14 yr old in the Adult class?

daeinwolf · Orange Belt

If most of your students are in the 25-45 range, with two exceptions(two 20 yr) would you allow a 14 yr old to take the adult class? And there is a children's class available.

This has recently happened at my dojo. It is painfully obvious that the child has a hard time with learning some of the techniques from various ryu, not to mention the size difference. I feel that his presence could be hindering to the class. What do you people think?

Sastimos--Joshua

PS--My art is Bujinkan.
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karate_woman · Pre-Black Belt

At what age would you allow the child to start adult classes? I believe I was 16 when I started into the adult classes myself (the youngest age that we could earn our black belts), but I could be smaller NOW, at 5'4" and 30 years old, than a 14 year old boy

My Sensei allows the teenagers to train in the adult class, but the ones he has allowed in have been with few exceptions, larger than I am, even the girls! I only get frustrated when they are LAZY

and obviously there to socialize and not train. THAT ticks me off at ANY age, though.

Is he having more difficulty than other new students, or is he just new AND 14? Our slowest learners haven't been teenagers - they've been middle-aged people that have failed to keep their minds and bodies active, but that's just my observation. If he is struggling too much the Sensei will likely send him back down to the kids class.
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ZR440 · Black Belt

We have a kid younger than that in our class and he's pretty good. His techniques aren't quite as sharp as they should be considering he's fairly advanced, but by no means does he distract or hinder the learning process for the rest of the class. I don't mind at all.
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G95champ · Black Belt

12 and down is generally the mark I use for kids classes. 12 is that magic number that Little League Baseball and stuff seems to like so it works for me. That is about 6th grade or so as well. Once a kid enters Middle School / Jr High he needs to be brought into the adult world. IMO the problem with a lot of kids is they are not forced to grow up anymore.

If the kid hangs in there in the long run he will be better off because he will be training with bigger, stronger, older people. I would not think he would be any slower than any new white belt in the class who was 20, 30, 40 something etc.

You don't always know the situation either maybe he can only make the adult class because he rides with someone in it? I will allow younger kids in my adult class if their mom or dad is training because then they can handle the discipline if it becomes a problem.

Back to your question no I don't think 14 is to young to be in an adult class.
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daeinwolf · Orange Belt

Yes, he is much slower than many of the beginners that we have. He does ride with his father who has just started as well, but they sit through the kids class, which is composed of 12-15 yrs) and just wait for the adult.

He is about 5 ft. even in height and has not shown the ability to pick up on the basic kamae.

Sastimos---Joshua
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Kyokushin · Orange Belt

I'd have to say it's more of a case by case basis. Usually I'd assume 12 yrs. and up could go into an adult class, but you never know. There's always going to be younger kids who are quick learners and well disciplined, and in their case a kids class might hinder their training. While I've also met a 13 yr. old who was just as immature as someone who's six! If the kid isn't distracting (i.e. Not bouncing around in the lines, etc.) I don't see why there's a problem. There are plenty of people who are slow learners and ultimately it's really up to your instructor.

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three60roundhouse · Pre-Black Belt

I'm with about 13 and up. I was 15.
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John G · Green Belt

A little bit off topic but in the same vein.

The other nite at training I asked two junior 1st degree black belts (one boy one girl who are both 11 y/o) similar questions.

Both these students started when they were six, and are the only remaining students from their initial class of 20 juniors. Both do exceptionally well a tournaments (especially in patterns) and both have to wait until they are 14 before they can go for their 2 Dans.

I told them that I would be dividing the class into 3 separate groups based upon age. I asked them "at what age they would consider students classified as peewees?" (those with an attention span of less that 30 minutes). They both agreed that any student under the age of 8 should be peewees.

Next I asked them "at what age would they consider juniors to be?" Anyone from 8 to 10 maybe 11 depending on the student was their answer. "So the rest could be classified as mature students?" I asked, yes was their reply

I then explained to them that I would be teaching the peewees things like stranger danger some fundamental blocks strikes basic patterns etc. and generally make the lesson fun. For the juniors, it would be more tournament orientated, coloured belt patterns, takedowns ,joint locks etc.

As for those mature students I will be teaching them full blown martial arts, how to kill or servery maim someone if their life is threatened and they had no other option.

"At what age do you think some one has the maturity to understand the consequences, to make those kinds of decisions, and not just use the techniques taught to kill someone at school, maybe by accident, maybe in a fit of rage, just because they got a bit upset with that person?" I asked.

They agreed that by the time they turned 14 - 15 they would have that maturity, however people who haven’t been training for as long as they have should be 16 or 18 before being taught those techniques.

Two wise young people I thought.
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CheekyMusician · Green Belt

Well I think its largely up to the kid and his father. I think your Sensei should have a word with the two of them and let them decide what the 14 year old would prefer.

I would say most 14 year olds should be mature enough to study in an adult's class, but if they are exceptionally immature for their age or have severe learning difficulties etc. then maybe it would be best for them to start in the kid's class and move up when they're ready.

I don't think his physical size would hold the class back at all. In fact, having various sizes of people in martial arts classes is a good thing. I'm very small (only about 5 foot), so I'm smaller than everyone in my karate club apart from the very young kids eg. under 11s. I had to spar with a very tall guy the other day (I'm bad at judging height, but he was about 6'5 or so, I would say), and he was finding it weird when he was sparring with me. He was finding he was sometimes misjudging his techniques because he was used to people roughly the same size as him and 'cause I was smaller it meant he was sometimes missing me and stuff. Now, if you were to be attacked one day, it could be by a massive 6'8 bear of a man or it could be by a tiny little person, best to practice with both and then you wont find any surprises if you ever do happen to be attacked by a little person.

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hobbitbob · Purple Belt

We train with the 12 and overs in the "adult classes" however, the minimum age for black belt is sixteen.
KW, I sympathize.. I'm five feet five and a whole half inches tall! I often try to work with the six footers because it is great training for me!

As for attention spans, I'm 36 and there are times when folks older than me seem to have the attention span of a gnat...what were we talking about....???
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