development spectrum, the unique
characteristics of this programme should be noted, and replicated in other indigenous communities.

42
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Skillshare International

A partnership of UNHCR with Fight for Peace, the Botswana Defence Force and the Government
of Botswana
Geographical scope: Dukwi Refugee Camp. The camp is ‘home’ to approximately 3,500 refugees from
across Africa

Type of martial art: Boxing and Karate

Type of project: A martial arts based youth programme within a refugee camp designed to facilitate
dialogue and specialized, targeted psychological support

Status: ?

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme Snapshot
Structure:
UNHCR and the NGO, Skillshare International,
launched a martial arts based programme to engage
out-of-school youth within the Dukwi Refugee
camp in Botswana. Using the Fight for Peace 5-pillar
methodology, Boxing and Karate are used to attract
youth to the programme and begin a relationship with
them, and additional support is provided based on a
needs assessment. The ultimate goal of the programme
is that the youth transition into the formal education
system and/or access skills-based employment
preparation training. The programme was developed
© Wa ve b r e a k m e d i a / G e t t u I m a g e s
in conjunction with the London-based organization,
Fight For Peace, The Government of Botswana and The
Botswana Defence Force.

Links to relevant matrials and websites:

http://fightforpeace.net/skillshare-
international-botswana

http://fightforpeace.net/global-alumni-partner-
skillshare-international-train-in-refugee-camp

http://www.icpcn.org/members-directory/2329/
skillshare-international-botswana

https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/node/387125

43
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Notes by an independent expert:

Overview:
A highly targeted intervention programme within a refugee camp.

1. Nature of programme delivery An issue based organization (refugees)

organization:

2. Were programme participants Young people in a refugee camp who are not in formal education
clearly identified?

3. What was the scope of participation Frequency and duration of participation not described in documentation
(months of participation, sessions per
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly Clear objectives of transitioning out-of-school youth into formal education or employment skills training.
articulated? Providing other support (psychological) as required.

5. What components did the Martial arts used as a way to attract and interact with youth
programme deliver

6. Did the programme provide No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on age of participants.
different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on gender
account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the No clear evidence of pedagogy used.

pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Not known

youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and Monitoring and evaluation not referenced
evaluation process in place?

11. Was a process for sustaining the No evidence provided.

programme in place?

Conclusions:
No conclusions drawn based on lack of information.

44
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Sharing Youth Centre

A partnership of Caring Youth Centre with Centenary Bank, the Luigi Guisani Institute of Higher
Education and Missionaries of Africa

Geographical scope: Kampala, Republic of Uganda

Type of martial art: Taekwondo and Capoeira

Type of project: Holistic education for underprivileged youth through martial arts

Status: Active since 1977

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot The key goal of the organization is to empower

Structure:
Sharing Youth Centre is an NGO focusing on out-of-
school youth (mainly early school leavers or “drop-
outs”). Taekwondo and Capoeira are used to attract
participants to the different courses, which range
from technical and vocational skills, information and
computer technology and other basic-life skills. The
martial arts component focuses on physical and
mental health and well-being. The Sharing Youth Centre
also provides free access to a library and career advice.
The Caring Youth Centre partners with Centenary Bank,
the Luigi Guisani Institute of Higher Education, and
Missionaries of Africa to help fund and deliver their
services.
disadvantaged youth through formal education and
vocational training skills. These skills are relevant to
finding employment.
As part of the holistic approach to development
Taekwondo and Capoeira are offered at the Centre.
Participation is aimed at:
●● Encouraging youth to compete in competitions;
●● Instilling the positive values associated with
martial arts;
●● Building relationships between other sports clubs
and fostering community engagement.
Initial training in martial arts is provided for free and
then a monthly fee is charged.
Links to relevant materials and websites:

http://www.sharingyouthcentre.org/

© C R E AT I S TA / G e t t y I m a g e s
45
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Notes by an independent expert:

Overview:
A highly targeted intervention programme within a refugee camp.

1. Nature of programme delivery An issue based organization (School dropouts).

organization:

2. Were programme participants Young people who are not in formal education
clearly identified?

3. What was the scope of participation Frequency and duration of participation not described in documentation
(months of participation, sessions per
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly Clear objectives of transitioning out-of-school youth into formal education or employment skills training.
articulated? Additional objectives around increased physical and mental health, and general well-being.

5. What components did the Martial arts used as a way to attract and interact with youth
programme deliver

6. Did the programme provide No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on age of participants.
different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on gender
account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the No clear evidence of pedagogy used.

pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Not known.

youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and Monitoring and evaluation not referenced
evaluation process in place?

11. Was a process for sustaining the No evidence provided.

programme in place?

Conclusions:
No conclusions drawn based on lack of information.

46
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Alto Perú

A partnership of Peru Muaythai Federation and Embassy of Thailand, Peru

Geographical scope: Chorrillos District, Lima, Peru

Type of martial art: Muaythai

Type of project: A community-based project focusing on youth living in informal settlements and poor
communities through Muaythai and Surfing

Status: Active, launched 2008

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot Perú following their own sport for development

Structure: theory (measuring micro, meso and macro changes),
revealing detailed characteristics of the programme
Targeting at-risk youth in the poor urban setting and the communities it serves. Operating in Lima for
of Chorrillos, Alto Perú use Muaythai and surfing a decade, the organization is now well established
to empower youth through the soft-skills gained and has accumulated considerable qualitative data
through participation in both sports. The programme on the transformations of the youth involved in their
focuses on youth living in impoverished communities programmes. The baselines undertaken in 2016 form
and informal settlements of Lima. Activities take the basis for measuring precise changes over the next
place daily in the main office located in central Lima, few years both at the micro and macro levels.
with additional activities and partner programmes
operating across the city in partnership with the The majority of Alto Perú’s funding is via donation and
Peruvian Muaythai Federation. Alto Perù has a strong crowd sourced, with larger established partners such as
community component, tracking the individuals and the Australian Embassy of Peru providing grants.
their relationships with their peers and families, as
well as the broader community, such as incidences of Links to relevant materials and websites:
violence by and against youth and teen pregnancy.
http://www.altoperu.org
A core component of the programme is to mentor the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0FKvUOTLHs
youth and help them develop their interests, such as
photography, film-making, music, and support them to
gain relevant tertiary education in this area. Many youth
have completed the programme and have chosen
remain as instructors, some have become professional
Muaythai athletes. Others have continued to work with
the programme in different capacities, such as media
and publicity. Surfing and muaythai are accompanied
by educational programmes targeting different issues
as identified by the instructors, such as low literacy
rates, low self-esteem and a lack of opportunities.

In 2016, GRADE – Group for the Analysis of Development,

conducted a comprehensive base-line study of Alto © A s o c i a c i ó n Pr o ye c t o A l t o Pe r ú

47
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Notes by a UNESCO evaluator:

Overview:
A community-based Muaythai and surfing programme targetting children and youth living in impoverished areas of Lima City.

1. Nature of programme delivery An issue and community based organization (targeting disadvantaged youth in impoverished areas of
organization: Lima, Peru)

2. Were programme participants Children and youth living in the Chorrillos district of Lima, Peru
clearly identified?

3. What was the scope of participation The programme has been active since 2008 and conducts daily activities informally with bi-weekly formal
(months of participation, sessions per surfing and muaythai classes. The community office is open to all every day.
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly Clear objectives of supporting disadvantaged youth and creating social cohesion at the community level.
articulated? Additional objectives around reduced violence and greater opportunities for employment

5. What components did the Martial arts and surfing used as a way to attract and interact with youth
programme deliver Additional educational programmes delivered based on the needs of each group

6. Did the programme provide No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on age of participants.
different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into Males and females are treated in the same way. There is a fairly even gender divide between the
account gender differences? participants.

8. Did the programme identify the There is a clear pedagogy, separated into three stages. It is not clear whether the pedagogy changes with
pedagogy used, and did the the age of the participants.
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Yes, many are still engaged with the programme as leaders years after completing it.
youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and Baseline study undertaken by independent organization, GRADE – Group for the Analysis of Development,
evaluation process in place? in 2017 revealing community trends. The data gathered will be monitored and compared each year.

11. Was a process for sustaining the The programme is sustainable

programme in place?

Conclusions:
Alto Perú is a well established community-based programme that focuses on the delivery of two diverse sports: surfing and muaythai, as well
as various other educational goals according to the specific needs of the group each year. Given its longevity and the recent partnership with
GRADE to measure the impact of the programme in a more structured way, Alto Perú is one of the stronger and more effective programmes
and would benefit from additional support to up-scale. From the evidence collected already, the impact on the lives of the individuals and the
community is significant.

48
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Escuela Kawsay

A partnership of Peruvian Muaythai Association, managed by Peruvian youth activist, Giuliana Ovalle

Geographical scope: Lima, Peru

Type of martial art: Muaythai

Type of project: Neighbourhood youth constructing their own gym in the impoverished neighbourhood,
Parque Bajo, Lima, Peru

Status: Active, launched 2016

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot While the majority of youth involved in the gym are
boys between 12–18 years old, the manager is a young
Structure: woman and she is focused on encouraging girls and
young women to join. At this stage there is no separate
Youth from Parque Bajo, a disadvantaged
programme for different sexes.
neighbourhood in Lima, Peru with high crime rates,
are constructing their own gym on a rooftop donated
to them by the local council. While the group have
been meeting for several years in a makeshift “gym” in
different locations around the neighbourhood, this is
the first time the local youth will have a permanent
space.

With a strong focus on utilizing and promoting

inclusive and open public spaces for sport, the gym
will be open to all, with no fees for neighbourhood
youth and low fees for others wishing to join and train
Muaythai professionally.

The construction began in October 2017 and was

finished in December 2017. The gym had been open
for six months at the time of the review. UNESCO will
provide technical support for the project, inviting
the gym to adapt the framework designed for
“Transforming Cities through Sport” in Manila, © A s o c i a c i ó n Pr o ye c t o A l t o Pe r ú

Philippines in 2017.

49

Notes by a UNESCO evaluator:
Overview:
A community based Mauythai programme targeting disadvantaged youth in the Parque Baj neighbourhood of Lima, Peru
1. Nature of programme delivery
organization:
2. Were programme participants
clearly identified?
3. What was the scope of participation
(months of participation, sessions per
week etc.)?
4. Were programme objectives clearly
articulated?
5. What components did the
programme deliver
6. Did the programme provide
different activities for children and
youth of different ages?
7. Did the programme take into
account gender differences?
8. Did the programme identify the
pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.
9. Did the programme train local
youth leaders?
10. Was there a robust monitoring and
evaluation process in place?
11. Was a process for sustaining the
programme in place?
Conclusions:
Given the strong support by the Peruvian Muaythai Federation, the gym has the opportunity to deliver very effective and well constructed youth
development programmes, borrowing from the pedagogy developed by Alto Peru. As it is still in its first stages, a second evaluation should be
carried out at the end of 2018.
It is excellent that the programme is run by a young women, which sends a positive message to the neighbourhood boys, challenging
traditional gender stereotypes.
50
Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development
Physical rejuvenation of gym in public area, daily Muaythai lessons, additional support by youth-leaders on
a case-by-case basis
Children and youth living in the Parque Bajo district
The Peruvian Muaythai Federation has taught their sport in the neighbourhood at an ad-hoc basis for
several years. They are now delivering daily lessons in a new permanent location. Additional psycho-social
support is given to the youth through other young mentors at an ad-hoc basis.
The specific objectives are not year clear, although inclusion of all youth regardless of sex, ability or any
other distinction is embedded into the structure, however the gym is not making a specific effort to target
youth of different abilities at this stage.
Additional objectives around reduced violence by and against youth and greater opportunities for
employment are embedded into the gym’s core goals.
The gym also seeks to provide professional training in muaythai and opportunities for members to
participate in national, regional and international competitions through the Federation.
Martial arts used as a way to attract and interact with youth from an impoverished and
vulnerable community
Additional educational programmes delivered based on the needs of each group
No clear evidence of programme differentiation based on age of participants.
Males and females are treated in the same way although there are currently very few female participants
(roughly 2/20 in total)
There is no clear pedagogy at this stage
Yes, the same youth that have been involved in the Peruvian Muyahtai Federation for years are
now trainers
Not at this stage
The local government has provided the space free of charge and the school relies on donations from the
Peruvian Muaythai Federation
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

Teen Moms

A project delivered by the Peruvian Muaythai Federation

Geographical scope: Lima, Peru

Type of martial art: Muaythai

Type of project: Muaythai lessons delivered by the Peruvian Muaythai Federation within a Government
operated care centre for victims of sexual violence in Lima, Peru

Status: launched August 2017

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot in desperate need of psychological support. Some

Structure:
Responding to a call for support by a Government-
operated care centre for victims of sexual violence in
Southern Lima, an impoverished neighbourhood of
informal settlements, the Peruvian Muaythai Federation
began sending female Muaythai trainers to provide
support the young women living in the centre at an
ad-hoc basis.
Left without sufficient resources and operated by
an elderly volunteer, the centre was first supported
financially by the Peruvian Government, however the
provision of funds ended in December 2016. At this
time, twenty young women (between the ages of 12 to
17, all victims of sexual assault and abandoned by their
families), together with their babies lived in the centre.
of the victims are still children (12 years) and do not
have any formal education. The young women are not
permitted to remain in the centre after they turn 18,
there is no follow-up programme to support them
once they leave.
Since August 2017, female volunteers from the
Peruvian Muaythai Federation visit the Centre every
Sunday to train with the young women and provide
psycho-social support. Additional experts, such as child
psychologists, are called in on an ad-hoc basis. The
Federation will begin introducing male trainers into
the programme to help the young women to develop
positive relationships with men.

As of December 2017, only six women and their infants

remained in the centre. One of the infants had been
removed by social services due to neglect, the mother
appeared to be suffering from trauma at the time of the
evaluation.

Presumably for the safety of the women and children,

the centre does not permit men to enter the
compound and the girls are kept in isolation from
the community. This is very concerning as the victims
are not able to form positive relationships with males
and are not being reintegrated into the community. © Vi e w A p a r t / S h u t t e r s t o c k
Most are terrified to leave. These young women are

51
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Notes by a UNESCO evaluator:

Overview:
An issue-based Muaythai programme targeting female victims of sexual assault under 18 years of age in a community centre in Lima, Peru.

1. Nature of programme delivery Weekly Muaythai lessons and ad-hoc psycho-social support (child psychologists) based on needs and the
organization: availability of funding.

2. Were programme participants Yes, six young women (those living in the compound), victims of sexual assault.
clearly identified?

3. What was the scope of participation Once weekly, on-going (active since August 2017).
(months of participation, sessions per
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly
articulated?
The specific objectives could be more defined, although the programme is without funding and running
by the goodwill of the Peruvian Muaythai Federation. The current objectives are to provide reliable
external support to the young women and some form of physical activity weekly. Additional objectives
include instilling a sense of hope in the young women that they can join the Muaythai community after
leaving the centre.

5. What components did the Weekly Muaythai lessons, additional support (talking groups) and ad-hoc child psychologist interventions
programme deliver

6. Did the programme provide The age group is very specific

different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into The programme is designed for young women
account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the There is no clear pedagogy at this stage
pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local No, although the interventions are led by young women
youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and Not at this stage

evaluation process in place?

11. Was a process for sustaining the There is no process for sustaining the programme, additional funds are urgently required
programme in place?

Conclusions:
This programme is responding to an urgent situation where young women have been neglected by their families. The centre does not have
the resources to provide for them. This is an excellent example of how martial arts are used to empower and support young women in very
challenging situations. It is too early to learn the real impact of the programme on the young women’s lives, although in nearly one year since
the launch, the young women are very committed to the sport and their Muaythai skills have advanced considerably.

52
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

East LA Muaythai

An joint initiative launched in partnership with the United States of America Muaythai Federation
(USMF), the Mexican Muaythai Federation (MMF) and a local muaythai gym in East Los Angeles.

Geographical scope: East Los Angeles, United States of America

Type of martial art: Muaythai

Type of project: A community project initiated by Muaythai Pan-American champion, David Huerta using
Muaythai to support at-risk youth in East Los Angeles

Status: Active, launched November 2017

Personal
Target Frequency Length Objectives Education Sustainability
development

Programme snapshot
Structure:
Launched in November 2017, the East Los Angeles
Muaythai gym conducts bi-weekly (twice a week)
Muaythai sessions provided free of charge to
neighbourhood children and youth (under 18 years).
The programme is sport-based with additional
components such as art lessons, discussion groups
and free dinners (provided by the Mayor of Los
Angeles’s office).

Given the particular demographic of the community

(96.7% Latino residents of which 25% of residents 25
years and older do not have a high-school diploma),
© Pe r k u s / G e t t y I m a g e s
the gym intends to provide free legal advice to all
participants related to immigration law, without
singling out any one individual.

The project is funded in-part by the President of the

Mexican Muaythai Federation and TV personality, Elisa
Salinas, who has a personal relationship with the Mayor
of Los Angeles. The gym and USMF have expressed
interest in adapting an evaluation framework to
up-scale, monitor and evaluate their programme.

53
 Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts Youth development

Notes by a UNESCO evaluator:

Overview:
A sport-based martial arts programme using Muaythai to provide opportunities for youth to participate in physical activity and to provide on-going
psycho-social support

1. Nature of programme delivery Bi-weekly Muaythai lessons, additional support session (discussion group) and ad-hoc legal advice.
organization:

2. Were programme participants Yes, girls and boys (9–18 years). The programme is designed for youth living in East LA, specifically those
clearly identified? from immigrant and disadvantaged families.

3. What was the scope of participation Twice weekly, on-going (active since November 2017).
(months of participation, sessions per
week etc.)?

4. Were programme objectives clearly The programme objectives are somewhat articulated.
articulated?

5. What components did the Bi-weekly Muaythai lessons, additional support (talking groups) and ad-hoc child psychologist
programme deliver interventions.

6. Did the programme provide The age group is specific (9-18 years).
different activities for children and
youth of different ages?

7. Did the programme take into None reported.

account gender differences?

8. Did the programme identify the There is no clear pedagogy at this stage.
pedagogy used, and did the
pedagogy change with the age of
the participants.

9. Did the programme train local Not at this stage.

youth leaders?

10. Was there a robust monitoring and Not at this stage.

evaluation process in place?

11. Was a process for sustaining the The programme is currently supported by Elisa Salinas. The gym is focusing on finding additional support.
programme in place?

Conclusions:
This gym has potential to become a community institution, delivering a unique sport in a community where youth are in particular need. A
second evaluation should be conducted at the end of 2018 to determine the progress since its launch in November 2017.

54
Selected good practices Part three: Examples of youth development through martial arts

3.2 Conclusions
Based on the curated intervention programmes 6. Very few programmes collect data beyond
reported above, some broad conclusions can be names of participants and dates of activities.
drawn regarding the value of martial arts as a youth It is very difficult to monitor effectiveness and
development tool. ensure a systematic cycle for development and
improvement in the programmes is in place. This
1. Many martial arts organizations actively seeks
makes it difficult for any type of evaluation of
opportunities to improve the lives of youth
effectiveness to be undertaken.
through a range on sport activities targeting youth
issues. The degree of professionalism and quality of 7. Many programmes are reliant on external
these programmes varies. funding, and are vulnerable to that funding being
withdrawn. One potential way to mitigate this
2. Martial arts have strong potential as tools for youth
problem would be through creation of social
development. The success of such programmes is
enterprises that used martial arts to first train and
realted to quality of design and implementation.
education participants and as they develop use
3. The articulation of clear objectives and pedagogies them as instructors in satellite fee-paying martial
varies (but is often absent) making it difficult to arts schools.
evaluate success.
4. Successful programmes appear to have three
things in common, whether they are run by
sport organizations, issue-based organizations,
or location specific organizations. The
commonalities are:
a. Sport is used to attract and retain
participants.
b. In addition to sport participation,
additional interactions or services are
offered or provided. These are frequently
educational, health, or related to either
social services support or employment
opportunities.
c. The programmes make significant efforts
to connect participants to their local
community.
5. In general, programmes do not have (or at least
do not clearly report) well defined targeted
participants beyond “youth” or “disadvantaged
youth”. The consequence of this is that
programmes rarely have objectives, activities,
or evaluations that are optimal for all ages of
participants, and do not appear to differentiate
between males and females. The exceptions to this
are programmes designed to empower females,
but even here, there is little appreciation for how
age/developmental differences influence optimal
programming.

55
 PART FOUR
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES FOR
MARTIAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS
© ICM

56
Selected good practices Part four: Youth development principles for martial arts organizations
This set of draft principles is designed to assist martial
arts organizations in determining whether or not they
have in place policies, procedures and support to best
protect all members of the organization; including
participants, youth leaders, adult instructors and
volunteers, and the organization’s management and
governance personnel. They outline the requirements
for martial arts organizations working with children
and youth to ensure they are taking all reasonable
precautions for the safety and protection of participants
in their care.
The principles draw from key elements of a range of
international documents relating to sport including
the Kazan Action Plan, the Draft International Standards
for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport,
developed by the International Safeguarding Children
in Sport Working Group1 and the Olympic Charter, as
well as from guiding documents on youth development
such as the UN Youth System-wide Action Plan2 and
the UN Youth Strategy3. The draft principles consider
not only safety issues, but personal development and
universally agreed development standards.
These preliminary twelve principles should be
considered in project design. These will be further
developed in the production of the next stage of
the project. Principles 1 to 4 should be mandatory
regardless of whether the programme is primarily
focused on training in a specific sport or martial art.
Principle 5 and onwards will assist to achieve a higher
degree of social outcomes and personal development.
The last four are principles that start to move towards a
transformative programme that is very deep, not only
in learning about the martial art and the skills involved,
but a range of attributes that contribute to strengthen
youth ownership.
Some additional areas for development are indicated
as sub-principles.
Principle 1:  Policy (1)
Each programme should have a written policy
document outlining its objectives, activities and
resources, endorsed by the executive and available to
all participants and parents. This should be regularly
1
UNICEF UK International Safeguarding Children in Sport Working Group
(2013)
2
United Nations (2013)
3
United Nations (2018)
reviewed and up-dated to reflect international and
national standards from the peak sporting body,
national laws and local by-laws and human rights.
1.1  Establishing a monitoring and evaluation feedback
cycle (sub-principle to be developed)
Principle 2:  Safety (1)(2)
There are a several factors critical to safeguarding
children and youth and the forms available in the
annexes elaborate on these. The nature of martial arts
mean that the sport itself entails physical risks. The
setting may contribute further to a range of other risks.
They include:
●● Organisational policy on safeguarding
children and youth
●● Trained and responsible personnel operating
under guidelines that prioritize safe-guarding
●● Written consent procedures
●● Adequate supervision
●● Use of safety equipment including
protective clothing
●● Adequate first aid equipment and procedures
●● Procedures for participants to safely and
confidentially report abuse or harm of any type
Principle 3:  Health (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)
Ensuring good health means covering sanitation,
hygiene, nutrition and physiology. This standard applies
to the setting of the programme (clean environment),
the personnel, the activities and the learning outcomes
that can accompany the programmes.
3.1  Fighting non-communicable disease (sub-principle
to be developed)
3.2  Addressing aggression and violent behaviour
(sub-principle to be developed)
Principle 4:  Gender equality (2)(5)
Programmes should be equally accessible for young
women and men, as well as young people who identify
as other genders. This includes providing for specific
physical, social and cultural issues; ensuring there is no
discrimination; and providing safe spaces for all young
people, regardless of their gender.
4.1 Fostering female empowerment (sub-principle to
be developed)
57
 Part four: Youth development principles for martial arts organizations
Principle 5:  Inclusion (2)(3)(5)
Programmes should be accessible for young people
from different backgrounds and take steps to account
for specific needs such as disability, religion, culture, race
and socio-economic status. Providing opportunities for
young people from minority or vulnerable groups will
add richness to the experience of all the participants. It
is not always possible to take into account the needs of
every group as some are highly specialised, but efforts
should be made to provide a range of opportunities,
ensure there is no discrimination and provide a
safe space.
5.1  Intercultural dialogue (sub-principle to
developed)
5.2  Intergenerational dialogue (sub-principle to be
developed)
Principle 6:  Education (2)(3)(5)(6)(7)
Programmes offer many opportunities for added
educational values in areas such as language, expression,
literacy and numeracy. Additional activities can be
developed to target education in certain areas as needed
in the local communities through developing specific
learning curricula to address these.
6.1  Defined pedagogy (sub-principle to be developed)
Principle 7:  Economic empowerment
(2)(5)(6)(7)
The skills attained in training for martial arts have
applications in many areas, including in the livelihoods
of the participants. Attention can be given to
strengthening specific skills that foster economic
empowerment.
Principle 8:  Heritage (3)
Given the strong connection between martial arts and
culture, understanding the heritage of the tradition of
the sport and the community heritage from which it
grew is intrinsic to developing a deep connection to
the sport. It also enables participants to appreciate
cultural diversity and heritage, which can be applied in
other aspects of their lives.
Principle 9:  Community (2)
Connecting to local communities adds significant
value to the social cohesion aspects of sport. This might
58
Youth development
be the community of practitioners, the community
in which they live, the wider community of youth or
other specific social groups that can be connected in
the wider community. Embedding the experience in
a community strengthens the ability of a programme
to provide support and nurturing to the participants
and build linkages that go beyond their time in the
programme.
Principle 10:  Team-building &
Leadership (8)
Opportunities for personal development are critical
to providing positive psycho-social outcomes.
be
Developing team and leadership skills will reinforce
aspects of the sport where these skills are developed
and help young people recontextualize the skills into
other aspects of their lives.
Principle 11:  Participation (6)(8)
Involving young people in the programme
implementation turns them from passive recipients to
active participants. It not only changes the experience
and the things that can be learned from it, it provides
the opportunity to actively apply the learning, which
further reinforces everything learned. It gives an
opportunity for young people to shape and design
activities that specifically target their needs.
Principle 12:  Ownership (2)(6)(7)(8)
Moving beyond participation, ownership enables
young people to take charge and fully realize everything
they have been learning about. Activities, such as peer
learning, are extremely effective in reaching out to
other young people.
Supporting international standards and related
documents:
(1) Draft International Standards for Safeguarding and
Protecting Children in Sport
(2) Kazan Action Plan
(3) Olympic Charter
(4) Global Action Plan on Physical Activity
(5) Sustainable Development Goals
(6) UN Youth SWAP
(7) ODI Investing in Youth
(8) UN Youth Strategy
Selected good practices Part four: Youth development principles for martial arts organizations

References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). “The Road to Resilience”. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-
resilience.aspx. Retrieved 5 October 2017.

Bailey, R., Hillman, C., Arent, S., Petitpas, A. (2013). “Physical activity: an underestimated investment in human
capital?” J Phys Act Health, 2013 Mar, 10(3), 289–308. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23620387. Retrieved
3 September 2018.

Sport for Life Society. (2016). Canada Sport for Life: long term athlete development framework 2.1 http://sportforlife.ca/wp-
content/uploads/2017/04/LTAD-2.1-EN_web.pdf?x96000. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

Centre for the Study of Social Policy. (n.d.). Youth Resilience: protective an promotive factors. https://www.cssp.org/
reform/child-welfare/youth-thrive/2013/YT_Youth-Resilience.pdf. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

Channon, A. and Matthews, C. R. (2016). “Engaging Women and Girls in Martial Arts and Combat Sports: Theoretical
Issues and their Implications for Practice, University of Brighton, UK”. http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/31754/1/9202_
Matthews.pdf. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

Cynarski, W. J. and Kudlacz, M. (2008). “Injuries in martial arts and combat sports – a comparative study”. Archives of
Budo, 4, 91–97. November 2008. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298567223_Injuries_in_martial_arts_
and_combat_sports_-_a_comparative_study. Retrieved 24 July 2018.

Fleming, J. and Ledogar, R. J. (2008). “Resilience, an Evolving Concept: A Review of Literature Relevant to Aboriginal
Research”. Pimatisiwin, 6(2), 7–23.

Higgs, C. (in prep). An Evaluation Framework for Achieving Youth development through Martial Arts, UNESCO.

HM Government (Department for Education and Skills). (2006). Working Together to Safeguard Children: A Guide to
Inter-agency Working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. http://1c8puy1lylrov7ssf1oz3o22-wpengine.
netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/8402.pdf. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

International Olympic Committee. (2017). Olympic Charter (revised). https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Docu-

ment%20Library/OlympicOrg/General/EN-Olympic-Charter.pdf#_ga=2.149258358.1166347303.1535956257-
161570791.1528265362. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

International Olympic Committee. (2018). Olympic Code of Ethics. https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Docu-

ment%20Library/OlympicOrg/Documents/Code-of-Ethics/2018/Code-of-Ethics-2018.pdf.

International Olympic Committee. (n.d.). “Social Development through Sport”. https://www.olympic.org/

development-through-sport. Accessed 5 June 2018.

Koh, J. O., Cassidy, J. D. and Watkinson, E. J. (2003) “Incidence of concussion in contact sports: A systematic
review of the evidence”. Brain Injury, Vol. 17 (10). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12963556. Retrieved 3
September 2018.

McCrory, P. and 45 others. (2017). Consensus statement on concussion in sport–the 5th international conference
on concussion in sport held in Berlin, October 2016. in British Journal of Sports Medecine, 51(11), 1–10. https://bjsm.
bmj.com/content/bjsports/early/2017/04/28/bjsports-2017-097699.full.pdf. Retrieved 20 November 2018.

Overseas Development Institute. (2013). “Investing in Youth in International Policy – Making the Case”. https://www.odi.
org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8413.pdf. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

Resilience Research Center. (n.d.). http://resilienceresearch.org. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

59
Right to Play International. (n.d.). “Our vision: to create a healthy and safe world for kids”. http://www.righttoplay.
com/Learn/ourstory/Pages/How-we-do-it.aspx. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

Tak Yan Lee, Chau Kiu Cheung, and Wai Man Kwon. (2011). “Resilience as a Positive Youth Development Construct:
A Conceptual Review”. The Scientific World Journal, Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 390450, 9 pages.

UNESCO. (2013). Operational Strategy on Youth 2013–2021. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/

002271/227150e.pdf. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

UNESCO. (2016). Kazan Action Plan. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0025/002527/252725E.pdf. Retrieved 3

September 2018.

UNESCO. (2017). School Violence and Bullying: Global status report. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/
images/0024/002469/246970e.pdf. Accessed 1 June 2018.

UNICEF UK International Safeguarding Children in Sport Working Group. (2013). International Safeguards for Children
in Sport. https://www.unicef.org.uk/sport-for-development/safeguarding-in-sport. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

United Nations. (2013). “System-Wide Action Plan on Youth”. https://www.unsceb.org/content/un-system-wide-

action-plan-youth. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

United Nations. (2018). Youth 2030: working with and for young people. https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/wp-
content/uploads/2018/09/18-00080_UN-Youth-Strategy_Web.pdf. Retrieved 26 November, 2018.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2012). “Assessing mental health and psycho-social needs and
resources: toolkit for humanitarian settings”. Geneva.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.) “TBI Data and Statistics”. https://www.cdc.gov/
traumaticbraininjury/data/index.html. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

Vertonghen, J. and Theeboom, C. (2010). “The Social-Psychological Outcomes Of Martial Arts Practise Among
Youth: A Review”. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, (2010) 9.

Vertonghen, J., Theeboom, M. and Cloes, M. (2012). “Teaching in martial arts: The analysis and identification of
teaching approaches in youth martial arts practice”. Science of Martial Arts, Vol. 8(4), 191–202.

World Health Organization. (2010). Global status report on noncommunicable diseases. http://www.who.int/nmh/
publications/ncd_report_summary_en.pdf?ua=1. Accessed 5 June 2018.

World Health Organization. (2013). Investigating in Mental Health: Evidence for Action. http://apps.who.int/iris/
bitstream/handle/10665/87232/9789241564618_eng.pdf?sequence=1. Accessed 1 June 2018.

World Health Organization. (2015). “World Health Statistics 2015”. http://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_

health_statistics/2015/en. Accessed 12 February 2017.

World Health Organization. (2018). Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030: more active people for a healthy
world. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/272722/9789241514187-eng.pdf.

60
UNESCO Bangkok Office
Mom Luang Pin Malakul Centenary Building
920 Sukhumvit Road, Prakanong, Klongtoei
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Email: shs.bgk@unesco.org
Website: bangkok.unesco.org
Tel: +66-2-3910577 Fax: +66-2-3910866