ninjanurse

Welcome to KF!

Welcome!

Read through this again this morning after answering another thread and just had to comment. It is too bad that there are schools like this out there that are watering down their arts to make a "living" and those of us with some "old school" exposure have an entirely different perspective on this than those who don't, but...there is still value in what they provide to their students regardless of the standard they meet. A very small number of martial students actually achieve a Black Belt (by traditional standards) and to me those are the ones that will keep their arts alive. The others will enjoy their time and may eventually find a "true" path to follow-who knows they may even inspire someone to become a great martial master in spite of any standard they represent. My teaching philosophy is this: I will show you the way, guide you along the path, and redirect you if needed but it is up to you to do the work required to get there....effort is rewarded! Stay on the path and stay true to your martial heart and regardless of those around you you will grow and inspire others to seek what you have.

But that's just it! In a world where every child is a Ceasar waiting to be emperor when they get older, not promoting them is even worse than kicking them out. No parent would stand for their boy-king being denied the rank they believe they should have--especially after they've paid for the grading! True but manageable from my perspective. Rank is never denied but it must be earned to the satisfaction of me, not the student or parent. Trusting in this is very difficult in this world of instant gratification but I haven't had a student quit yet because they did not get promoted....and if it is approached properly it can even inspire them to work harder and eventually change their perspective on the value of the process. Sometimes it's just a matter of "they don't know what they don't know". Not all we can ask but a good start!

Sounds like a great opportunity!

I agree here....getting some students to understand this concept is often difficult though.

Congrats!

The Stand-Stephen King

Good stuff-great question! I use a blend of old-school/new-school. We have a stripe system (set by the association) which allows for evaluation every 10 classes-students need to earn these stripes to be eligible for final approval to be promoted. Each stripe has a set requirement and standard that must be met before they are awarded. Everyday is a test at my school-I evaluate everyone (and give feedback daily) and if they have the time and meet the standard for the stripe I will stripe them. I do not set specific days for stripe testing but we do have a "Test Week" every 2 months where I evaluate everyone (regardless of time in grade), make recommendations for promotion, and identify curriculum areas that we need more work on as a whole. Students are usually promoted every 4-6 months (we hold promotion ceremonies every 2 months). Advanced students (Red & Black) are evaluated every 20 classes and recommended for promotion every 6-12 months depending upon rank.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome to KF!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Adults seem to have bigger confidence issues than kids so you have to tread lightly sometimes....finding the balance can be tricky. You have to make classes challenging yet not beyond their reach and expect more of them than they think. Encouragement for a job well done-rather than patronizing them-is far more beneficial to retention than empty praise.

Yep....and I try to follow his example!

Traditional TKD practitioners wear a white uniform (dobak)-the consensus being that putting on a plain white uniform is an outward sign of humility, an attempt to "subdue the I".

Good luck!

Good advice Bill. Taking care of the students you have will bring in new ones as the word spreads via internal referrals. You can also get your school involved in the community via demos, fundraisers, parades, local events, etc.

If a new Black Belt of mine came 5 minutes late to class there would be a whole lot more than bowing going on!