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Kids practice their horse stance with sweet potatoes!
WORKSHOPS & PROGRAMS
We work with institutions of all kinds; schools, churches, temples, farms, community centers, etc., to tailor programs around food and martial arts education. All of our lessons begin by learning and training martial arts skills that will match with a lesson about food (food literacy) and a lesson about society. Sessions last approximately 1.5 to 2 hours and are split evenly between time in physical activity and time in a more traditional classroom environment with hands-on activities. After the first few sessions, participants begin to grow their own seedlings that will eventually be transplanted for full harvest either in an outdoor raised bed or garden or in indoor greenhouses. Depending on the length of the program the growing can be lengthened or condensed. Food literacy builds from basic recognition of plants, to growing and harvesting techniques, to finally preparing the organically raised produce in an appetizing way.
DEMONSTRATIONS
We offer one-time demonstrations of martial arts mixed with education about the food system. Our demos are interactive where we use audience participation to help learn basic martial arts and then present different educational topics about how martial arts and growing food are connected. One example is a demonstration that accompanies a lesson about how farmers were some of the first martial artists and how some farm tools, such as the pitchfork, were eventually converted into weapons of self defense such as the three-pronged Sai.
ONGOING TRAINING
Our workshops and lessons are just the beginning, any participants are welcome to join us at our home school and test for higher levels of Green Dragons training. Our major martial arts partner is the Yang Martial Arts Association (YMAA) and there are more in-depth kung fu training.
We work with institutions of all kinds; schools, churches, temples, farms, community centers, etc., to tailor programs around food and martial arts education. All of our lessons begin by learning and training martial arts skills that will match with a lesson about food (food literacy) and a lesson about society. Sessions last approximately 1.5 to 2 hours and are split evenly between time in physical activity and time in a more traditional classroom environment with hands-on activities. After the first few sessions, participants begin to grow their own seedlings that will eventually be transplanted for full harvest either in an outdoor raised bed or garden or in indoor greenhouses. Depending on the length of the program the growing can be lengthened or condensed. Food literacy builds from basic recognition of plants, to growing and harvesting techniques, to finally preparing the organically raised produce in an appetizing way.
DEMONSTRATIONS
We offer one-time demonstrations of martial arts mixed with education about the food system. Our demos are interactive where we use audience participation to help learn basic martial arts and then present different educational topics about how martial arts and growing food are connected. One example is a demonstration that accompanies a lesson about how farmers were some of the first martial artists and how some farm tools, such as the pitchfork, were eventually converted into weapons of self defense such as the three-pronged Sai.
ONGOING TRAINING
Our workshops and lessons are just the beginning, any participants are welcome to join us at our home school and test for higher levels of Green Dragons training. Our major martial arts partner is the Yang Martial Arts Association (YMAA) and there are more in-depth kung fu training.
SAMPLE LESSON : ROOT
Finding your root in horse stance (ma bu)
Part I: Finding your root
This lesson begins by training traditional martial arts stances that develop leg strength, concentration and stamina. One example is the horse stance (see picture). These stances develop the “root” of your body and your ability to stand strong and withstand an opponent from knocking you over. There are several ways to train stances such as conducting horse stance for as long as possible with a cup or book balanced on the head. Participants spend the first 45 minutes warming up with stretches and calisthenics, then learning and practicing the set of stances offered by the instructor. The physical training is matched with short questions about how and why people need to develop their root.
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Part II: Root Veggies The second half of the lesson then switches to learning about food, specifically root vegetables. This lesson teaches the difference between three staple vegetables that have strong roots; carrots, potatoes, and radishes. The basic anatomy of these plants is taught, learning the difference between the roots, body and leaves of the plants and even tasting samples of the raw and prepared forms. Then the mass-produced form of the potato, the french-fry, is introduced with discussions of the health implications of this food when eaten in large quantities. |
Potatoes have roots too, in fact they ARE roots.
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Can too many processed foods knock us off our root?
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Part III: Protecting your roots
A series of advertisements that feature french-fries are viewed followed with a discussion of the themes and messages in these ads. This media literacy component promotes a critical stance to fast-food advertising targeted to youth. Participants end with a discussion about fast foods and if they are helpful or harmful for a community and its people finding their root. Coming full circle, we connect how forces such as unhealthy food can knock us off our root just as an opponent can knock us to the ground. Training our root through martial arts and knowledge about root vegetables is a good start to preparing for this challenge. |
