Context: DS has ADHD, some aggressive behaviour, and is in a specialist SEMH school.
They go off site once a week for a physical activity (billed as Outdoor Ed, but so far we've had swimming, and it's now being switched to boxing at a local gym).
He's just about to turn 13 and has done no martial arts before. I would be happy with him doing another martial art but boxing carries risks I'm not happy with, plus I'm opposed to hitting people as a sport.
The problem is that if he doesn't go to the session (whether it's because he's ill, because he's misbehaved at school, or because we withdraw him) he won't be offered an alternative out of school. He'll just be left at school to do colouring.
I'm not clear if they get another PE session during the week, I don't think we technically have the right to withdraw him from lessons except sex ed and religious worship but I don't think the school would force him to go (they couldn't, even if they wanted to, frankly!).
I know boxing has helped many young men get out of the gutter, taken them away from a life of crime, blah blah, but I don't think hitting people should be a sport, especially for a child who thinks it's fun to hit people, who thinks any accidental injury is the other person's fault and he has the right to retaliate, etc. Telling him he doesn't, that there are rules in sport etc. etc. is not going to make a blind bit of difference IMO.
I assume they'd just be punching punch bags and not doing even mini fights, but there are also the risks if another child decides it's fun to practice on DS, especially as he has epilepsy and has recently had a minor skull fracture.