What kind of curriculum for white to first rank?

[Bushido-Ruach]

Hi Gang,

As some of you will remember, I am trying to get a school started in June, but I am having issues with the curriculum for the first rank (ages 8 and up). Someone I have shown it to says that I don't have enough from white to yellow, or from yellow stripe to orange. I cover basic stances, movement in stances, rolls and falls, balance drills, blocks, strikes, kicks, sticky hands drills, balance disruption skills and basic body mechanics from white - yellow - yellow stripe - orange (we have no kata). Altogether, that's 93 techniques in three ranks...does that sound like "not enough" to anyone?

Also, any idea's?!!!

Thanks!

[Rateh]

One thing to remember is that at white belt EVERYTHING is new and must be learned. This includes prodical in the school, often times names and counting in a different language, how to tie the belt, and just generally getting used to martial arts practice. Personally I think that many schools put far to much in between the rank of white belt the next rank up. Imho you should keep it simple, give them a chance to get used to the training, then gradually step up the requirements. Also I think at white belt is a good time to work on drills for balance, focus, control, etc.

[marie curie]

I think that it sounds like plenty, becasue in reality, they are not just learning drills and techniques, they are also learning how to move their body, how to pay attention to particular things, the terminology of everything, and how to not hurt someone in practice.

All of those bits coupled with your curriculum seems to be plenty to me

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

I agree with the general concensus here. Once you actually start teaching those classes with the multiple new 8 year olds in them i think you'll find that you have just enough to fill class with and still not get everything in so you can break the monotany. That sounds like a well rounded program. Now, just a curious question, what age do you plan on running this program til and how long in between each rank?

[Bushido-Ruach]

Now, just a curious question, what age do you plan on running this program til and how long in between each rank?

Depending upon how many student I have, from ages 8 - 12 and then from 13 on up....I'm all open for suggestions on this. My past instructor's pretty much had the same philosophy that has been drilled into me as far as ranking goes...you don't get rank until you are proficient in the techniques assigned for going to the next rank. If they can't perform all of the techniques (especially the basics) then they don't move forward in rank.

This will be especially true for the Aikido-type techniques, as they are pretty much all building blocks...you have to learn the footwork and body-mechanics before you can learn other aspects of techniques in order to understand how to correctly perform said techniques and make them work.

I don't want to frustrate the students in them not gaining rank for a long time, especially at first, so I have broken down the colored ranks into striped or degree ranks within ranks. This way they are still a "yellow belt" but the differring degrees gives them the feel of advancement, and therefore accomplishment.

Again, I'm all open for suggestions.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Now, just a curious question, what age do you plan on running this program til and how long in between each rank?

Depending upon how many student I have, from ages 8 - 12 and then from 13 on up....I'm all open for suggestions on this. My past instructor's pretty much had the same philosophy that has been drilled into me as far as ranking goes...you don't get rank until you are proficient in the techniques assigned for going to the next rank. If they can't perform all of the techniques (especially the basics) then they don't move forward in rank.

This will be especially true for the Aikido-type techniques, as they are pretty much all building blocks...you have to learn the footwork and body-mechanics before you can learn other aspects of techniques in order to understand how to correctly perform said techniques and make them work.

I don't want to frustrate the students in them not gaining rank for a long time, especially at first, so I have broken down the colored ranks into striped or degree ranks within ranks. This way they are still a "yellow belt" but the differring degrees gives them the feel of advancement, and therefore accomplishment.

Again, I'm all open for suggestions.

This all sounds very very good, and very well planned out. Breaking the ranks into stripes for kids is a great idea. We use it at one of my schools and it serves its purpose. It's just enough of a pat on the back for a kid to be satisfied, but at the same time you haven't loaded them with a learning load that will crush them. I hope that system works for you as it worked for us. Now im assuming that you are not taking students under the age of 8 by the way that you're speaking, no?(just curious)

In my opinion 13 is a typical but appropriate age split. It sounds like your 8-12 will be kind of like your "Tots" class and your 13-? will be your "Youth" class and then your adults and advanced ranks will be your "Advanced" class, am i correct by this?

[blackbelt]

In my school, our belt ranking is, as you said, based on the student's skill and proficency in technique, but we also use a point system. Each day a student comes, they get three points. And for each belt rank, we have a minimum number of points that is required to advance. This helps the students realize that they have time to work/practice/refine their techniques and it also keeps a good pace so students aren't being promoted too fast. But just because they may earn the minimum amount of required points, doesn't mean that they'll get advanced, it depends on their technique too.

In my class we also have a stripe system as well. For each rank we have a list of required techniques within several categories such as form, kicks, breaks, knowledge and defense. And whenever a student demonstrates understanding of all the techniques in one category, they'll recieve a stripe. This gives them the sense of accomplishment that is essential in keeping kids motivated and interested.

A possible idea for your "tots" class (6-9yrs) that we use in our school is that this is a seperate class just for young students untill they can join the youth class. In my school these kids work up in degree of white belt (I think we have like 8 degrees of white belt with the stripes running down the middle). They advance in rank by skill and good behavior. And then when they reach the age in which they can go to the youth class, then there next promotion gives them a yellow belt and they're now on the regular belt system. We also give them the choice to keep that stripe on all of their colored belts so they can display their achivements.

Maybe some of these suggestions will be useful

[unknownstyle]

plenty, we introduce all basics ay white, all i expect is for them to be able to perform it when i call it, no real correction. and in kata just to have everything in the right direction

[NievesOSK]

According to what's been passed down, in the old days, students were given a very small amount of material to begin their training with.

I.E.-Practicing Naihanchi (Shorin/Shuri Te traditions) or Sanchin (Uechi Ryu) for a long time along with some basic kicks, blocks and punching techniques were used to develop a student's basic understanding of the art they are training in.

What I have found from recent experience is that maintaining a small amount of katas with dynamic techniques and keeping the curriculum "basic" for the beginners would actually be better for their development than subjecting them to a large number of techniques. Will students get bored? Most certainly. That's where varying the drills using those basic techniques will take some of the "oh gawd, not gedan barai, choku-tsuki again!" blues away.

Thankfully my master instructor has allowed me to participate in the changes to improve our karate system. Pretty exciting times that allows us to remove unnecessary and redundant techniques/kata (i.e.-no need for Taikyoku Shodan, Nidan, & Sandan when Fukyugata Ich achieves the same results).

Osu