Jr. Black Belts

[wheeze]

Hey everyone!

this is a very interesting thread. My daughter studies 2 disciplines including judokwon mma and Tae kwon do. She has been in judokwon since she was 8 and is now 13. She will receive her jr. black belt this year. (black belt with white strip) I have really stressed to her the importance of humility and her conduct around others. I allow her to teach in my school. Shorin ryu mma) I allow her to teach based on her technique, form, discipline, interaction with others, ability, and knowledge. I allow her to do this also based on the recommendations of her Judokwon instructor.

[bbk2132]

Therein lies a lesson in humility.

here here

[DWx]

There is also an aspect that some kids feel they can be friends with a teenager, it gives them someone to ask for help when they are scared to ask a grown up.

All I am saying is, I think, and my Senseis think that I am qualified to be a black belt and teach a class. Teaching is about how much you know, and how well you can share your knowledge with others. Not age. It is true that some people don't take kids seriously, but if the kid is a good teacher, they should be able to change that.

I have occasionally assisted in lesson since I first gained my jr.blackbelt at 14. I agree with bbk2132. Younger students are more likely to relate to students their own age as asking a senior stdent for help may seem daunting. In fact, when I first started out I would approach people my age with questions rather than go up to an adult in the class.

I have always been very tall and had a bigger build than most kids my age so I have really only ever trained in mixed or adult classes. With regards to adults not respecting or valueing the opinions of a junior, I have always felt that I was on very good terms with the adults at my club. I can joke with them and talk to them about things outside of Martial Arts and I feel that they do listen to my advice when they ask for it.

For example, I was in a class a couple of months ago which was entirely made up of adults. Since it was coming up to a grading, my instructor asked me and one of the senior blackbelts to come in and go around the class correcting technique. None of the adults ignored my suggestions and all seemed to try really hard to adjust their motions. In fact a few actually motione for me to come over and answer some of their questions about positioning and application.

I suppose it depends on the attitudes of the junior and senior in the club. I know that I can go and ask anyone in the club for help, whether it be on TKD or even my maths homework. I'd like to feel that they can do the same (well obviously not the homework part )

[jaymac]

I think you have a great and a mature attitude DWx. I think most kids with your maturity can gain respect from anyone of any age in a dojo.

[bushido_man96]

That does sound great, DWx.

At the age of 14-16, I think that the adults will have an easier time taking suggestions than from a black belt that is 10 or 11.

[kangaroo]

To me, a junior black belt is exactly the same a senior black belt, but they are not expected to have the same level of dedication, or more so, understanding.

[cross]

One thing i noticed through this topic is the level of maturity displayed in each post made by bbk2132.

My advice to you would be, keep up the good work... If you can set the example for other kids to limit the amount of time they spend messing around in class, then your doing a great service to your instructor through that alone...

If your instructor feels you have the ability to teach, and you approach your teaching the same way you approached the discussions on here, i dont see any problem with you gaining the respect of others. There will always be people who dont want to be taught by someone younger, they wont let their ego accept it. For those people, there isnt much you can do other than direct there concerns toward your instructor and let them be.

[bbk2132]

There is also an aspect that some kids feel they can be friends with a teenager, it gives them someone to ask for help when they are scared to ask a grown up.

All I am saying is, I think, and my Senseis think that I am qualified to be a black belt and teach a class. Teaching is about how much you know, and how well you can share your knowledge with others. Not age. It is true that some people don't take kids seriously, but if the kid is a good teacher, they should be able to change that.

I have always been very tall and had a bigger build than most kids my age so I have really only ever trained in mixed or adult classes. With regards to adults not respecting or valueing the opinions of a junior, I have always felt that I was on very good terms with the adults at my club. I can joke with them and talk to them about things outside of Martial Arts and I feel that they do listen to my advice when they ask for it.

For example, I was in a class a couple of months ago which was entirely made up of adults. Since it was coming up to a grading, my instructor asked me and one of the senior blackbelts to come in and go around the class correcting technique. None of the adults ignored my suggestions and all seemed to try really hard to adjust their motions. In fact a few actually motione for me to come over and answer some of their questions about positioning and application.

I suppose it depends on the attitudes of the junior and senior in the club. I know that I can go and ask anyone in the club for help, whether it be on TKD or even my maths homework. I'd like to feel that they can do the same (well obviously not the homework part )

It's good that you have been able to establish that kind of bond with you peers. There are a lot of adults in my dojo who I can realate to like that, some of them are like friends and some are like parents or older siblings to me. The friendships you build with people in martial arts is amazing.

I have always been able to ask adults for help with my MA, and they go to me. Even other blackbelts who are in there 50s ask me for help sometimes. The other day my head Sensei asked me for help on a weapons kata (that made me feel good on the inside.)

The way it mostly works is everyone gives me respect and know they can come to me accept brown belts my age and brown belts who are older then me. (in my system there are three brown belts you recieve before black, so at this point they tend to be a little cocky)) Both groups are almost to black belt, and they think they are all that. The teenagers can't get past the fact that they are the same age as me so they give me attidude, and the adults see me as a kid befor a black belt. The black belts know what it means and what it takes to be a black belt and give me respect. And all the belts below brown are able to see me a Sensei because I know so much more then them and have helped most of them since they were beginers.

I teach kids age 8-13, and the other day in the middle of a class a brown belt kid refused to do the technique i told him to do. I gave him a few chances and he kept saying no, so finaly i said "Well you can do what i told you, or get on the floor and start doing push-ups right now, or I can go get Sensei and he can deal with you." The kid glared at me and started doing push-ups. And after that little display the teens have been giving me more respect.

With the adults who still give me attitude, I have given up. If they won't respect me, fine. My Sensei will not give them their black belts if they don't show respect for every other student, so I think that they will figure it out soon enough. I will continue to do my best to earn their respect, but if they won't give it, it's not my fault. I'll just go on doing what I am doing.

And to cross:

One thing i noticed through this topic is the level of maturity displayed in each post made by bbk2132

Thank you very much. And thank you for the advice in that post, i plan to take it.

[bbk2132]

There is also an aspect that some kids feel they can be friends with a teenager, it gives them someone to ask for help when they are scared to ask a grown up.

All I am saying is, I think, and my Senseis think that I am qualified to be a black belt and teach a class. Teaching is about how much you know, and how well you can share your knowledge with others. Not age. It is true that some people don't take kids seriously, but if the kid is a good teacher, they should be able to change that.

I have always been very tall and had a bigger build than most kids my age so I have really only ever trained in mixed or adult classes. With regards to adults not respecting or valueing the opinions of a junior, I have always felt that I was on very good terms with the adults at my club. I can joke with them and talk to them about things outside of Martial Arts and I feel that they do listen to my advice when they ask for it.

For example, I was in a class a couple of months ago which was entirely made up of adults. Since it was coming up to a grading, my instructor asked me and one of the senior blackbelts to come in and go around the class correcting technique. None of the adults ignored my suggestions and all seemed to try really hard to adjust their motions. In fact a few actually motione for me to come over and answer some of their questions about positioning and application.

I suppose it depends on the attitudes of the junior and senior in the club. I know that I can go and ask anyone in the club for help, whether it be on TKD or even my maths homework. I'd like to feel that they can do the same (well obviously not the homework part )

It's good that you have been able to establish that kind of bond with you peers. There are a lot of adults in my dojo who I can realate to like that, some of them are like friends and some are like parents or older siblings to me. The friendships you build with people in martial arts is amazing.

I have always been able to ask adults for help with my MA, and they go to me. Even other blackbelts who are in there 50s ask me for help sometimes. The other day my head Sensei asked me for help on a weapons kata (that made me feel good on the inside.)

The way it mostly works is everyone gives me respect and know they can come to me accept brown belts my age and brown belts who are older then me. (in my system there are three brown belts you recieve before black, so at this point they tend to be a little cocky)) Both groups are almost to black belt, and they think they are all that. The teenagers can't get past the fact that they are the same age as me so they give me attidude, and the adults see me as a kid befor a black belt. The black belts know what it means and what it takes to be a black belt and give me respect. And all the belts below brown are able to see me a Sensei because I know so much more then them and have helped most of them since they were beginers.

I teach kids age 8-13, and the other day in the middle of a class a brown belt kid refused to do the technique i told him to do. I gave him a few chances and he kept saying no, so finaly i said "Well you can do what i told you, or get on the floor and start doing push-ups right now, or I can go get Sensei and he can deal with you." The kid glared at me and started doing push-ups. And after that little display the teens have been giving me more respect.

With the adults who still give me attitude, I have given up. If they won't respect me, fine. My Sensei will not give them their black belts if they don't show respect for every other student, so I think that they will figure it out soon enough. I will continue to do my best to earn their respect, but if they won't give it, it's not my fault. I'll just go on doing what I am doing.

And to cross:

One thing i noticed through this topic is the level of maturity displayed in each post made by bbk2132

Thank you very much. And thank you for the advice in that post, i plan to take it.

[Jkoko]

I think the "JR" black belts in my dojo are harder to relate to than anyone Ive seen, I remember asking a JR blackbelt for help with my kata and he said:"ask te instructor when its during class time,leave me alone,your still a yellow belt",so I went to an older black belt (between 29 and 45) and he said:"show it to me,lets see where you know it up to" ,so I think the JRs are curt and care nothing more than the embroidery on their black belts and patches on their shoulders,while the more mature and older ones have more respect for the years and dedication it took them to reach their level of exellence,and have ALOT of respect for others,and the only black belt JRs that even tried to help me were 2 out of the 25 in the whole dojo! and female Jr blackbelts or any other senior ranked belt level (Brown or blue or red) tend to listen and help me more than the senior ranked students who are males,whys that? I guess I do look manly with 3 pounds shaved off,huh?