Looking for some good advice

[aefibird]

So Angela, Delta and Aefibird are you instructors or students or both?

 

I'm both. I've been training in Shotokan Karate for 5 years, and been an assistant instructor for over a year.

 

If your son is happy with his current MA school then I see no reason to change him to another. Like the others said, the Kung Fu guy seemed to be fishing for students.

So my son started at 4-1/2 yo will not be able to test for his BB until he is 13 or 14. That 8-1/2 - 9 years at that school until he is able to test for BB. Does that sound reasonable. Or is that a money maker to keep the kids in the school longer? The instructor feels kids under 13 are not disaplined enough to test for BB. (a statement I find to be not true because no two kids are alike).

 

Well, I do agree with you about there not being two kids alike (I work with kids, I know! ), but I can see the benefit of having a cut-off point.

 

In my association, children are not allowed to test for black belt until 11. From the age of 11-16 child black belts hold the rank of junior black belt. When they get to 16 they must re-test for full blackbelt. If they fail they must go back to 1st kyu (the grade just under 1st dan blackbelt), but if they pass they are allowed to become full blackbelts.

 

I'm not a big fan of handing out blackbelts to children anyway, especially those under the age of 14. IMO, there's a lot more to being a blackbelt than just simply being able to do the moves; there has to be the correct attitude and mental discipline present as well. Anyway, this topic has been discussed before; there's a thread running about it in the Getting Started In Martial Arts forum if you're interested.

 

Having an age-limit on when children are allowed to test for black belt at your son's school seems like a good thing to me. However, I've never been there, so I can't really comment. Only you can decide if you're getting good value for money. However, from your other comments, both you and your son seem happy with his current MA school, so the rule about blackbelts seems like it is there more to protect children from simply becoming another McDojo graduate, rather than as a device to keep students at the school.

 

Unfortunately, some people don't always see things that way. In today's society many people want things as quickly and as cheaply as possible. Someone on these forums (it might have been Delta1, I can't remember!) once said something along the lines of: "For every person willing to sell you a cheap and fast black belt, there's always someone else out there who will sell it cheaper and faster."

 

*cough* Sorry, I deviated a little from the topic there with that last paragraph.

I may post here (and lurk) just to get myself educated.

 

Feel free to post away! We're a friendly bunch here at KF and I'm sure that any questions that you have someone will be able to answer them for you. Good to have you here at Karate Forums.

[KARATEKIDSMOM]

Thanks,!!! Angela, Delta and Aefibird! Yes agreed, there is a school that BB kids only after 2 years of training.!!! If my son started there at 6 he'ld be a BB by 8... HMMMMMM didn't seem like the old MA I heard and read about.

 

I appreciate all of your input! It has been most helpful!

[gheinisch]

Hello and Welcome to KF. It sounds like you've gotten some good advise here. I agree, don't change because of lineage. Change because of bad or inadequate instruction. It sounds like you have a good dojo with a good Sensei with a good family who cares about thier students. Your son is young and will have plenty of time to expand his knowledge as he grows as a Martial Artist. I say stick with what you have as long as your happy! If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Oh, and ask away! There are a lot of great people on this site that have years of experience and knowledge that love to answer questions.

[KARATEKIDSMOM]

Whew!!! I must admit I went to another site or forum and posted the same question. ( I am redundent like that). Not nearly as friendly and helpful! Thanks!

[KARATEKIDSMOM]

Ok one more question if you will................

 

I think if this Kung-fu guy was telling us that about our school trying to turn us against our instructor he may be doing that to other too. They know eachother.... Do you think I should warn our instructor? or leave well enough alone?

[Luckykboxer]

I am curious what he meant by lineage..

 

To me it sounds as if he may be saying that the instructor left before he recieved his black belt and self promoted to his current level.

 

It is easy enough to check credentials and as far as lineage goes, it just traces back from present to past.

 

trace back his instructor and his instructors instructor until you hit the begining.

 

if your current instructor is a legitimate black belt, then he and the kung fu master are no different, both left their instructors to open new schools.

 

now affiliations is another term used.

 

your current instructor can be in an affiliation with other black belts or even his instructor.

 

but like all that has already been said, if you are happy with what is going on, and if your child is happy, and if you see advancement improvement and enjoyment then i see no reason you would want to change

[KARATEKIDSMOM]

Thanks luckyKboxer! Yes, the head instructor that owns the school trained and got his black belt at a school in our town. He worked there as an instructor. I think the Kung fu guy was trying to tell me that the degrees on the belt may be questionable but he did not come out and say that!

 

I don't know it just put a ? in my head and I wanted to try and find out what was normal in the MA world.

 

Personally, gut feeling is I like this guy. He is young and full of energy he is GOOD at performing and teaching.

 

I don't know I just want to validate my gut feeling I quess.

 

After validating my gut feeling I now am upset with the Kung-fu guy for bad mouthing my sons instuctor and his school.

 

I almost want to mention to him..... look this guy is not your friend.... -supposidly he stops in there to ask the Kung -fu guy to train him in Kung-fu . Kung-fu guy told me this maybe to make me think "He was the real teacher"! . I don't know maybe I will just mind my business and not say anything. If he got me thinking maybe he is doing that to others in the town as well.

[AngelaG]

Ok one more question if you will................

 

I think if this Kung-fu guy was telling us that about our school trying to turn us against our instructor he may be doing that to other too. They know eachother.... Do you think I should warn our instructor? or leave well enough alone?

 

I'd leave alone. Unfortunately it's not unusual for some instructors to bad-mouth others just to drum up more business... the reason for this is that in any town you can look around and find more martial arts schools than fast food outlets... but more people like fast food

 

There's no need to start a 'war', just realise him for the idiot that he is and let your son carry on enjoying what he's doing JMHO

[Akima]

As far a value for your dolar, amount of lessons, time in class cost per month, addiotnal fees, you don't need to know MA to know you're getting a good deal. From what you say it souds like you are.

 

I always suggest looking into the instuctors history, where he learned, call his/her teacher. Find out if thye parted on good terms. Find out who his teacher was. An honest instructor should not find these questions offensive.

 

Degrees on belts are shady these days. Espcially when you see guys under 30 who claim they are 4th and 5th dans. How old is this instructor?

 

If you really are suspicious, or just want to know, check his criminal record.

 

On another board we were discussing a school, and one guy discovered the instuctor in question was wanted in another state for stalking a student and burning his studio down to collect insurance.

 

May I ask, was it just the Kung Fu guy who got you questioning, or are there other things that prompted you to question as well?

[SaiFightsMS]

Akima: must have been posting when you were or I just missed it.

 

The owner/instructor is a 3rd degree BB and came out of a school called "Ocasio's". He taught there then branched off on his own. the KF guy made this sound like something bad or tabu but what is the difference. The KF guy claims he learned straight from a Master from Southern China. Then he opened his school so I can't see the difference.

 

But because I want to research as much as possible because my son loves it so much I want to make sure he is learning something that later on he will just try and deprogram. I have read a lot of MA people go through that. But how does one tell that the school they have choosen is a good one.

 

My son can do 6 half hour basic classes a week and 6 15 min BB club classes a week. (min requirement is 2 but they allowed to come in everyday that there age group has a time slot). My son does 4 classes per week. He also does 2 30 min private lessons. those are extra. There are no charges for belts or testing or belt promotions. The 4 - 9 year old test approx every 3 months and move up in rank if they pass.

 

4 - 6 yr olds are called cubs and they have to go through a full set of belts (takes 2 yrs) then 7 - 9 year old go thru all the belt colors (takes 2 yrs) then 9 - 14 solid belt students train for 4 - 5 years before they can test for BB. So my son started at 4-1/2 yo will not be able to test for his BB until he is 13 or 14 That 8-1/2 - 9 years at that school until he is able to test for BB. Does that sound reasonable. Or is that a money maker to keep the kids in the school longer? The instructor feels kids under 13 are not disaplined enough to test for BB. (a statement I find to be not true because no two kids are alike).

 

Anyway, any advice you can throw my way is greatly appreciated!

 

That sounds like a very reasonable time frame. There may be a few kids who can do things ina shorter amount of time and at a younger age but not many. Actually that is not a bad time frame for an adult student starting out a bit later.