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Let’s
think for just a minute about the graduation process for
tigers.
As teachers of children, we want our students
always to face an appropriate challenge, one not too
easy (which leads to boredom) and one not too hard
(which leads to frustration).
Our goal is to match the challenges of the
Songahm Taekwondo curriculum to the developmental level
of the child.
This developmental level is determined largely by
age.
When a child starts Songahm Taekwondo at age eight or
nine, the match is perfect for KARATE FOR KIDS.
These kids are already in school, they’re
already accustomed to a structured learning situation,
and they’re already begun learning to listen, focus,
and concentrate.
And they’ve already developing the agility and
balance to ride a bike, play tag, climb the monkey bars,
and other schoolyard games.
When
a child starts at age three or four, the match is also
perfect for our TINY TIGER PROGRAM.
These children have usually not yet experienced a
structured learning environment, so we give them one.
They do not have the ability to memorize, so we
don’t require it.
And their agility, coordination, and strength are
limited, so we have modified the whole curriculum to fit
their abilities.
But when a child starts at age three or four, we’ve
learned that we need to be very careful to match the
child’s growth in RANK with her growth in cognitive
and physical ability.
In other words, when a child moves from TINY
TIGERS to KARATE FOR KIDS, we need to make sure he is
ready for the new challenge which requires greater
concentration, increase physical and mental effort, and
more agility and balance.
The TINY TIGER rank system helps us reach this
balance by providing TWO levels of each color belt: the
first level is the belt and the second is the belt plus
animal symbol (patch and headband).
We also affect each tiger’s rate of progress by
how often they graduate.
For the first six months, especially in BASIC
classes, it is appropriate to advance every TWO months.
This period is considered an “introduction,”
and some do not continue.
But for the families who make the commitment to
Black Belt Training, we have a responsibility to look
closely at the big picture.
We must consider the pace of the journey so that
the goal can be reached.
When
a tiger becomes a yellow belt and is in BLACK BELT
TRAINING, you will notice that we slow them down,
especially the younger ones, to just ONE advancement
every FOUR months.
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This change to a slower pace helps
give tigers more time to develop:
- AGILITY and COORDINATION needed,
especially in K4K sparring.
- MENTAL FOCUS and EYE CONTACT
also required in K4K sparring, breaking, and forms.
- PHYSICAL STRENGTH that improves
BALANCE required in sparring and forms (how often do
you see tigers fall down?)
- MENTAL
FOCUS and CONCENTRATION required to memorize K4K
forms.
Without
this careful attention, we could have a tiger who begins
at age three become a blue belt at age five.
But FIVE is too young for most children to face
the challenges of the K4K curriculum.
This slower pace also provides a chance to develop the
attitude that it is the QUALITY OF THE JOURNEY, NOT THE
DESTINATION, that is most important in martial arts
training. Of
all the lessons to learn, this one is the most
important. While
it may be true that there is FOUR MONTHS between belts,
it is also true that in every class during that time
every tiger is building concentration, agility,
strength, and balance, and every tiger is also learning
respect, self-control, responsibility and courtesy
through the TINY TIGER VICTORY PATCH system and Babin
Bucks Rewards. This
unique blend of personal development and physical
training is the real distinctive quality of Songahm
Taekwondo.
We highly recommend that you also use this slower pace
to get involved in tournaments. Tiny Tiger
competition is specially designed to reinforce all the
lessons of the tiger program and to expose them to some
new challenges. With the way tournaments are
scheduled, (FOUR per year), it may be possible to plan
going to a tournament during the two month cycle in
which your tiger does not advance. This change of
pace will provide a motivational boost. Please
consult the bulletin boards, newsletter, and web sites (www.billbabin.com
& www.ataonline.com)
for the tournament schedule.
Thank you for your support of our program.
It is an honor to work with your children.
We appreciate your sharing them with us. |
