Next Year, Blake Will Offer Martial Arts as an Alternative to PE

Over spring break, Blake announced that starting next school year, Martial Arts will be offered as a quarter-long class. The class will be taught by Jay Nelson (known as Mr. Jay), who is currently the Substitute Coordinator/Reserve Teacher.

“I think this is a great opportunity for students to try something new, especially for those who don’t love PE as much,” says Mr. Jay, who will be teaching the class. He continues, “I think Martial Arts is the perfect bridge between traditional PE sports like football and basketball and more artistic subjects, like dance and theater. I think having martial arts will really push students out of their comfort zones.”

According to Ms. Ferguson, who is involved in creating and vetting new classes, “this has been an idea for about five years now. This year, we were all like ‘this is the right time for a new class’.”

Mr. Fuller, is a little sad about the new class, although he believes that it’s a great opportunity for students. “It means that I don’t get to know students as well because Mr. Davis and I will only get to be with them half of the year.” Mr. Davis, another 7th and 8th grade PE teacher, says “I think it’s a great option for students. It’s something that [Mr. Fuller] and I would never be able to teach, so it’s great as its own class.”

The class will cover a wide range of martial arts, ranging from Karate to Jujutsu, and from Tai chi to Capoeira. The course will mainly focus on technique and basic skills for those unfamiliar with the sport, but will also include basic history of martial arts.