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Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance
ISSN: 0730-3084 (Print) 2168-3816 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujrd20
Teaching Self-Defense to Middle School Students
in Physical Education
Gina M. Potenza , Ferman Konukman , Jong-Hoon Yu & Hayrettin Gümüşdağ
To cite this article: Gina M. Potenza , Ferman Konukman , Jong-Hoon Yu & Hayrettin
Gümüşdağ (2014) Teaching Self-Defense to Middle School Students in Physical
Education, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 85:1, 47-50, DOI:
10.1080/07303084.2014.855581
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2014.855581
Published online: 26 Dec 2013.
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JOPERD  47
TeachingTips
Editor:FermanKonukman
T
he widespread epidemic of bullying
seen in schools today is a
serious cause for concern. It has
been reported that 1 in every 10 middleschool-age
students in the United States
is being bullied weekly (S. Brown, Birch,
& Kancherla, 2005). Schools have taken
steps to raise awareness about bullying
by implementing programs that include
character-building concepts to aid in
minimizing school violence (Gibone &
Manson, 2010). But what can educators
do to teach tolerance among students
while at the same time help limit physical
violence?
Since bullying can lead to physical
confrontations, it is important for
students to know that they can defend
themselves when they are confronted
with harmful situations without having
to fight. Self-defense is to be used only
when an individual feels that there is
direct harm to their physical well-being
or life. Many times students at the
middle-school level do not know how
to deescalate a confrontational situation
and may act out by using a physical
response to resolve the conflict (S.
Brown et al., 2005). However, students
need to realize that there are other ways
to protect themselves without striking
another individual, and that if physical
contact is needed, it is to be used only as
a last resort.
There are many benefits to teaching
self-defense in school curriculums,
such as protecting students, establishing
awareness, developing strong selfdiscipline,
developing physical skills
and hands-on experience, improving
the ability to fight back, developing selfconfidence,
improving communication
skills, improving fitness, and developing
mental strategies (Chen, 2011). In
addition, Banks (2010) stated that the
integration of a self-defense unit in secondary
physical education programs is
becoming more common in 21st-century
curricula because the threats of crime to
oneself, one’s belongings, or the home
are becoming more prevalent. Still, not
many physical education programs teach
self-defense as a unit within their curriculum
because there are teachers and
administrators who fear that doing so
will promote violence in schools.
Self-defense content can be very informative
to middle-school students and
can provide them with proper instruction
as to how to protect themselves (D.
Brown & Johnson, 2000). Thus, teaching
students the proper way of using self-defense
techniques should actually help to
limit the amount of violence in schools
(Banks, 2010). Teachers, administrators,
and students can all benefit from the
skills that are taught in a self-defense
unit. Therefore, the purpose of this article
is to give teachers tips that will help
them to be more effective in teaching
self-defense to middle-school students in
physical education and to better establish
a productive learning environment for
this important lifelong skill.
The Learning Environment
One of the most essential things to
remember when teaching self-defense
is to first create a proper learning
environment that is appropriate for
middle-school students. It can be very
easy to lose control of a class when
teaching this type of information due to
the range of maturity among students
in this age group. Some middle-school
students may act as though they already
know what to do in any given situation,
while others may shy away to avoid any
kind of confrontation whether it is a real
conflict or just a scenario. Making sure
that the students feel safe is critical.
Students need to understand that the
misuse of the skills taught in class can be
harmful to others and will not be tolerated.
Each class varies and has its own
unique characteristics and chemistry.
Therefore, creating a safe and comfortable
environment presents different challenges
for each group of students.
Lesson Presentation
Students at this age level may surprise
the teacher with the amount of information
they may or may not already know
about the topic of self-defense. Students
come from different backgrounds where
they may have experienced some form
of negative conflict, so it is important to
be sensitive and realistic about how to
approach topics on physical or mental
abuse. In order to create a safe and
comfortable environment, the teacher
should immediately set the tone for this
discussion. These topics are not easy for
some individuals to talk about, but they
do need to be addressed.
One way to begin is to let the students
guide the discussion. The teacher can ask
students what they already know about
the subject: what is self-defense, when is
Teaching Self-Defense to Middle School
Students in Physical Education
Gina M. Potenza
Ferman Konukman
Jong-Hoon Yu
Hayrettin Gümüșdaǧ
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48  Volume 85  Number 1  January 2014
TeachingTips it appropriate to use it, and why do we
use it when necessary. The lesson presentation
will allow the teacher to stress the
importance of defending oneself when
someone is inflicting harm and help
the students understand the differences
between a verbal and physical confrontation.
There should be an open discussion
about tolerance and how it relates to
bullying. The teacher should be sure that
students have a clear understanding of
these topics before self-defense techniques
are introduced. Students should
always know that they must do their best
to prevent a confrontational situation
verbally, before it turns physical.
A GoodTeaching
Progression
Teaching the lessons in the right progression
is important when teaching selfdefense
to middle-school students. The
first lesson should really focus on what
self-defense is and why it is important,
and it should make students aware of
how imperative it is to not misuse the
skills taught. In addition, the students
should be informed of the many dangers
they may encounter. One of the key
things to discuss on the first day of the
unit is the importance of awareness and
knowing one’s surroundings. The teacher
could ask students’ questions like “Who
do you see around you?,” “Are you alone
or with a group?,” or “If the environment
you’re in is making you uncomfortable,
what should you do?”
Today technology is prevalent among
youth. Students are almost always wearing
their iPod or looking down as they
walk while texting on their cell phone.
Students need to be aware that when
they disconnect from their environment
so they cannot hear or see what is going
on around them, they can be an easy
target for whoever may be looking to
cause them harm. By understanding how
to interact with their surroundings they
may be able to remove themselves from a
threatening situation.
At this age level students are also
starting to experience parties, drugs,
alcohol, and many other aspects that involve
social interactions with their peers.
It is important to make sure they are
aware of the potential dangers that are
associated with these types of environments.
These topics are often discussed
in the students’ health classes and may
need to be only briefly addressed. Collaborating
with health teachers in the
school building may prove helpful in
determining whether or not this is an
area that needs to be addressed further.
After informing the class about
potentially dangerous settings and
social interactions, activities can be
introduced that teach the students
different skills associated with selfdefense.
At this age level the skills
taught should not be associated with
defending against a weapon, but rather
focus on how to defend oneself against
an attacker without a weapon. This will
build a foundation of basic self-defense
techniques, and students can progress
to more advanced skills, such as defending
against a weapon, as they advance in
grade level.
Below are three examples of situations
students may encounter on a
school campus and the skills needed for
self-defense. The teacher can stress the
importance of balance, not panicking,
the element of surprise, and how this
awareness can aid during the execution
of the self-defense skills being used. An
attacker generally chooses victims who
they feel are at a disadvantage compared
to themselves (D. Brown & Johnson,
2000). That is why it is important for
students to understand that the element
of surprise can be very helpful to them.
Students should also understand that
when these skills are used in a real-life
scenario they should immediately seek
out a responsible adult who can help
them with their bullying situation. (The
teacher should make sure to stress the
significance of not misusing the skills
learned so no one is harmed during
practice.)
Activities
These activities teach self-defense skills
that will help students to get out of
confrontations without having to strike
the attacker. Table 1 shows self-defense
teaching cues for the three activities
described below.
Pinned Against a Wall. The following
activities will address how to get out of a
situation while being pinned up against
a wall or locker. Students will work in
pairs, with someone they are comfortable
with, to practice the skill. In all
scenarios one partner will be the victim
and one will be the attacker. The victim
will have his or her back against the wall
while the attacker grabs the shoulders,
applying pressure so the victim cannot
move. To get out of this hold, the victim
quickly drop straight down to his or her
knees and rolls underneath the attackers’
arms, either to the right or left, to move
away from the situation.
When the victim drops, the attacker
will lose balance and fall into the wall, at
which time the victim makes their first
move. The downward directional change
creates a split second of confusion for the
attacker and allows the victim the opportunity
to quickly get away. Many times
when the students act out this drill they
may find that the attacker is still holding
on to their clothing or shoulders. If this
is the case the teacher can introduce an
addition: after the victim drops, he or she
strikes the groin or solar plexus located
at the center of the abdomen where the
rib cage meets in order to be released.
Being Pushed. This next example
describes what to do when the victim
is repetitively being pushed. Again the
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JOPERD  49
TeachingTips
teacher can stress that balance and the
element of surprise are advantages.
When asked “What is happening when
someone is pushing you?” students
should respond that the attacker is moving
forward while the victim is being
pushed backward. For this skill, when
the victim is being pushed they are going
to step either to the right or the left,
grab the arms of the attacker and pull
them toward the ground as they step
aside. The victim’s foot should remain
between the attacker’s legs so that they
trip as they are going by. For this skill
timing is very important. Due to the fact
that the attacker is aggressively moving
forward, the quick directional change
by the victim toward the attacker causes
the attacker to lose balance and fall to
the ground. In this skill the balance and
momentum of the attacker are used to
the victim’s advantage.
Being Pulled. This example will focus
on what to do when being pulled by an
attacker. For this skill, the attacker is going
to grab one of the victim’s wrists and
start pulling in toward them. Naturally
Table 1.
Self-Defense Teaching Cues
Skill Verbal Cues Visual Cues
Being Pinned Victim:
•• Stay calm
•• Use your balance and their balance
•• Feet shoulder-width apart
•• Drop down fast
•• Roll out to the right or left
•• Run away
Attacker:
•• Press partner’s shoulders against the wall
at a moderate pressure
Note: Balance and the element of surprise
are important
Victim:
•• Pressed against the wall
•• Drops to knees
•• In a bent position, rolls out to the right or left
•• Stands up and runs away from attacker
Attacker:
•• Hands are on partner’s shoulders
•• Loses balance
•• May fall forward toward the wall or follow
partner in a downward direction
Being Pushed Victim:
•• Timing is important
•• Step to the left or right
•• When you step your foot should be between
your partner’s legs
•• Push arms out of the way and grab the
top of the arms
•• As you step past, pull the attacker behind
you and step through
Attacker:
•• Push just below the shoulder
•• Push two or three times for timing
•• Push at a moderate rate for realistic
results
Note: Balance and the element of surprise
are important
Victim:
•• Steps to the right or left
•• Foot between legs
•• Grabs and pulls behind
•• Steps through
Attacker:
•• Steps forward, pushes on the shoulders
•• Body is leaning forward
•• Feet are staggered shoulder-width apart or
more
•• Repeats as needed
Being Pulled Victim:
•• Resist the pull by leaning back
•• Keep moving your feet
•• When you are ready, run forward toward
your partner
•• As you run at them push them at the
same time
•• Your hand will be on their shoulder when
you push
Attacker:
•• With both hands grab one of your partner’s
wrists
•• Pull them toward you as hard as you can
Note: Balance and the element of surprise
is important
Victim:
•• Resists
•• Runs toward partner
•• Pushes
•• Runs by
Attacker:
•• Pulls partner from the wrists
•• Leans backward
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50  Volume 85  Number 1  January 2014
TeachingTips
the victim is going to try to resist the
attacker and pull away from them. The
“victim” is instructed to continue to
pull and resist, but when ready, he or
she quickly changes direction and runs
toward the attacker. As the victim moves
toward the attacker he or she pushes on
the attacker’s shoulder
to continue to cause
a loss of balance. The
quick directional
change by the victim
toward the attacker
causes the attacker to
lose their balance and
fall to the ground. For
this skill to work the
victim has to resist
as much as they can
so that the attacker is
pulling them and starts
to lean back. Once the
victim sees the attacker
pulling as much as they
can and see the change
in body position, the
victim should make
their move.
Conclusion
Self-defense is a skill
that — if used correctly
— can allow individuals
to have the knowledge needed to defend
themselves during a harmful situation
and to feel a sense of empowerment. It has
been suggested that regular participation
in self-defense and martial arts classes can
develop a greater sense of self-control, selfesteem,
and self-actualization in students
(D. Brown & Johnson, 2000). By teaching
this material in a physical education setting
teachers can properly inform students and
provide them with the knowledge base to
successfully use and understand the art
of self-defense while participating in a
safe environment.
It is also important for physical
education teachers to research the art of
self-defense. They could bring in guest
speakers or demonstrators from local
martial arts facilities in the area to help
aid in the teaching of skills and ensure
student safety. The teacher needs to feel
comfortable and competent teaching
this information to students. It can be
risky to present this information in
physical education, but this is a lifelong
skill that can help to raise awareness
about bullying and help to prevent a
threatening situation from escalating
into something more.
References
Banks, A. L. (2010). Self-defense education: Five
steps for developing awareness and prevention
tactics. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation
& Dance, 81(6), 13–20, 25.
Brown, S., Birch, D., & Kancherla, V. (2005).
Bullying perspectives: Experiences, attitudes,
and recommendations of 9- to 13-year-olds attending
health education centers in the United
States. Journal of School Health, 75, 384–392.
Brown, D., & Johnson, A. (2000). The social practice
of self-defense martial arts: Applications
for physical education. Quest, 52, 246–259.
Chen, G. (2011). Rationale of self-defense
education in American schools. Sport Science
Review, 20(1–2), 65–76.
Gibone, A., & Manson, M. (2010). Bullying:
Proactive physical educator’s contribution to
school-wide prevention. Journal of Physical
Education, Recreation & Dance, 81(7), 20–24.
Gina M. Potenza is a physical education
teacher in the Victor Central School District
in Victor, NY. Ferman Konukman
(fkonukma@brockport.edu) is a professor
in the Department of Kinesiology, Sport
Studies & Physical Education at The College
at Brockport, State University of New
York in Brockport, NY. Jong-Hoon Yu is an
assistant professor of physical education in
the Department of Education at Glenville
State College in Glenville, WV. Hayrettin
Gümüşdağ is an assistant professor in the
School of Physical Education and Sports at
Hitit University in Çorum, Turkey.
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