A study on water safety education in traditional Japanese swimming

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to review the educational content of water safety by focusing on traditional Japanese swimming.

Descriptions of traditional Japanese swimming vary, and a high sensibility against water has been found even from the existence of technique for coping with wave and current. Apart from its several swimming styles, such as standing stroke and resting stroke, which are not observed in competitive swimming, traditional Japanese swimming contains a variety of floating techniques as a basic skill of swimming.

Traditional Japanese swimming also contains various techniques and knowledge about dealing with waves and currents and existing at the bottom of water. Hence, providing swimming instructions using this knowledge may help to prevent water accidents and reduce injury. Organizing such knowledge for the educational content of water safety may further contribute to the prevention of water accidents.