14 yr old in the Adult class?

kajukenbo dad · Orange Belt

They will wash-out on their own or get with it.....but it is case to case in the long run!!!!!!.......Good Luck
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Practice is the best of all instructors...

Gloi · Blue Belt

At our school teenagers are allowed to go in the adult class as well as the junior class when they reach 3rd kyu level in their training. They are expected to work as hard as the adults though and if they aren't up to it sent back to the junior class.

GrrrArg · Black Belt

We have an early class for kids and new starters, we generally take them up to the senior class at yellow belt when they have the basics and can spar. However some of the more promising white belts are advised to go up for the second class as it will be of more use to them.
We do have on boy about 12/13 in the second class who seems a little slow (not trying to be offensive its just a good descriptive word) with picking things up and with his reactions. He does try but he is easily distracted. He is also clumsy as an example he actually managed to swipe his own foot on friday, he landed on his face before anyone could catch him...

It sounds harsh but I think he should go into the first class where he won't be pushed as hard, unfortunately he trains with about five others who are ready for the second class.

Kyokushin · Orange Belt

Sounds like he needs extra help. Not a children's class. Here's a story I read on this matter. I thought it was very interesting.

Once there was a famous karate sensei in Japan whose training produced national champions. His classes were very demanding, until one day, a thin, sickly boy came and asked to be taught karate. After the boy was accepted into class, the other students saw that their sensei was paying more attention to the boy than anyone else. The boy was not very strong, nor was he coordinated, so the sensei would often leave one of his other students in charge of the class to take the boy aside for individual instruction. This was quite frustrating for the other students, especially those who expected to enter the national competitions and win. Who cared about just one boy, who wasn't very talented anyway, when national championships were at stake? So the top students of the school went to their sensei to demand that he devote more attention to them. To their surprise, their sensei said, "You are all very talented karate students. You will no doubt succeed no matter who your instructor is. Therefore, you may leave and study at another school. The boy of whom you speak, on the other hand, is not naturally skilled as you are. He truely needs my abilities as a teacher to guide him properly in training." When the students recognized their sensei's wisdom and generosity, they bowed their heads and begged his pardon. Afterward, they helped in training the boy, until he eventually grew to become a national champion himself.

Excerpt from "The Empty Hand" by Rui Umezawa

My point is if he is thrown into a children's class he will be babied and may never get that extra push he's going to need to become as good as everyone else. I've met plenty of uncoordinated people who were slow learners and age has nothing to do with this (unless your four years old

) Maybe you should try to help him instead of just thinking about how he's clumsy and slow. Anyway I'm not trying to be critical, it's just a thought

Osu!
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Sempai Emily
2nd Kyu-Brown Belt

---The true essence of the Martial Way can only be realized through experience. Knowing this, learn never to fear its demands.
--- Mas. Oyama ---

aznchic · Yellow Belt

i train with adults because adults and teenagers are together as one class in my club, duh

You know how theres a mix of teenagers and adults, if we were to do sparring or pair up my instructor would try and get teenagers to teenagers and adults to adults or atleast get someone about the same size as you... but some teenagers at my club are built and tall... so they dont have a prob working with adults in mah class
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16 Years-old
WTF Tae Kwon Do - Blue Belt

aes · Green Belt

I think the dojo I go to formally allows 14 yrs and older in the adult class. This rule gets bent a bit to make allowances for some families to train together etc, but is the general rule.

Since we have a good number of 14 to 16 year olds in our adult class, I find it a bit distracting. Many (not all) of my younger class mates don't take training as seriously as the adults do and perhaps could benefit from the stricter dicipline enforcement in the kids class as compared to the adult one.
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43 Years old
Blue Belt (7th Kyu) Shorin-ryu
Roberts Karate

Solo · Yellow Belt

Unfortunatly for an adult class I think that's a little young aswell. Although if the child has the mentality and maybe the physic to be accepted then, hey! Go for it! The youngest in my class was a 13 year old. Young in my opinion, he wasn't ready.
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"Freedom discovers man the moment he loses concern over what impression he is making or about to make."
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Ryu · Yellow Belt

Dae,

You got a problem with a 14 year old in the adult class? I am 14 and I am an instructor for the kids class, as well as one of the top ranking students in the ADULTs class of my dojang, so get over it.

_________________
Ryan "Ryu" Somers
Blue Belt - ITF Tae Kwon Do
2 Years - Basic Hapkido

Ryu · Yellow Belt

Oh and another thing,

My dojang officially lets 14 years old in as well, except I didn't go in when I turned 14, I did when I was 11, I asked my instructor and he let me. I was being distracted by the younger and older kids of the kids class and I wanted a more serious approach, with less kiddy games and more adult training. I did have the mentallity then.

I went into the adults calls a month after I joined, when I got my second belt, orange in ITF Tae Kwon Do. Yeah it was fast, and I wasn't ready, thats why I wanted to go to the adults class, I didn't want my next belt until I know I am ready as well as my instructors.

But once I went into the Adults class, I gained more knowledge of things, I was able to learn faster, I got the attention I needed and wanted (my adults class is very small). Everything was more focused and it was a twice as long of a class. That was three years ago, almost 4, 4 in November.

And I am a Blue Belt, halfway to my brown. (might be red because my school is going through some changes). I was ready for the Adults class, and I'll take anything my instructors throw at me.

_________________
Ryan "Ryu" Somers
Blue Belt - ITF Tae Kwon Do
2 Years - Basic Hapkido

GrrrArg · Black Belt

Good for you Ryu although you seem to be the exception to the rule, have any other people your age managed to do what you have done?

And by instructor for the kids I hope you mean assistant instructor and not full instructor because no 14 can be ready to teach on their own, im 18 and i'm not ready after five and a half years training..

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