Rock and Water

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Author(s): Freerk Ykema and The Gadaku Institute
Date(s) of publications: 2000
Website: www.newcastle.edu.au/centre/fac

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Aims:

The Rock and Water program aims to apply a physical/social approach to assist boys and girls in their development to adulthood by increasing their self-realisation, self-confidence, self-respect, boundary awareness, self-awareness and intuition. A specific goal for the course is teaching boys and girls to deal with power, strength and powerlessness.

Target group:

Rock and Water was primarily designed for boys aged 9 years and above, although girls can be involved and participate. Experience has also indicated that the program can be taught from the age of 6.

Program content and components:

The program offers a framework of exercises and ideas about boys and manhood and aims to assist boys and girls in becoming aware of their purpose and motivation in life. Topics covered in Rock and Water include intuition, body language, mental strength, empathetic feeling and positive feeling. Further discussion topics cover bullying, sexual harassment, homophobia, life goals and desires.

Rock and Water is often run in conjunction with other programs in schools to enhance the self-esteem, self-control and self-confidence of both boys and girls. It can support and contribute to the aims of other school programs, and can be integrated into school curriculum in a number of ways.

PROGRAM EVALUATION

Identified theoretical framework:

From the Mind Matters booklets a number of protective factors have been identified as contributing to a person’s ability to cope with the demands of every day living. Many of the factors are enhanced through the Rock and Water program.

Evidence of effectiveness:
(according to criteria developed by CASEL for rating program effectiveness)

No evaluations were submitted that met the inclusion criteria.

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

Program structure:

The building blocks of the Rock and Water program are self-control, self-reflection and self-confidence. Building on to this foundation, it is possible to pay attention to the themes of safety, assertiveness, communication and finding their own way (the inner compass) that connects them to others (solidarity) and gives them direction (spirituality). The inner compass means that every person has different qualities and that these qualities manifest themselves in the psyche as forces that strive after fulfilment. Self-realisation gives a deep feeling of power, joy and meaningfulness. This is an important concept, especially for young people who are on the threshold of important choices. An answer to questions about meaningfulness and direction is very much related to becoming aware of one’s own qualities and desires.

The themes mentioned above are interrelated in the program by four leading threads:

1. Grounding, centreing and focusing:
   learning how to stand firm and relaxed, how to concentrate your breath in your belly and focus attention (first external, later transformed to an internal goal).
2. The golden triangle of body-awareness – emotional awareness – self-awareness.
   Emotions are expressed in the body by way of muscular tension. Therefore, increased body awareness can lead to more insight and experience of one’s own patterns of reaction, which in turn can offer a chance to deepen and further develop the emotional awareness and self-awareness. In fact, this concept is the basis of every martial art that has an eye for the development of mental and inner power.
3. Communication:
   the development of physical forms of communication as a basis for the development of other, more verbally oriented, forms of communication.
4. The Rock and Water concept:
   the tough, immovable rock attitude versus the mobile, communicative water attitude. This concept can be developed and applied at various levels: the physical, the mental and the social level. At a physical level it means that an attack can be parried by firmly strained muscles (rock) but also – and often even more effectively – by moving along with the energy of the attacker (water).

At a social level – for instance in a conversation – it is also possible to choose between a rock and a water attitude and the same choice applies to the way in which one maintains relationships with others. Finally, at a spiritual level, the apparent opposites between rock and water disappear. Then the insight and experience come about that both ways are needed to reach self-fulfilment and that people, in their deepest essence, are connected to each other and go along a path together.

Staff professional learning (PL):

Training can be either conducted in a one-day introduction seminar (which focuses on the first four lessons of the program) or a three-day seminar (all lesson plans 1-14 are taught). After working with the three-day program there is an opportunity to complete the Advanced Training Level II, this will enable participants to conduct one-day introductory workshops within your own school to enable a whole school approach to the program.

Program costs:

The cost of the three-day seminar is $695 (incl. GST, lunch and Manual).

The Rock and Water Manual, which is needed for everyone who wants to work with the program, costs $55 (incl. GST).

The Rock and Water Perspective booklet is designed for everyone interested in boys’ education. It contains basic ideas about the dynamics behind boys behaviour and links up with the theoretical background information of the program. This booklet is recommended for everyone who wants to work with the program and costs $35 (incl. GST).

The Rock and Water basic physical exercise video/DVD contains the most important, difficult physical exercises of the program. The video costs $55 and the DVD costs $60 (incl. GST).

About the author:

Freerk Ykema has been a Physical Education and Remedial Teacher and Counsellor at Schagen in the North of The Netherlands in a comprehensive school. In 1995 he trialled the Rock and Water course at his school to address boys’ motivation and self-confidence. He now trains teachers in countries throughout the world to deliver the Rock and Water course. In 2000 the course won a national award in The Netherlands for targeting boys’ education.

Contact information:

The Family Action Centre
The University of Newcastle
University Drive
Callaghan, NSW. 2308
Phone: (02) 4921 6403
Fax: (02) 4921 8686
Email: fac-events@newcastle.edu.au
Website: www.newcastle.edu.au/centre/fac

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It is important to note that inclusion of a program in this Guide does not constitute an endorsement by KidsMatter Primary. All program details were correct at time of publishing.