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Miss Scheutz
3/20/18
Service Learning
Introduction:
For my service learning project, I decided to volunteer and help students in need learn
karate. At the Three Oaks Community Center, there are three different classes taught by
Grandmaster Alan M. Reyes: junior self defense, junior karate, and the adult class. Kajukenbo
originated in the Palama settlement in Hawaii. The reason it was born was because there were
several gangs and places to train gang members. Thus Grandmaster’s father, as well as several
other people decided to make a karate that would teach solely self defense. So they could feel
safer living in the Palama settlement. When Grandmaster Alan, and his father moved to
California, they also took the karate with them and continued to teach it to other people.
Originally, the only class they taught was adult, but as the school grew they also created classes
Among those classes there are many young kids who have trouble learning because of
many reasons such as: ADHD, ADD, family problems, and special needs. Teaching these kids is
extremely hard unless they get special help and special attention by a teacher. Grandmaster has a
hard time doing this because he has to teach an entire class of 30 students and can’t specially
focus on these kids. So for my project, I decided I would give those kids, who need the special
time and attention, exactly that. Another reason why I chose this project is to give back. I have
trained in this school for over a decade. Within that decade, I have struggled in so many ways,
and so many times karate helped me immensely. Karate was an outlet I always came to when
nothing else worked. I learned so many important lessons there as well, that many adults struggle
to learn. I appreciate all it has done to me both physically, mentally, and emotionally. Thus I
decided, I would help teach and help those kids, so that maybe they can find the same outlet I
found in the school. I hope that they can grow in ways that I can never predict. I also hope the
can defeat inner demons that they felt as if they could never face. That is why I chose this
project.
Experience at my site:
So as previously stated, I decided to go to the karate I train at, and teach special kids (kids
with mental disabilities or ADHD). At karate all kids learn how to defend themselves, but it’s
very hard to teach special need kids. These kids get the same amount of attention as all the other
kids and most times that isn’t enough. These kids end up falling behind their group, simply
because they lack the confidence and knowledge to train. So for my project, I decided I would
take specific time to help them really learn what was being taught. I decided to first go and help
all the kids there, just to get a general baseline and to learn about each kid. I got to know each
kid and learned how they train, and how they learn. Doing this taught me what I needed to do in
As time went on and I got to know the kids better, I decided to make plans on what to
teach them and why. I would create a realistic scenario and then teach a possible solution to the
kids. Some of these were scenarios were: being pushed up against lockers, being punched or
smacked in the face, being pushed or tripped. I would then go to special needs kids and take
specific time in helping them learn the technique I was teaching them. Other times I would just
really work them out and have them run around the mat. I feel like this is necessary to do
because they really need to burn the energy out. Some kids have this for their only outlet, and it
hard for them to get pent up emotions anywhere else, so a good workout is what really helps
them. This project took a summative of 42 hours and I am still currently working on it. These
kids don’t stop needing help because they are constantly learning new techniques and
movements. But something they also won’t stop doing is improving every time they step off the
Evaluation:
project, only people who have trained for several years can help teach kids or woman. It is very
difficult to teach children new techniques or completely start from scratch. These kids aren’t
completely mature yet, so often you have to pay close attention to them to keep them on task.
You have to have discipline in order to teach discipline. Addressing what my supervisor about a
way to improve my project. I would benefit from training more with people of a higher rank and
of higher caliber. As well as making an action plan, this would give a clear idea of how to go
about my project each time. I think I have grown as well throughout my project. I hit some hard
spots teaching special kids, because they may get really discouraged not being able to do it they
want to. Patience is a key thing I learned and how to accommodate to each kid’s needs.
Personal Growth:
I grew a lot during my project, mentally and emotionally. Not all kids can be taught the
same way, and not all kids want to pay attention. I had to learn to find a balance, between having
fun and having discipline. Some kids needed more discipline than fun, while others needed the
exact opposite. I had to learn to teach different ways for the kids who learned techniques
Reflection/Personal Thoughts:
I loved my project, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would choose the same sight.
The experience i went in going into my project was that I was not as patient as I should be. I
didn’t really understand how to teach special kids. I also had trouble finding out what kid needed
the most. Some needed little discipline and more fun, others needed the exact opposite, and it
was very interesting to see how each one varied. There isn’t anything I would change about this
project honestly, you just have to be adaptable to kids and be willing to teach in different styles.
For someone taking this project on I would suggest having an open mind. Each kid requires
something different from you. While teaching, always take in account of their body language and
their attitude. Some kids need the positive reinforcement, while others need the constructive
criticism. So be careful, what you say, and always have a reason to say it, because what you say
Project Impact:
Overall I had a positive impact for my service learning project. Most kids improved
during their most recent tests vs. their previous tests. You could really see how proud they were
of themselves and you could clearly tell that they saw how their hard work paid off. Presented
below is a bar graph showing their previous tests (in blue) vs their most recent test (in red).