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    Joined: Aug 2007
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    Okay, I know Taekwondo is not an academic endeavor but it does offer great benefits for the body and mind and so I will throw my advocacy question in, in the hopes that your wisdom will guide me. I see this as an ancillary problem for PG kids!!!

    I am feeling very angry right now, exactly how I felt when we dealt with school issues prior to choosing to homeschool.
    My 5 year old son has been taking Taekwondo for a few months. My husband and I were really pleased that he took so much interest in this since we really believe in the philosophy of this martial art. The classes are age-based and there are children of up to 4 different belt colors in each class. My son, wanting to shoot as high as he could, made it a personal goal to work very hard, not only in class, but at home to master the highest level of skill that the class is teaching to. So even though he was only required to know half of a pattern, he learned the whole pattern. He practiced breaking boards until his hand was bruised, just to make sure he can do it in one try, everytime.

    His hard work paid off, and he quickly became the most proficient student in the class. Of course he is the youngest, too. Keep in mind, he didn't advance beyond what others in the class are being taught, he just rose to the highest level he was exposed to.

    Well, testing is coming up next week and we learned today, in spite of his strong skills, he must test in lock-step with his belt color, even though students will be testing and getting higher level belts with the same or less proficiency.

    Here is the dilemma. He absolutely loves Taekwondo and seems completely indifferent to what his dad and I perceive as a great injustice. Of course, he is not the one paying, either.
    We feel that we should talk to the owner and teacher (a really great guy) and tell him that we feel it is unfair to hold our son back when he is as skilled as the other children. Our concerns are that:
    a) he will slack off and take it easy since he is being given this out (a huge concern for us with school,too)
    b) the lesson that hard work really pays off will be lost, since he will have to wait two more months to test again
    c) that the next two months will be a total waste of time, in that he will be learning things he already knows, or, he will work hard to keep up with the higher belts, but not get recognized for it at all.

    Of course we should talk to the owner, but we suspect that he is not going to be supportive, since we think this has to do with dollars and cents more than common sense.

    Oh, wise women (and men) what say you???


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    Hi Zia,

    My dd started taking TKD when she was about 4 1/2. Just like your son, forms and techniques came easy for her. She tested for her next level belt almost immediately after joining and passed it with flying colors. By the age of seven she was the youngest advanced belt in the school.

    Her school had a three month rule. Kids (and adults) had to wait at least 3 months between tests (six months for advanced belts). I feel this waiting was actually good for her. It teaches patience and also lets them enjoy the steps they are taking towards their black belt.

    I actually felt that the school was moving her too fast. After all, even though mentally they can memorize all the curriculum, physically they will have limitations being so small and utimatelly sparring with older, bigger kids.

    TKD is about much more then belt colors. My DD learned about respect, patience and perseverance. If he has a good instructor he won't get bored or discouraged.

    Even now, when she is struggling with some new skill, I remind her of how long it took to get from white belt to her advanced belt. I use this lesson to show her that steps cannot be skipped and that practice is necessary to get better at any endevour. If he moves too fast, he will miss out on this.

    Just my opinion.

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    Zia's Mom,

    I am a first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I have been doing TKD for 14 years. I would be very surprised if you talk them into letting him test sooner or skip belt levels!

    I understand what you mean about the cost. Are you planning to have him continue until he achieves a black belt or just until he loses interest (I haven't lost interest yet smile )

    At my current dojang, there is a Demo Team. The strongest students (of all ages) are invited to join the demo team. This has the benefit of providing them with extra challenge and instruction and is great advertising for the school. If your school doesn't have a demo team, you could suggest that they start one...

    There is also a leadership class (by invitation only.) Strong students are invited to learn how to instruct others in TKD. This builds self-confidence in public speaking, too.

    Another option is to look at TKD competitions. This does not need to be sparring. Your son could compete at his age and belt level in forms. This is a way for him to get recognition for his efforts even if he doesn't get to take the belt test right away.

    I love martial arts! I'm glad your son is enjoying TKD smile

    Cathy



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    Thanks Bianc and Cathy,
    Really great information and points to consider. I am starting to calm down a bit from my initial reaction and looking at the big picture.

    I just felt so frustrated that the age issue was coming up again in something that I thought was very individualized and it hurt me to see him work so hard and to be let down. But as I mentioned earlier, he is not fazed in the least, so that says a lot. Maybe we will let it sit for a while and see how things progress.

    I do have a question though. Is it common for students with different level belts to train in the same class and on the same material? As someone not familiar with TKD, this part seems so strange to me. And if skipping belts is taboo, do most studios have a waiting period between testing?

    I do love the notion that he can be recognized for his accomplishment in other ways beside the belt. Our concern really is for the accomplishment recognition. For whatever reason the focus at this particular studio seems to be totally on belts and the next testing cycle. Maybe we will talk to his instructor and get his input in other ways to recognize his hard work. I see some children with stars but in the months our son has been going we have never seen a star awarded.

    Thanks again for sharing your stories.

    Last edited by Zia's Mom; 01/22/08 06:31 PM.
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    It is very common for studios to have several levels of belts training together. It allows the lower belts to learn from the higher belts and the higher belts practice some teaching.

    My daughter's school used stripes on belts to keep kids motivated (there were three different colors for form, technique and breaking), as each child mastered the different areas, a stripe was added to their belt. Once all three stripes were earned (and after the proper amount of time had passed) then you could test.

    By the way, a good studio will have waiting periods between testing, specially with kids as young as yours.

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    Originally Posted by Zia's Mom
    I do have a question though. Is it common for students with different level belts to train in the same class and on the same material? As someone not familiar with TKD, this part seems so strange to me. And if skipping belts is taboo, do most studios have a waiting period between testing?

    Our school allows students to progress to the next belt level if they meet certain minimum requirements. This usually includes things like attendance at the dojang, good grades at school (!), and a certain level of proficiency with the curriculum taught. The standards required usually depend on the individual's aptitude for TKD. Our dojang includes disabled kids who are allowed to progress through the belt levels. None of the students are considered to have "mastered" the curriculum, anyway. There is always something to be learned--techniques to be refined, performance to be polished in terms of rhythm, focus, power, etc. In that way, it is not really like learning a set of math facts.

    Our school has tip tests every week. You earn a piece of colored tape for your belt for the part of the curriculum that was taught that week. When you have collected 4 tips, you are eligible for testing. There is a belt test every month for those who are ready.

    I hope it helps to give you an idea of how our dojang does things.

    Cathy


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