Physical Literacy and Little Tigers

Essential Insights for Parents

At its core, karate - or any martial art - is about learning and practicing movements of increasing complexity as a way toward mastery of the body and mind. Each set of kihon (basics), kata (forms or patterns), and kumite (sparring) builds on previously learned skills. While lots of folks, especially kids, want to learn some kind of flying “windmill” kick or how to break boards in their first class, every complex technique must instead build on a skill or milestone that was achieved before and which sets the stage for those to come. This is precisely how the foundation is laid for developing strong physical literacy, a key element in a lifelong love of movement, physical competence, health, wellbeing, and quality of life across the lifespan.

Just as “traditional” literacy is not just about being able to read and write, but also effective communication, interaction, and engagement with those around us, physical literacy is more than just understanding how to move your body. 

Popularized in the late 1990s, physical literacy is the idea that people can learn the skills and abilities to move with confidence and competence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments.

In young children, physical literacy focuses on developing fundamental movement skills, building confidence, and fostering a positive attitude toward physical activity. In later childhood and adolescence, physical literacy expands to include more complex movement patterns and a wider range of sports and activities. In adulthood, physical literacy enables people to engage in activities that are enjoyable and relevant to their interests, and in older adulthood, physical literacy can help individuals maintain independence and cognitive function into old age. 

And just like traditional literacy, physical literacy can be practiced, assessed, and evaluated.

This article is the first in a series that will take a deeper dive into some of the themes associated with physical literacy, how we incorporate those themes into our karate practice at every age, and how we hope to contribute to a lifelong love of learning and movement. 

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There’s a reason we start our Little Tigers at 5 years old. At about 5, most kids are beginning to develop the fundamental movement skills (FMS), perceptual motor skills, and gross and fine motor skills required to participate in (relatively 😉) organized physical activities.

Fundamental movement skills are closely linked with gross motor skill development, and include:

Locomotor Skills	Running, jumping, hopping, skipping, and galloping
Object Control Skills	Throwing, catching, kicking, and striking
Stability Skills	Maintaining balance and coordinating movement

Fundamental Movement Skills are usually well developed by age 7-8.

Kids who are between about 5 and 7 are generally:

• Starting to develop agility, or the ability to change direction quickly and efficiently while maintaining balance and control. This also means being able to move quickly and then stop, change direction, and coordinate the movement of both sides of the body.

• Able to maintain balance and stand on one leg for about 10 seconds.

• Able to bend from the waist and touch their toes without bending their knees or falling over.

• Able to hop 2 - 3 meters without putting their opposite foot down.

• Able to throw and catch accurately.

In our Little Tigers class then, if your child can: 

✅ coordinate both sides of the body ➡️ they can learn to strike and block effectively

✅ maintain balance ➡️ they can learn to kick and begin to learn increasingly challenging kicks

✅bend from the waist without falling over ➡️ they can begin moving efficiently in different stances

✅ hop 2 - 3 meters ➡️ they can begin striking, blocking, and kicking while moving forward and backward

✅ throw and catch ➡️ they can demonstrate the necessary hand-eye coordination to work with partners

But why is this important? How do FMS contribute to a lifelong love of physical activity?

First, they help develop a sense of physical competence, which leads to confidence, which leads to trying new things, controlled risk taking -- in other words, challenge and growth and mastery. Activities that promote FMS have also been shown to improve attention span, memory, and other cognitive development skills. They have also been shown to boost self esteem, enhance social skills, and foster a sense of achievement, which in turn allow children to build a positive relationship with physical activity and movement.

If you want to learn more, the links below offer great information and resources. And if you have specific questions about your child, karate, FMS and physical literacy, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at ferniekarate@gmail.com.

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Resources:

Canadian Sport for Life: https://sportforlife.ca

Foweather, L. & Rudd, J. (2020). Fundamental Movement Skill Interventions. The Routledge handbook of youth physical activity (pp. 715-737). Routledge

Physical Health & Education (PHE) Canada: https://phecanada.ca