Teaching as a kid

[G95champ]

Not a fan of youngage blackbelts (sorry guys) Teaching is a bit differant if your doing some of the class with your Sensei helping but doing a class alone is IMO wrong. But back to the point. Which does lead to my point.

You have kids 6=8 doing the second kata? WOW. Sorry They can't do that mentally. No way. Yeah I know someone has a great student who can but more of them can NOT. Our youth classes we focus on the first kata over and over and over and work basic drills that develope motor skills. Keep young kids to the basics their minds confuse the kata and your wasting their time and yours. IMO arroud the age of 12 you can start most on more than one kata and expect quality.

Point Im making in both cases age means a lot. I respect the rank but I will NEVER give a child a high rank. Never a black belt under 16 just my 2 cents....

[Kieran-Lilith]

No BB in our system under age 18. It's against the rules. And yeah, the little kids have a hard time, but they do keep the katas seperate...most of the time. And some of them have graduated to their third kata, which I also helped teach yesterday. And not really, a lot of our kids are very bright. And by the time I was ten years old in my old style, I had 6 katas. (Note: I have decided this was a mcdojo, but I remember the katas were long. I still knew them). But most of them...8 and up handle it all very well. It's just a few select younger ones that cause trouble. One boy in particular, but we think Sensei scared him off.

[tkdBill]

We allow juniors to earn a black belt if they meet the same exact standards that an adult must meet. Their is no adjustments or allowance for age. I have 7 and 8 year old students who are blue and brown belts that can do each of their 5 or 6 forms (katas) precisely and powerfully. I have a 10 year old black belt and a 12 year old black belt that tested last month for their "Junior Instructor Trainee" stripe. It was absolutely amazing to watch the precision and power these youngsters were able to achieve while doing each of their 9 forms. Many parents of colored-belt students were absolutely in awe.

You are absolutely correct that children who can do this are exceptions to the rule, but isn't that also true of adults who reach black belt. Most children do not make it to black belt and either stall or wash out somewhere in the colored belts. Isn't that also true for adults?

I am proud to put a black belt on an exceptional child who has struggled and perservered for years and EARNED it. These are the best of the best and set the example for others to follow.

By the way, our "Junior Instructor Trainees" are only allowed to assist in children's classes, and they may not teach on their own.

--

[Kieran-Lilith]

Ummm....can we please not turn this into another debate on age and BBs? Please? Let's get back on topic, the one over that way, that I started. *points to the topic*

[G95champ]

Sorry I got us off on that rant about young BB I just really dislike it.

I have saw many skilled children who looked very good in kata, sparring, basics, etc. However IMO holding a black belt has a more to do with your mind and ability think and understand and NO child is able to do that. This takes me back to my point.

I think young kids need reps on the basics as we all do. Over and over and over, Gichin Funakoshi IN shotokan realized this when he tried to teach middle school children the Heian Kata. They had troulbe with them. So he develope 3 simpler kata just for that reason.

As far as kids who are out of hand. The first thing I would do is make their mom or dad not stay for class. Many times kids act up in frot of mom and dad because they want to go home but won't if they are out of sight. If that don't work simply meet bad behavior with punishment. *Push Ups, Set Ups, Wall Sets, Squat Kicks, Kneeling in the corner, etc) One bad apple can drestory the class.

Pain is a great teacher so is fear and yes their is a fine line of how much to use but use them.

Give the student one waringing. Bend down look them in the eye and say this behavior is not acceptable in Karate Class the next time you act out badly you have to do __________. As soon as they misact take them to the side look them in the eye again and make them go though their given punishment. When the punishment is over bring them back in the group like nothing happend. ONLY if they misact again do you repeat the treatment.

[Kieran-Lilith]

I would like to thank you all again for all your advice. I don't teach very often in my dojo, only on kata night. But I've gotten better. It's nothing like my first night of teaching kata. Tuesday I helped teach Pinan Shodan to a group of students with a yonkyu. I really couldn't do much, because he's used to teaching. Then, one of our hachikyu girls graduated from learning her second kata and was ready for her third, so I got to teach her up to the point the yonkyu had taken the others before turning her over to him. By the end of the lesson, it was a sort of joint teaching, where the yonkyu and I were on opposite sides of the students, and they could turn to look at either of us to know what to do. It's easier. And whoever said much earlier in this thread, that nothings better than watching children get things right after you helped them, they're right. There is nothing better for me. A while back I taught one kid the crazy walk we do on the mats on our knees. It was slow going, and clumsy, but as long as I stayed with the kid, they were confident enough to do it. By the end of class, he was speeding right along without me. And the other one I helped there and back, every step of the way, he was speeding right along too. There's nothing better to watch, to be a part of.

And no offense intended G95champ, especially not to one who's been so helpful on this thread, but I do no agree with pain and fear as teaching tools. I've been taught with them before, and though I learn and have very distinct memories of what I was taught, I learned nothing other than if I had a chance, I would turn around and hurt this person as much as they hurt me. That might mean I was hurt and made afraid too much, but in my experience, pain and fear destroy children's trust. One again, this is only IMO. I do not intend any offense to you.

[G95champ]

Understood and none taken

My point is teaching kids you need punishment to teach them good behavior. Im by no means saying beat the kid or anything but many kids are unable to understand or listen to words.

I am very much against group punishment. Meaning one person screws up the entire class does stuff. I don;t thank that is right and have been on the end of that myself many times. However kids IMO need to learn that their actions good or bad have results. Good actions are rewarded with praise and pats on the back and bad behavior is punhished by physical pain (exercise).

Bottom line they will stop or they will go home Both for me are acceptable. I guess Im a bit hardcore on this issue but I belive in the old saying spar the rod spoil the child.

[Sam]

i have to agree -b ut it apples to all students as well.

[Kieran-Lilith]

I can't believe it....Sensei gave me my own ring tonight for kata....*is in shock* I had my own ring....I was in charge....and he picked me against my friend, too...Wow...My friend is up for 4th kyu testing this month, I'm only up for 6th kyu...and he picked me over the 2nd kyu...what was he thinking?! Heheh, sorry for the rather...senseless, I suppose, babbling, but I'm still in a bit of shock.