Mr Bradic recently completed his PhD on the subject of judo as a method of moral development and was thus featured by UNESCO ICM. Established in December 2016, the ICM is the result of an agreement between the government of the Republic of Korea and UNESCO. The International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement (ICM) works under the auspices of UNESCO.
Martial arts, developed alongside humanity’s advancement, possess not only cultural value but are also valuable as an educational tool for the youth. Slavisa Bradic said, "I think it's a great opportunity to promote the value of judo through the moral code as well as the influence of judo on the development of morals and other qualities. I think it's very positive to promote our judo values because now we have research at the highest academic level on the value of judo. Of course I must point out that I am proud to come from the Croatian Judo Federation and to work within the IJF Academy which is a great support for me in everything."
Slavisa Bradic knows his subject and has been involved in education through judo for many years. This year marks a decade since the successful integration of judo into the Croatian School Curriculum. It all began in 2008 with the introduction of the Judo in Schools project, pioneered by Judo Club Rijeka under his guidance. Bradić played a vital role in securing official recognition for judo as a school sport in Croatia in 2013, representing a significant achievement in the integration of our sport in the country's education system. In 2015 the International Olympic Committee also awarded the Croatian Judo Federation for this project and acknowledged it as an outstanding innovation.
Throughout 35 years of experience teaching judo, Slavisa Bradic noticed that there was a gap in research regarding the use of judo in schools and he decided to focus his PhD on 'Judo as a Method of Moral and Psychological Development' at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom, where he received his doctorate this July. His research aimed to prove the moral and psychological effects of judo on children through the Judo in Schools project in Croatia.
The complete study includes in-depth research in the following chapters:
- The Influence of Western Authorities in the Fields of Psychology, Philosophy and Sociology on Jigoro Kano;
- Morality through the history of martial arts to judo;
- Development of self-control in judo;
- Psychological mechanisms and conditions responsible for various forms of exercise and application of judo
- Emotional intelligence and emotional regulators.
Read More about Slavisa Bradic's study: CLICK HERE
Judo was created as an education tool based on Jugoro Kano Shihan's experiences. Slavisa Bradic's PhD of today proves to be the continuation of the fact that judo is without doubt a catalyst for moral and emotional development among the world’s youth.