This course is designed to provide the student with a comparative study of the diverse martial arts systems of the world. Martial arts of various regions and cultures will be examined including those of Ancient Greece and Rome, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, and North America.

This course will examine the physical, psychological, historical, anthropological, and social influences of the martial arts on global societies. The impact of gender, culture, and competition on the development and variation of indigenous martial arts will be investigated. The role martial arts have played and plays in the development of fine and performance arts will also be examined (3 hours weekly).

Statement on General Education and Liberal Learning

A liberal education prepares students to lead ethical, productive and creative lives and to understand how the pursuit of lifelong learning and critical thinking fosters good citizenship.  General education courses form the core of a liberal education within higher education curriculum and provide a coherent intellectual experience for all students by introducing the fundamental concepts and methods of inquiry in the areas of mathematics, the physical and natural sciences, the social sciences, the arts and the humanities, and composition.  This course is part of the general education core experience at Howard Community College.

 A liberal education prepares students to lead ethical, productive and creative lives and to understand how the pursuit of lifelong learning and critical thinking fosters good citizenship.  General education courses form the core of a liberal education within higher education curriculum and provide a coherent intellectual experience for all students by introducing the fundamental concepts and methods of inquiry in the areas of mathematics, the physical and natural sciences, the social sciences, the arts and the humanities, and composition.  This course is part of the general education core experience at Howard Community College.

Overall Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

• Identify and describe the martial arts of various cultures including.
• Compare and contrast the typologies of martial arts systems.
• Describe the physical training methods used by various martial arts discipline.
• Evaluate the training methods of various martial arts systems.
• Explain the impact martial arts have had on individual and social psychologies.
• Compare and contrast the influence martial arts have had on the philosophical development of various cultures.
• Describe the role martial arts have played in the development and production of art.
• Describe the role martial arts have played in various forms of literature including poetry and writing.
• Describe the role martial arts have played in the dance, theatre, film, and modern media.
• Evaluate the impact the martial arts have had on the cultures of various groups and countries.
• Identify the role of women in martial arts.
• Compare and contrast martial arts for combat and those for competition.

Major Course Topics

• Physical Aspects of Martial Arts
• History of Martial Arts
• Martial Arts as Performance Art
• Cultural Impact of Martial Arts
• Combat Sports vs. Self-Defense in the Martial Arts
• Relationship between Gender and Martial Arts
• Martial Arts in Literature
• Role of Martial Arts in Film
• Psychosocial Aspects of the Martial Arts
  

Orientation

This course has no required face-to-face orientation.

  Course Requirements

• Review the “What you should know before you register” section of the Distance Learning home page.

• Reading Assignments: Various reading assignments will be given throughout the semester. It is recommended that students complete the readings before other course components.

• Tutorials: Online tutorials, corresponding to the content in the readings will be assigned. Each module will contain text and multi-media-based content.

• Web Assignments: Students will be given assignments that relate to the materials presented in the learning modules and textbook chapters.

• Quizzes: Students will complete several quizzes that cover the content from the readings, modules and assignments.

• Final: Students will complete a comprehensive final on campus.

Texts and Materials

Textbook information:  To visit our bookstore's online sales site, please visit www.howardccbooks.com and follow the instructions for selecting textbooks.

Technical Requirements and Plug-Ins:

Review the Technical Requirements link above. The following plug-ins are required for this course:

• Acrobat Viewer
• Flash
• Internet Explorer
• PowerPoint Viewer, if you don’t have the full version of Microsoft PowerPoint
• QuickTime
• Real Player
• Windows Media Player
• Word Viewer, if you don’t have the full version of Microsoft Word
  
  

Exams

Students will take 15 online quizzes and a cumulative final on-campus or proctored at an acceptable institution. All quizzes and the final will consist of multiple-choice and will be timed.

If you have any questions or comments about this class, please send a message to Patrick L. Finley, pfinley@howardcc.ecu