Being raised in the "outback" of Australia gave me the freedom to explore open bush land, invade banana plantations, climb the massive Jarrah eucalyptus trees, catch freshwater lobster and electric eels, fish, explore vast beaches, and go to school with the aborigines — over 1,000 kids and only my brother and I were the "white fellas"!

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This adventurous start set down an independent, self-sufficient, mindset which remains to this day. But what are we setting down for our children? With the influence of technology, there is a completely different set of values underpinning their upbringing.

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On a weekly basis we observe poor communication skills, social isolation, cyberworlds, hyperactivity, poor posture, and a general lack of healthy activity. I have worked with obese families where ignorance, poor diet, and inactivity are all contributing factors to overweight, unhappy kids with poor social skills and the subject of bullying.

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This is all compounded, of course, by the repercussions of "Health & Safety", the fear of a child being hurt or other safety issues. I was lucky, I only had to worry about poisonous snakes, red-back spiders, crocodiles, sharks, dingoes or getting lost!

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Fortunately, there are parents getting out there and ensuring their children are active. Unfortunately, this is not the "general" case due to the pressures of work and finances or sheer tiredness and lack of time contributing to non-participation in active lifestyles. But what does this teach the next generation and what will they then pass on to their children?

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In all of our classes, we work hard on basic fitness and sports skills but also, developing self-confidence, self-esteem, self-belief, leadership qualities, teamwork and fundamentals such as discipline, confidence, communication skills and social integration. But, most of all we laugh, have fun and indulge in humour — the real positives of life!

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—Sifu Steve