School Violence

Eric Blumenshine's flying kick

In October, officials of University City High School in St. Louis, Missouri, acknowledged that there was an uptick in fights this year and asked for support from parents and the community. The week before Thanksgiving, two secondary schools in the metro St. Louis area had severe beating cases; one took place on a school bus while the other in the school restroom. 

With raging hormones, stronger physiques, students have been in involved in increasingly brutal fights in the secondary schools. Aside from empty-handed combat, knives and guns have also been used in some cases, only increasing the severity of injuries. 
 

Master Peter Hill and Sequoia Secondary School in Mesa, Arizona recognized the nature of teenagers and their lack of ability to solve conflicts. Therefore, they have integrated Taichi and other martial arts into the school curriculum as a method to temper their actions and help the students to rationally resolve their differences.

Eric Blumenshine is a graduate of Sequoia and a talented student of Master Hill. He has been studying Taichi and other martial arts since the seventh grade. He holds ranks in Karate (competition style, green belt) Tae Kwon Do (traditional style, purple belt) and Tai Chi and Ken Po from Master Hill, with black belts in each. This energetic young man can execute explosive flying kicks which can be extremely forceful,, however, Eric said that Taichi and martial arts have taught him to be calm and gentle. 
 

Insert Master Peter Hill teaches self-defense.

Eric thinks martial art and Taichi practitioners learn to be well-mannered, patient, soft-spoken but strong-willed, yet considerate of others. The virtues that Taichi embody greatly help resolve conflict. Through the G.E.T.I.T. program designed by Master Hill, he learned Taichi forms and philosophy. G.E.T.I.T. is a combination of various eastern-based philosophical traditions adapted into a simple acronym that can be applied in Taichi and everyday life. It stands for Goal Energy Technique Inner Skills and Test It, which is basically Master Hill's road map to personal training as well as conflict resolution. Eric explains that when you have a clear goal you can direct your energy through your verbal and physical techniques to achieve your goal. This will advance one’s inner skills. Taichi fundamentally changes the way Eric views the world. He does not even see conflict anymore, instead he sees challenges that he can overcome through patience and inner strength.

For more info:  www.getittogether.net, A Sequoia Way for PE.