Teaching a school kickboxing club

[iolair]

Starting next week, I'm going to be running a kickboxing club at the school where I teach... the style is basically American Kickboxing, aimed at competing Semi-Contact rules.

 

I need to decide what to do about belt gradings... I am roughly brown-belt standard in kickboxing, but don't have a qualification (I'm quite happy that my level is sufficient to run the school club). I'm not currently member of any karate or kickboxing organisation.

 

As far as I see it, I have three options...

 

1) Don't award belt grades. However, kids like this kind of reward and the idea of belts to aim for is likely to motivate them.

 

2) Get an outside black belt holder in to examine them. Not a bad idea, except that I don't know anyone suitable in the area (I haven't looked into it in too much detail yet though).

 

3) Award my own belts (only up to a level or two below brown belt), knowing that the belts will have no validity at all outside the school.

 

What do you think?

[battousai16]

well, in your situation, i would present the options to the student and let them decide.

[monkeygirl]

Just because you aren't a black belt doesn't mean the belts you award have no validity. The validity comes from the skill...IMO, belts are just a representation of your progress, nothing more. If you're a good teacher and your students become skilled, I wouldn't see anything wrong with awarding them a belt. Now, if you were a YELLOW belt, I would think very, very differently on the situation. But you're a brown belt, and that's pretty much close enough.

 

However, I know others would disagree and say that you have to be a black belt or certified instructor before you can promote anyone.

[kempocos]

I would avoid belt gradings, Monkeygirl says " your pretty much close enough " However your are still not a "SENSEI". In all the styles I know of worth anything you need to be an adult (age 16 + at time of 1st dan test) 2nd Dan or above before that title . I say be honest set levels beginner , intermedite and advanced. It will matter until the first group is there awhile and new ones start, in the mean time find a place to either train you or test your students. Bill yourself as a trainer , train fighters but be honest so the first groups will respect you that is what will make or break your club. Good Luck

[iolair]

The reason I described myself as "roughly brown belt standard" is that the kickboxing I've done did not have any grades... However comparing myself against styles of kickboxing on the web that do have grades, I fit in around brown belt level. For the record, I am 30 years old and have 17 years experience of striking martial arts (and also have Qualified Teacher Status).

 

While for my own use I don't see much use for grades/belts, they're an important motivator for kids.

 

I've worked out a Junior syllabus, and intend to award "Junior Belts" (distinguished from Senior/Full belts by using belts with a white strip down the middle). Due to my own level, I intend to award belts only up to Junior Blue level (on the scale White , Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown). Hopefully by the time kids exceed this level, I will have suitably raied the level of my own kickboxing to "Black Belt" level and maybe found a club that awards belts to test me appropriately.

[monkeygirl]

Finding a kickboxing school where you can train is going to be very important for you. You'll need to keep your skills fresh, as well as learn new ones and keep improving your skills. Obviously, this will help you provide a better kickboxing education for your students.