Some Advice from a 7 Year Old

Gerry Seymour

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I'm starting to wonder if those who don't like to teach kids come from places that ran martial arts like an after-school program.
Not for me. Kids' classes were actual classes, though somewhat less rigorous than adult classes. My problem is that the way I like to teach, and what I like to focus on, isn't really suited for kids. Teenagers I love working with, but I could never really get into kids classes the same way. I was fine teaching them as part of my student teaching, and did pretty well at it. But that was just 2 classes a week, at a time when I was participatin in (training or teaching) 10-15 classes a week.
 

Gerry Seymour

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Does this assume 9mm?
It would be true of any reasonable handgun caliber. It takes shots in a limited number of locations to have a reliable 1-shot stop. Something like a knee would probably work with most reasonable guns - and certainly a good head shot - but you don't have time for that kind of precision. You'd have to go center-mass, and there are few locations there that have high probability of 1-shot stops.
 

Steve

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Thank you for that. I think we should all return to the topic at hand, or branch off/create a new thread if this is something that people wish to continue discussing.
I hope it was clear I was trying to be funny. It just tickled my funny bone that you, Gerry, and DD were the last few posters. What are the odds of that?
 

jks9199

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Folks,
Thread drift has hit in the last couple of pages. The original post was some direct input from a child about how to run a kids oriented class. Let's try to get back on topic, okay?
 

Oily Dragon

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Thank you for that. I think we should all return to the topic at hand, or branch off/create a new thread if this is something that people wish to continue discussing.
In retrospect, I meant no offense to anyone, I was just trying to figure out how we jumped from kids not wanting to do pushups to guns. I thought I had missed something.

I had to go back a few pages, sure enough, found out why. It was the story about the dude on the heavy bag with the bullet in his leg.

Gwai lo did warn us. "Astray" was the right word.
 

Oily Dragon

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Back to kids, I happened to come across one tonight that was wearing a gi and white belt with a yellow stripe. The kid was with Mom and chose to wear his actual uniform for Halloween, which I thought was old school and wholesome.

Asked the mom (she was cute, dressed like Miss Piggy), "oh hey, that's great, what rank is that".

"I don't #&@!in' know, my ex takes him to that $#!@".

Smiled, turned, and skipped away. Poor little guy.
 

Earl Weiss

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Back to kids, I happened to come across one tonight that was wearing a gi and white belt with a yellow stripe. The kid was with Mom and chose to wear his actual uniform for Halloween, which I thought was old school and wholesome.

Asked the mom (she was cute, dressed like Miss Piggy), "oh hey, that's great, what rank is that".

"I don't #&@!in' know, my ex takes him to that $#!@".

Smiled, turned, and skipped away. Poor little guy.
IMO Mom took easy way out - no effort in making that costume. When asked by Kids bout this I tell them the uniform is not a costume. While there are many definitions of "Costume >>
the clothes that are worn by someone (such as an actor) who is trying to look like a different person or thing
  • children in their Halloween costumes
  • a colorful clown costume<<<<<<<<<<<<

When an MA uniform is worn by someone who does that MA it reflects who / what they are or have achieved. So it is not to look like a different person or thing.
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

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Back to kids, I happened to come across one tonight that was wearing a gi and white belt with a yellow stripe. The kid was with Mom and chose to wear his actual uniform for Halloween, which I thought was old school and wholesome.

Asked the mom (she was cute, dressed like Miss Piggy), "oh hey, that's great, what rank is that".

"I don't #&@!in' know, my ex takes him to that $#!@".

Smiled, turned, and skipped away. Poor little guy.
Started off wholesome, suddenly changed
 

Hot Lunch

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Back to kids, I happened to come across one tonight that was wearing a gi and white belt with a yellow stripe. The kid was with Mom and chose to wear his actual uniform for Halloween, which I thought was old school and wholesome.

Asked the mom (she was cute, dressed like Miss Piggy), "oh hey, that's great, what rank is that".

"I don't #&@!in' know, my ex takes him to that $#!@".

Smiled, turned, and skipped away. Poor little guy.
At least you know why he's her ex.

I saw something similar yesterday. A TKD pullover dobok with no belt, but with a cape over it. I don't know what the kid was supposed to be, but seeing stuff like that is pretty cringe.
 

JowGaWolf

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At least you know why he's her ex.

I saw something similar yesterday. A TKD pullover dobok with no belt, but with a cape over it. I don't know what the kid was supposed to be, but seeing stuff like that is pretty cringe.
All I can say is target the marketing better. My last school targeted kids who were worried about being bullied or wanted to learn how to protect themselves. These kids were more serious about martial arts than the kids who were doing it because their parents said so or because they needed after school care.

In short the kids who had a need had a better focus. Those that didn't have a need where life the adults who only thought martial arts was just exercise.
 

Steve

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All I can say is target the marketing better. My last school targeted kids who were worried about being bullied or wanted to learn how to protect themselves. These kids were more serious about martial arts than the kids who were doing it because their parents said so or because they needed after school care.

In short the kids who had a need had a better focus. Those that didn't have a need where life the adults who only thought martial arts was just exercise.
This just reads a little weird to me. Do you mean they were marketing to parents who were worried about their kids being bullied? Something about a school marketing directly to kids seems off to me, practically and ethically.
 

Gerry Seymour

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This just reads a little weird to me. Do you mean they were marketing to parents who were worried about their kids being bullied? Something about a school marketing directly to kids seems off to me, practically and ethically.
I don't see an ethical issue with a school trying to appeal directly to the people they will be training, even if it's kids. Of course, the marketing approach can add an ethical issue, so perhaps that's what you were getting at?

I do see a practical issue, but the success of other types of marketing to kids suggests I may be wrong about that.
 
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Gwai Lo Dan

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In retrospect, I meant no offense to anyone, I was just trying to figure out how we jumped from kids not wanting to do pushups to guns. I thought I had missed something.

I had to go back a few pages, sure enough, found out why. It was the story about the dude on the heavy bag with the bullet in his leg.

Gwai lo did warn us. "Astray" was the right word.
Sometimes you take a little step off the path, and find yourself on an altogether different path!

Anyway, tying everything together, after working with kids a bit, I don't see TKD's biggest benefit as being the often touted "self-defence".

To me, it's gross motor skill development, particularly when kids are involved in other sports.

And to me means more kicking, punching, and movements in a coordinated fashion....with a smile, and which is fun.

My daughter liked training with me in the school, when I would lead her on coordination type exercises like kicking with one leg with a bit of a hop in the middle. "Awesome...there you go...you got it!"

That made her feel good.

Other instructors yelling of more pushups that are not physically possible, or physically manhandling her to move body parts,....that's no fun.
 

Hot Lunch

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I don't see an ethical issue with a school trying to appeal directly to the people they will be training, even if it's kids. Of course, the marketing approach can add an ethical issue, so perhaps that's what you were getting at?

I do see a practical issue, but the success of other types of marketing to kids suggests I may be wrong about that.
I never thought anything negative of this. Toy commercials on TV market to children, not the parents.

I know of at least two TKD dojangs in my area that have passenger vans that pick children up from local schools, and the vans themselves are huge billboards that the other children will see when school lets out for the day.
 
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