Class Size and Average Age

[cashwo]

I was curious on how big or small everyones classes usually are and the average age of people in the class. For example, so far I've been to about 4 classes and there are a few older students (30 and above, I'm 31) but so far there seems to be more in the 12-high school age range.

Another question I have is, Does anyone feel that any of these variables causes problems learning? For example. Do any older students have trouble learning a technique because there are too many smaller kids in class and vice versa. Do the kids have a problem learning a technique because there are older, taller and bigger people in class.

Or, does your dojang have 2 seperate class? If so what are the age ranges? Ours are 11 and younger and the adult/youth class is 12 and older.

Sorry if this has been posted before but I could find anything in the search.

 

[bushi jon]

Class size 6 kids Adults about 12 active the rest slugs

 

[cashwo]

...rest slugs

That was another thing I was wondering. Are there many "slugs"? I got partnered with a 13(?) year old one on Tuesday.

 

[TigerWoman]

My noon class is about 6-8 black belts and oddly enough two-three white/yellow belts. All adults now but occasionally we get a couple home-schooled teens who are advanced. So I really like our class-we usually get a black belt workout. In the summer, it is full of kids, who use it to make up for missed kid's classes. Not good.

All of our classes are called "family" classes, arrghhhh! It pretty much is making all the older/higher belts leave. Too many five year olds running around. Plus the classes are huge now with all white/yellow 20-25, with older, teens, college age, juniors and small kids, so forms are very difficult to find space for. Then we end up doing a slightly jazzed up white belt workout. So I stopped going to those also.

What is worse is trying to teach them all, as I have Thurs. nights. Its not easy. TW

 

[cashwo]

That's what I'm afraid of happening. I really love taking TKD and I don't want to stop taking the class (they teach Aikido which I am taking) but I'm afraid that all the chaos is a bit much for me. I still get a great work out and everything but I feel like I'm sitting in on a Younger Class instead of an Adult class and I'm afraid that this may hinder me from learning things properly.

 

[Aqua4ever]

Our classes are divided in to kids and adults, and then further divided into white to yellow belt and green to black belt. Some sparring classes and technique classes are combined. Most adult classes have 8-10 people in them, its a perfect number and you get a lot of great teaching.

 

[Zepp]

Our class is taught on a university campus, so it's rare that we get anyone under 18. (Sometimes we do though.) The youngest dan ranks we've ever had are about my age (early twenties). The beginning (white belts) class starts out at the beginning of each quarter with about 20-30 students, and usually dwindles to about 4 people near the ninth week. The intermediate/advanced class typically ranges anywhere from 25 of us, to maybe only a few of us if it's at one of those times when people's real lives get in the way.

 

[Raewyn]

We have about roughly about 25-30 people in our class at the moment. Our dojo is split into different nights. We have an adults beginner class, yellow belt class, and a senior class. Most of the people I train with at the moment range from about 16 up to about 22, and then there are the few of us from the ages of 26 and upwards, unfortunately not that many!!!

 

[Melissa426]

In the "kids" class, (7-8 pm) the attendance is between 25-30, but it includes several parents who are also learning TKD and prefer not to stay the next hour
for the "adult" class

In the Adult class (8-9 pm), the attendance is 12 - 15 including 3 or 4 high school kids and a few pee-wees who come to the later class with their parents.

NO slugs allowed, especially in the adult class. The instructor would come down hard. We also rotate sparring partners every few minutes, so if I do get stuck with a pee-wee, I consider it a opportunity to catch my breath. I don't care if the little pee-wees whack on me a few times, while I just kinda hop around and try to block and deflect their punches and kicks.

Peace,
Melissa

 

[cashwo]

These are some great posts. It's very interesting to see how other classes are and I am VERY happy to report that TKD last night went GREAT!!! I was very happy with class. They took the white belts down stairs (which I am) and we pulled out the standing punching bags and practiced on those as well as other things. I am definitely buying one of those for the house after Christmas.

I have to say though that I am very glad that I did not just start back at my old rank from 6 years ago when I had to stop. There is a lot that I remember but there is also a lot that I don't (especially forms). I did suprise myself with a jump back kick when I was trying to remember how to do a spinning back kick. I guess I'm just very excited because I was feeling a little down about class and last night was great.

 

[TigerWoman]

That's what I'm afraid of happening. I really love taking TKD and I don't want to stop taking the class (they teach Aikido which I am taking) but I'm afraid that all the chaos is a bit much for me. I still get a great work out and everything but I feel like I'm sitting in on a Younger Class instead of an Adult class and I'm afraid that this may hinder me from learning things properly.

I'm glad its working better. Its better for adults to work separately from kids. Happy training--great news on the jump back--it will all come back to you, just got to wake up that muscle memory!~ TW

 

[cashwo]

I'm glad its working better. Its better for adults to work separately from kids. Happy training--great news on the jump back--it will all come back to you, just got to wake up that muscle memory!~ TW

I agree. My muscle memory is doing a little better than I thought. Last night it felt like they where saying "HEY, I'm starting to remember some of what you are making me do!!!" hehehehehehe

 

[Faye]

We have open classes (usually yellow belt or above), and beginners class (white and yellow belts). And they are also separated into adults and kids. My adult classes varies depending on which class you take. On saturday, the majority of them are brown/black belts, about 10-12 people. Monday night, it's always a mix, from 14-40 y.olds. It doesn't really bother me having younger people there, except that Im very jealous that they made spin hook kick looks so easy!! lol.

 

[flyingsidekick]

Since we just start classes again the majority of the 22 or students in the class are white belts and one yellow. Adults and kids train together which isn't so bad now that everyone is starting to understand what our is expecting out of his students. Being one of 5 or so senior belts in the class we get a lot of practice with teaching the begining students.

Being able to teach is required at brown belt and up so its nice to be able to the practice now.

 

[karatekid1975]

Our classes are Tigers 4-7 year olds. Juniors 8 - 11 year olds. The adult class is 12 and up. But then the classes are split by rank (except the Tigers). The beginners class is white, orange, yellow belts. Inter. class is green to brown, then the senior class is red and black belts (there's a seperate BB class also for all ages).Red belts and above are required to help in beginner and inter. classes.

Someone mentioned "slugs" above. I really hate getting partnered with ones that are lazy (prolly there cause their parents make them go). It's mostly the younger ones (between the ages of 12 - and 16). And when I have to teach them their form ..... ggggrrrrrr. They don't even want to try. Trying to do kicking drills with them is the worse ..... "You kick too hard" or they won't hold the pad or shield right. Eeeekkkk .... now I sound like one of them (bi**hing) LOL

 

[cashwo]

I really hate getting partnered with ones that are lazy (prolly there cause their parents make them go). It's mostly the younger ones (between the ages of 12 - and 16). And when I have to teach them their form ..... ggggrrrrrr. They don't even want to try. Trying to do kicking drills with them is the worse ..... "You kick too hard" or they won't hold the pad or shield right. Eeeekkkk .... now I sound like one of them (bi**hing) LOL

Until last class I have been partnered with someone EXACTLY like you said, even the "You kick too hard" statement and not holding the pad or shield.

 

[Miles]

I used to have separate kids and adult classes but now I combine them since we only have about 20 active students. This has worked out well since it gives the adults a little break and causes the kids to have to work harder. The average age is probably skewed somewhat since most of the adults are parents of the kids. The average age for my adults is about 40. The average age for my kids is about 10.

As far as holding paddles/targets-that is a skill in itself and if someone is lazily holding the paddle/target, they'll get called for it. Same for hogu drills-if someone says their partner is kicking too hard, unless they are 5 yrs old (I have 2 in the class), they get no slack.

Miles

 

[cashwo]

When it's some one that is not my size I don't kick full force but we are talking about someone, that really didn't hold the pad that much and stood there fiddling with his uniform and making duck noises while the instrutors where not looking.

 

[rainbows]

I'm in a college TKD club, so average age of students is about 19/20ish. On average there's about 20-30 (up to 50 on Mondays, which is the beginner night) people in the 3 main classes of the week, and 10 in the smaller ones. There's a much larger number of white/yellow belts than any other grade. I'm actually the only black tag at the moment, but we have about 4 other red belts. Fairly even ratio of the other grades. We have about 4 black belt instructors at the moment, though I'll join them when I get my BB next year.

 

[Kamaria Annina]

We have have a beginners class, which has mostly white belts, and some yellow belts. There are about 30 students in that class, the ages are quite young... around 5 or so. Then in the class I help teach, the intermediate one, the kids are around 12 years old. There are maybe 20 studnets in that class. And in my class, which was more so, the "adult" class, pretty much turned in to a class full of red & black belts. There are 16 of us in that class, mostly adults, but there are about 5 teenagers.