I am EXHAUSTED

[pegkerr]

Full day of work, chauffeuring kids around (Delia's karate class, Fiona's book club meeting at the library), cooked a fast dinner, my own red belt class, and then an hour and a half of cleaning the dojo. There were 14,442 steps on my pedometer today.

Tuesdays are always tough.

Comments

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

Sleep well, hon.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

We must get together before you head off to your retreat so I can loan you the yoga book. Minicon? Kieran's for lunch?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Would Friday work for you? I'm broke until then, but Friday's payday.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Friday's just fine. 11:30ish is your lunch, right? I'll have to figure time to bus down to Kieran's.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Well, usually I go to lunch from 12:45 to 1:30, but I can be flexible. What works best for your bus schedule?

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Oh, 12:45 is fine, I was just mis-remembering your schedule. Buses run about every five minutes along there. I'll see you Friday!

[mangosong.livejournal.com]

I have some random questions about karate, and for lack of a better place to ask them, here they are: At what age did your girls start karate? What age would you recommend starting? And... what would you look for in a dojo? (We live in the Bay Area and I imagine there are dojos aplenty.)

Thank you! Answer at your leisure, no hurry here. (My oldest will be 5 next month, but I'm curious!)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Delia started at age seven, and Fiona at about nine, I believe. When a child should start really varies depending on the child. Some can pay attention and improve starting at age four or five, but others have trouble paying attention and staying disciplined for the length of a class period that young. Our head sensei didn't start until fourteen, and he always regrets starting so late, but it doesn't mean you can't succeed--he's a fourth degree now.

Here's the post I made when I asked the same questions you asked, and some of the answers that people gave us. You will note that we ended up disregarding some of the advice we were given: we were told "Don't go with a dojo that uses contracts," and we did because we liked our dojo so much. And our senseis were so terrific with kids. Look over those questions to ask in that post.

Going with a dojo that required a contract has given us heartburn over the years--at times, when Rob lost his job, for example, it seemed impossible. But they found ways to work with us, to make it possible: we worked off part of the tuition by cleaning the dojo and by me taking pictures of the belt tests and we've gotten a couple scholarships. They saw we were committed, and in turn they showed their commitment to us by putting their heads together with us and helping us to find a way to make it possible. The contract issue was never a problem with Fiona--she took to karate like a duck to water and never wanted to stop. It has been a bigger deal for Delia, who hesitated about continuing at a number of points. Even then, when she stopped, they simply transferred the contract to me so I could continue, and they had ways to suspend it for awhile if need be, and to opt out after a certain time.

The kids should adore the sensei but also be instantly obedient: you want a sensei who can completely control the class but without making the kids afraid of him or her.

I'll add, from my own experience, it's one of the best things we've ever done for our kids. They are amazing athletes now, so disciplined, and we have real peace of mind as they go into the teenage years regarding their personal safety.

I will also drop an email to one of our senseis who is on LJ (pazlazuli and ask her to drop by to add her thoughts.

[mangosong.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I think we're still several years away, then. My oldest takes dance (ballet/tap) and she likes it, but I'm personally rooting for a switch to karate in a few years. It seems like your kids have gotten so much from the experience, and I love the self-defense aspect. Kids are starting lessons younger and younger these days, and you never know if you'll be "behind" if you don't look into something at age 3!

Off to read the linked post you've mentioned above... thanks again. Looks like I have a couple of years to research dojos, too!

[pazlazuli.livejournal.com]

I viewed the responses that are linked to Peg's original questions and they are pretty thorough... I think it's great that you have time to research the schools in your area and encourage you to do so extensively.

One of the things you could at this stage is see which martial arts would be suitable for your children. There are many different styles and they all have their merit, but most people take to one over the other. The style that Peg and her children take is a form of American Tae Kwon Do, through the lineage of Jhoon Rhee and J. Pat Burleson. It is a mixture of traditional Tae Kwon Do (a Korean kicking art) and Japanese Karate (a punching art). This style blends well with prior dance and gymnastics training and is highly suitable for flexible students. Our School (National Karate) also emphasizes practical self-defense and teaches aspects of Jujitsu and Judo to round out the students abilities.

I would suggest that when you visit a school, you should ask regarding their lineage, how long they have been in business, how long have the instructors been teaching and if the instructors go through a training program to qualify them to teach (having a black belt does not necessarily make one a good instructor). In addition, observe the classes that your children will be participating in, not just the beginning classes, but the intermediate and advanced classes also. If you have an opportunity, watch a black belt class - they are the end product of the training after all. Most of all, observe the instructors and how they interact with the students and amongst themselves. They are the role models that your children will follow and their behavior in and out of the classroom will be observed and imprinted by the students that they teach.

I hope that the above helps you. Feel free to ask more questions regarding a particular style or school that you have in mind.

Thank you,
Pazlazuli