A good time to invite your friends to the Karate Center

Do you remember your first day of elementary school? Your parents dropped you off at the door and said goodbye, and then until two o’clock when they picked you up again, you were encouraged to exercise your independence through group activities and individual projects. The same principle stands here at the karate school: when parents drop off their kids at the door, the child becomes immediately responsible for tying his or her belt properly, getting their card, putting their shoes on the rack and sitting down to wait for class. Can you imagine what your first-grade class would have been like if your parents had gone to your classroom with you, put your lunchbox away and held your hand to take you to use the restroom? You still wouldn’t know how to tie your shoes. When a child enters the Junior program, we expect that they are able to handle the responsibility of getting ready for class by themselves.

It is understandable for parents to help their child with homework; at some point in the past, they too went through similar schooling. However, at the karate school, many parents have not had the same education. Sensei Kendra Smith states, “I find it counterproductive when a student is having difficulty with the same technique, and then they tell me that mom or dad has tried to help them with it at home. It’s great that parents are taking an interest, but correcting that problem is so much easier if the martial arts education remains between the Sensei and the student.” It is difficult to truly understand the meaning and function of martial arts techniques from second-hand information: watching a class from outside the dojo is never enough, so we encourage parents who want to be involved in their child’s training to become members and take classes themselves. This helps to prevent misconceptions and helps the instructors to better correct mistakes.

During class the instructor finds it very important to treat each student with the same level of respect. They each follow the same rules, have the same privileges, and are subject to the same disciplinary acts in case of poor judgment. We ask that parents try to follow the same set of rules that we are trying to teach your children. We understand that the weather is unfavorable at times, but if we allow parents to loiter inside, the office area becomes chaotic and unmanageable. We also need the privacy during class times to handle business issues. Therefore, we must insist that you drop your child off and pick them up outside. If you have an issue that you need to discuss, please find out from the person at the Front Desk what is the best way to handle it. This allows us to keep each student’s information confidential and helps the business run more smoothly which is for the benefit of everyone.

Just as you would make an appointment to discuss a child’s progress with their teacher at school, we ask that you exercise the same principle here. Make an appointment at the Front Desk, and the instructor will make time to speak with you. At times some instructors are on their way to teach another class and are interrupted leaving their class unsupervised. We are trying to remedy this and need your help. As far as issues of stripes and promotions, these questions should be directed to Sensei Mason. He then speaks directly with the other instructors and decides what course is best for each individual student. The students know not to ask for stripes and they trust that the Sensei will help their progress and encourage their personal growth.

In conclusion, we need the cooperation of the parents in order to have the program work properly. Please give us the courtesy and respect to do our job, and we will ensure that your child becomes the best martial artist they can be. Thank you.

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