Black Belt Kids should children receive Black Belts?
We don’t believe in Black Belt kids, but we do believe in building the Black Belt Kid mentality. We feel much like college and advanced learning a Black Belt is meant for a matured mind and body in the martial arts.
But despite our opinions Black Belt kids happen more and more every year. Some call them McDojo’s, giving kids (some under 14 years old) black belt level within a short period of time, all to get them to stay and parents to keep paying. Of course parents and children are led to believe that the martial art instructor and staff are uplifting their child a through earned achievement.
So where do you stand? Should your child become a Black Belt Kid? Or is your child already a Black Belt Kid?
With after school programs having children start as young as 5 and within a few years achieving a Black Belt something that use to be reserved for elite adults. Training over years and proving everything they had to learn against grow men. With more and more schools opening up and ranking children faster to keep them and the parents happy, where does it end.
Ranking is not about color, but capability
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, ranking for our school is hard to achieve, must be earned and is not about color. We believe ranking should be about skill and attitude built & achieved. It’s always nice to get a new belt, a symbol of achievement. Many years ago BLACK BELT was a Title held Like a Masters Degree. Now children are just given black belts. Can they stop an adult attacker? or a Larger Bully? -OR- Did they receive the promise of a Black Belt to keep you paying & them coming?
We talk to parents weekly who tell us that their child can’t protect themselves but the have or are about to achieve their Black Belt. So what is it worth then? What happens when that symbol is given out easily, it cheapen’s it.
PARENTS & CHILDREN Not realizing that the reason a Black Belt is revered is because of the skill, attitude, focus and determination it took to achieve. WE BELIEVE A BLACK BELT SHOULD BE A SYMBOL OF A LIFE CHANGE & ACCOMPLISHMENT. NOT A CHILD’S TOY TO WANT, AND YOU TO BUY YOUR WAY THROUGH.
Belt Colors & different Schools
We at SIFU OCH WING CHUN believe that lasting skill is taught daily, not because of a black belt promise. But the life skills taught and honed by teachers who give their all. Parents who don’t let their kids quit and students who do their best everyday. If your child wanted to quit Elementary School would you let them? Some kids want to quit whats hard, what they aren’t immediately good at. Will you let your child quit before they have truly achieved?
Our program here at Sifu Och Wing Chun doesn’t believes in having a child earn a black belt. We provide a clear way for children to make their way through our young children’s class and move smoothly into our teen and adult classes. A Black Belt or in our case since we train Wing Chun Kung Fu, a Black Sash is something that must not be taken lightly.
OUR MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOLS BELIEF
We don’t believe in Black Belt Kids, we don’t believe in handing out ranks.
We believe a Black Belt like a going to college, it needs a mature mind and body to achieve.
Instead of focusing on the belt rank, we focus on the life skills they are achieving and who they are becoming as an individual. Will they make good choices or bad choices in life? Will you hope they do or train them to do so? We believe these LIFE SKILLS are more important then the focus on a BLACK BELT. For us a BLACK BELT is a level of physical, mental, and emotional skill that as an adult we are mature enough to handle and gain the most from.
A child may be in the excelled learning program but it doesn’t mean they have the same understanding you do about the World now. A child’s mind and body, their experience in the World and what they could achieve is what we aim to develop. Uplifting them every step of the way. We believe you earn what you train and what you prove you know. Sifu Och Wing Chun builds a childs self esteem, skill, and personal determination. All of this can uplift a child without giving them the false understanding of black belt ranking.
Belt Rank signifies Growth and Understanding of Skill
In our classes belt ranking signifies what you understand and what we can now give you to build on what you have already trained and shown you understand. You may not have Mastered it yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t give you time and training to do so while teaching you more!
Black Belt Kids is a child seeking a new goal, not understanding its significance? If a child’s only goal in sit is getting that Black Belt then what is it worth if you get it easily? Our program builds a child up, their self defense skills, focus, and learning how to achieve in life. So they can transition through each phase in life, growing with our program in to the older kids classes, teen and adult programs.
Your Opinion on Black Belt Kids Ranking
If your reading this tell us how you motivate your children in your program. How do you rank a child who is 5 years old looking to achieve and keep them going until they are an adult?
How do you get them to focus on more than just a belt?
When do you believe its a good time to rank a person to Black Belt and why?
Do you have kids that are Black Belts, tell us if your opinion differs and why?
Train with us. Achieve with us. Win with us.
Master Sifu Justin Och
863.800.0171
SE USA World Ving Tsun Athletic Association Regional Director
5th Degree Wing Chun Black & Gold Sash
116 east pine st, lakeland florida 33801
Facebook – Http://facebook.com/sifuochwingchun
Website – https://www.sifuochwingchun.com
