The Family That Trains Together...!!

[sensei8]

The family that trains together stays together, or says the saying. Many times we'll see a mom and a son/daughter training together, and we'll also see a dad and a daughter/son training together.

My questions for discussion are...

At the dojo/dojang/school that you train at right now, are any ENTIRE IMMEDIATE FAMILIES training together?

If so, what ranks are they currently at?

Have any entire immediate families reached the Dan level?

After they've all reached the Dan levels, did they remain or did they leave?

Let our discussion begin!

[Harkon72]

I'm a 3rd Kyu and my wife is an 8th Kyu in Shukokai Karate with Dragon Martial Arts.

[Canadian77]

Not quite there with the whole family, but we are getting close - - my young son and I both currently take karate, and my daughter is hoping to start in the summer. Now we just have to get my husband on board and we would all be in! We have a number of families that train together at our dojo, but not sure if any entire families train. I'll see what I can find out. But there are quite a number of one parent with one or all kids. There are enough family members that train together that we have a few family classes a week - - classes where family members can all train together despite belt level. They're great fun, my son loves them.

[CredoTe]

We have 2 full families and 1 all-siblings (all the kids but not parents) family as part of our dojo. At first, each family ranked together. But, after a few testing cycles and skill development differences, there is a rank or two separating each of them. The highest ranking student between all 3 families is a 6th kyu. All the families still train together with us, so we'll see how it goes in the future!

[wayneshin]

Yep. Mine. My wife and 3 kids (20,17, 14)all hold Dan grades. Between the 5 if us we have around 90 years of training.

I have many parents and children that train but only one other entire family with Dad 1st kyu 2 girls 2nd kyu and mom 6th kyu.

[ZenPilot]

My young son and I both train together. He started at age 6 and me at 46.

We have several Father/Son, Father/Daughter and one Mother/Daughter families that train in our dojo. One family of four with two sons and daughter all at Shodan level w/ dad at 1st kyu going for his Shodan.

[tallgeese]

No full families, but lots of partial sets. We don't have a mixed kids/ adults classes, but there are kids and parents both doing their things. For my part, I train and both my kiddos are in their respective age groups class.

[andym]

There is one slight issue around the concept of children and parents training together - the curriculum. Children and there parents can't be taught the same curriculum, there is a danger of compromising the art. Children can't or should not be taught various things : locking and choking methods : conditioning : contact sparring etc. For reasons of good sense, safety and long term health. But, to not teach these to the parent short changes them and compromises the effectiveness of the art.

[ZenPilot]

There is one slight issue around the concept of children and parents training together - the curriculum.

Of course the above examples are not always referring to the same classes. For my son and myself, the only class we are together in is a once per week mixed group kata class of varying age/rank. Otherwise he's in the kids classes and I'm in the separate adult classes.

[andym]

There is a problem with McDojo's teaching both adults and children in the same class, at the same time. This as lead to Karate being watered down, compromised. But the students within the McDojo don't realize this.