Young Black Belts

[terryl965]

Also are there any thoughts as to who started teaching students as young as 4?


Well warm up the grill cause I'm about to be roasted here, All of my boys started to workout when they could walk, was they learning MA, no but they where learning valueable motor skills.

My father stated my brother and sister out as soon as we could walk as well.

I guess I'm a little different than most folks, I believe you can start them young and by the time the reach teenager they have a general ideal of what is expected of them in life as well on the matt.

 

[Andrew Green]

learning to play fight is a very natural instinct in young children, 4 is definately old enough to start learning to do so properly. However I don't think a traditional basics and kata class would work well for a 4 year old, but wrestling one-on-one with a parent? or in a very small group? They will have a great time and learn some very valuable motor skills.

 

[AceHBK]

Also are there any thoughts as to who started teaching students as young as 4?


Well warm up the grill cause I'm about to be roasted here, All of my boys started to workout when they could walk, was they learning MA, no but they where learning valueable motor skills.

My father stated my brother and sister out as soon as we could walk as well.

I guess I'm a little different than most folks, I believe you can start them young and by the time the reach teenager they have a general ideal of what is expected of them in life as well on the matt.

I can agree with Terry.

I think we all focus on age as a way to descriminate. Rest assured there are old BB's who can't teach nor show the "black belt spirit".

If you are an effective teacher and you have a young student who is eager to learn and able to digest what you teach them and apply it and be able to teach others as well why should they not get your respect as a BB? Shouldnt they be seen as a BB and not a 14 yr old BB? I don't hear people saying "oh he is a 40 year old BB"

I personally know Terry's kids and I would have no problem what so ever taking instructions from them. I am a big admirer of his oldest son who is extremely talented.

I think this issue speaks more of society. At 30 I find people having a problem with me being a manager especially if I have people under me who are 40 and 50. I am seen as "some punk kid" who shouldnt be telling them anything b/c I am young and couldnt possibly know anything.

If this should be judged then it should be judged on a individual basis.

 

[Kwan Jang]

I agree with Terry on this one. I began at six and have trained consistantly, other than down time for injuries/surgeries ever since (I'm 43). I have seen many kids who started VERY young and have grown to be great martial artists and exceptional people as teens and adults. It was a great base for them to grow from, it just requires an instructor who really knows how to teach someone that age that understands their needs developmentally and doesn't just treat them as little adults. BTW, there are some kids that can benefit from being trained this way, I came up this way (and had age restrictions toward bb), but I would have progressed more at that age if the training was age appropriate.

I do believe that the junior black belt is a good idea. This way young students are not held back from achieving what they are capable of. Though they may have a leadership role with their peers or younger students, they are NOT instructors and I don't believe in anyone being an instructor until (at least) 18 and I usually will not allow anyone under 21 teach an adults class (though they can assist). I think the greater issue is not if a child or teen has a rank, but whether or not they have the basics and fundamentals down sharp; IMO the real issue is if instructors and orgs. put a high enough standard and requirement on achieving the rank for adults, teens, or kids. I feel any rank is only useful if it is something that you have to push yourself past your limits to grow into.

As far as the argument of it not being traditional, my question is whose tradition? In WTF and KKW TKD, the rank of junior black belt has existed for decades. In Judo, (y'know the system that began started the kyu/dan rankings and that all other martial arts that use a belt system modelled) thet awarded 5th dan (and no junior rankings either) to Kimura at the age of 18 before virtually any of us on this board was born.

 

[MJS]

So, we start the child at 4. Andrew said that a traditional class wouldn't work too well. So, if thats the case, I'm assuming that some basic fundamentals such as coordination, balance, etc would be taught.

Now, in Terrys case, as well as a few others who started early, and/or who have their own kids that started at that age, what was taught? Was it basic fundamentals, actual rank material, etc? What are your views on someone who is 8 or 9 and has a first degree BB? What about someone who is 10 or 12 and is a 2nd?

Mike

 

[terryl965]

Mike I can only speak for me when I first started my boys we work on motor skills putting one foot in front of the other and stances and also basic kicking drills front kick snap kick, as they developed it went to standing sidekick whipping roundhouse and ax kicks. As well as basic target drills with the hands, around five we started basic Poomsae and believe me it was not trying to teach every movement and the mearning but just the movement memorization.

I can speak my youngest is 9 he is a first poom a junior BB so is my 10 year old. Zachary who is 13 going to be 14 in March and the one Ace and exile talk about is a second degree poom. Now he is where I differ from most Zachary is now old enough to transfer his poom to a Dan rank but good old Dad which is me say no, when the time is right I will re-test him for his first and second and then transfer his ranking though the KKW. This is completely out of the norm for all that I know they just transfer without any more test.

I figure he knows enough to be a poom, but in no way does he at this age understand enough to be a Dan BB, atleast not for me. He has talent and he understands alot but the matureity just is not there right now, some time he just acts like a 14 year old stupid.

I also know I talk alot about kids being a BB, but I always say the are only a poom which makes them a Junior in other orgs. Mike I hoope this helps you and some others understand where I came from.

My father motto was this at the age of 16 he was already in the military by the time he was 17 he was seeing action and by the time he was 24 he was teaching hand to hand and was a Master Drill Instructor, so our family believe if you push them they can learn but I'm not as much as my father was. Thank God and may he rest in peace.

 

[kingkong89]

i agree on some of your thread. there are too many young black belts out there that are not mature enough nor know the meaning of being a black belt. this demonstration the said belt did show that maybe he does not know the true meaning of the belt. as for an appropiate age, i would say at least 16 and that depends on their maturaty and again understanding the meaning of the belt.