Myths about teaching can hold you back
- Year 11
Sparring and review
I can perform self-defence moves and spar within a controlled setting showing excellent footwork and timing.
- Year 11
Sparring and review
I can perform self-defence moves and spar within a controlled setting showing excellent footwork and timing.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Move: performing self-defence moves requires the ability to react quickly, identify a threat and respond immediately.
- Move: good sparring technique requires dynamic movements, fast feet and agility to evade opponents safely.
- Think: in self-defence, you can defend yourself proportionately to what is being done to you.
- Feel: sparring helps develop resilience under pressure when faced with an opponent.
- Connect: sparring with others requires empathy, communication, cooperation and mutual respect.
Keywords
Self-defence - a legal justification for using reasonable, necessary and proportionate force to protect yourself or others from imminent harm
Sparring - a controlled and supervised sport that allows martial artists to apply techniques in real time against resisting partners
Technique - a deliberate, skillful movement or method designed to achieve a specific outcome in combat or self-defence
Common misconception
Pupils think that self-defence is just like fighting.
Self-defence focuses on escape and de-escalation. It is about avoiding harm and getting away safely.
To help you plan your year 11 physical education lesson on: Sparring and review, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 physical education lesson on: Sparring and review, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 4 physical education lessons from the Health and wellbeing: martial arts and self-defence unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
No equipment needed
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required