andyjeffries
Senior Master
At our club the children only train once per week (most of them, a couple who have black belts for parents train twice or more) and they grade once per year (from 6 years old until about 14 years old).
I personally feel that is too long between tests and actually has a detrimental effect on their performance. If they tested more frequently (say every 6 months) you would have the "polishing up before a test" period for more of the year and it's during that period that we see the most improvement. When they can coast for 8 months then polish up, their level has hardly improved since the last time.
What does the group think? How frequently would/do you test children training once per week?
If longer than 6 months, do you expect the same (level of performance) from an 8 year old as a 14 year old as a 24 year old?
Personally, I feel if you grade children every 6 months it's often enough to keep them training hard and so they keep motivated. If they keep training until adulthood then their physical ability/skill will increase naturally with time spent in the dojang (and beyond 14 I'd say they should be training a minimum of twice per week).
Also, I think if they got their 1st Poom at 12/13 for example and stopped training, I don't think they'd consider themselves of instructor level when they got to 24 and thought about opening a school and consider their 1st Poom (or changed for a 1st Dan at 15) as relevant.
I understand poom grades are given more easily in Korea than in the rest of the world (so I'm assuming by extension that coloured belts are also), I wonder if it's a good idea to keep children motivated/wanting to do Taekwondo so they can grow within the art and as a person for longer rather than losing interest.
I personally feel that is too long between tests and actually has a detrimental effect on their performance. If they tested more frequently (say every 6 months) you would have the "polishing up before a test" period for more of the year and it's during that period that we see the most improvement. When they can coast for 8 months then polish up, their level has hardly improved since the last time.
What does the group think? How frequently would/do you test children training once per week?
If longer than 6 months, do you expect the same (level of performance) from an 8 year old as a 14 year old as a 24 year old?
Personally, I feel if you grade children every 6 months it's often enough to keep them training hard and so they keep motivated. If they keep training until adulthood then their physical ability/skill will increase naturally with time spent in the dojang (and beyond 14 I'd say they should be training a minimum of twice per week).
Also, I think if they got their 1st Poom at 12/13 for example and stopped training, I don't think they'd consider themselves of instructor level when they got to 24 and thought about opening a school and consider their 1st Poom (or changed for a 1st Dan at 15) as relevant.
I understand poom grades are given more easily in Korea than in the rest of the world (so I'm assuming by extension that coloured belts are also), I wonder if it's a good idea to keep children motivated/wanting to do Taekwondo so they can grow within the art and as a person for longer rather than losing interest.