In The Kids' Class...

Lupin1 · Black Belt

For those of you who don't know, I restarted karate AGAIN last week. Life keeps bringing me away. This is the fourth time I've restarted since I was eight and it's been two years since the last time I was at class. We have a very small, word of mouth adult program, and the lowest ranking person in it after me is a nidan. Everyone in the class has been doing it for 20 years or more. So it can be weird for them and me-- they're training at a much different level than I am-- working weapons and kata I've never done, really getting into the details and advanced bunkai and stuff, etc. It's awkward and I feel like they have to dumb down their training for me and I feel bad for whoever gets paired with me when we're working bunkai. So the head instructor suggested I go to the kids class (he actually phrased it so that it'll be mutually beneficial for me and the kids).

So I went to the kids' class tonight. It was a little awkward at first, but I think it'll be good. I'm 25, so I'm not middle-aged or anything and if the parents see me in there, most people think I'm like 14 anyway, although the kids in the class are all middle school and below. So I don't LOOK all that out of place-- just a little. It's also weird because the adults have a different syllabus than the kids, so with my green belt I'm like four kata ahead of the kid green belts in addition to having more power and precision. And then on top of that we sparred tonight, which I've never done before since it's a new addition to the curriculum. And of course I accidentally punched a 12-year-old girl in the forehead... So yeah...

So it's a bit of a weird arrangement, but I think it'll work out. I still plan on going to the adult class, so I'll just stay for the full two hours, which will allow me to get in more training time. The kids do things differently. It's more of a traditional martial arts class whereas the adult class is more of an informal practice time with the instructor stopping to show us stuff every so often (although from the stories our instructor tells, that's actually closer to the real "traditional" Isshinryu classes like Tatsuo Shimabuku did it). So I think the two classes will complement each other well. I do feel a little like I'm imposing in the kids class being an adult and all that, but the head instructor said it'll help for me to be able to show the kids things he can't (he's fighting cancer and has to sit in a chair most of the class), although I'm not sure how the instructor who's actually running the class feels about it, but he still thinks of me as the 8-year-old kid he knew when I started, and even still calls me "kid" and he thought I was still in high school for awhile after I graduated college, so I'm sure it won't be too weird for him. I guess we'll just see.

What do you guys think about the arrangement?

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

If the instructor thinks it will be best, then go with it for a while and see how you get on. If you are doing both classes, I think that will be pretty helpful for you.
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DWx · Black Belt

When life gives you lemons....

It might not be the best solution but at least you get some training

I think after a while the kids class might get better and actually you may end up learning more from it from the role as senior student of sorts. Just see how you get on.

To make up training time I used to do an hour in the kids class and then an hour in the adults class on a Saturday at my club. Weird at first but eventually the kids get used to it and you get used to it and everybody just gets on and trains.
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Lupin1 · Black Belt

I'm actually starting to really like the kids' class. The structure is completely different than the adult class. There's more variety and guidance and things like technique drilling and sparring that we never do in the adult class, which is very independent and kata-focused. And with going to the adult class right afterwards I'm feeling like I'm getting a very well-rounded workout.

And I got to help a little girl with her kata last night. The senior instructor was working with the green belts and the other instructor was working with the yellow belts and this poor blue belt had no one to work with her, so the head instructor told me to do seisan with her and I was able to help her with a few general things in it (luckily she had big problems. I wouldn't be able to fix small problems). Helping out made me feel a lot better about being there. For a little I felt like I was imposing on their class and taking attention away from them.

sensei8 · KF Sensei

I wholeheartedly concur with what Brian and Danielle have said. Great topic Lupin1.

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yamesu · Black Belt

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