Rock and Water

Rock and Water offers teachers a new way to interact with boys through physical-social teaching (though the program can also be taught to girls). Physical exercises are constantly linked with mental and social skills.

The program leads from simple self-defence, on to boundary and communication exercises, and then to a strong notion of self-confidence. The program offers a framework of exercises and ideas about boys and manhood to assist boys to become aware of purpose and motivation in their life. Topics include: intuition, body language, mental strength, empathic feeling, positive thinking and positive visualising. Discussion topics include bullying, sexual harassment, homophobia, life goals, desires and following an inner compass.

The Boys in Schools Program met Freerk Ykema in 1999 and invited Freerk to come to our Boys to Fine Men Conference in Brisbane 2000. We believed in the program, and in Freerk, and started organising his workshops nation-wide that year. The program has since gone from strength to strength.

In 2002 the Gadaku Institute was founded. It became the international coordinator of the Rock and Water Program, and works with the Boys in Schools Program. Our mutual goal is to stimulate the further development of the Rock and Water Program in as many educational settings as possible throughout Australia. The Gadaku Insitute organises workshops in Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia. The Boys in Schools Program organises workshops in NSW, NT and ACT.

The name 'Gadaku', an Aboriginal word meaning 'young boy', is used with the permission of Datiwuy elders of Arnhem Land.