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Old 07-10-2005, 09:21 AM   #1
joshpaul
Dojo: Jikishinkan, Brooklyn
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 1
United_States
Offline
Structuring Youth Aikido Programs

Hi, everybody:

For the past several years our dojo has maintained a fairly large youth program. We have approximately 30 students, and offered 5 classes per week: two for ages 6-10; two for ages 11-16; and one all-ages class.

Unfortunately, several of our instructors unexpectedly resigned recently. Our short-term solution was to cancel one class, and make all classes open to all ages. This is working, but only because attendance is typically low during the summer months. We are unsure how to restructure the program when the school year resumes and attendance increases.

We've researched the programs offered at other dojos for ideas, and see that many dojos offer youth classes for students aged 6 (some times younger) to 12, and that older students practice with the adults. This one option under consideration for our dojo, but not a particularly popular one. Instructors and students of all ages liked having pre-teen and teen classes.

We currently move teens into the adult program in a fairly arbitrary manner: we consider age, rank, and maturity, but there are no predefined criteria. We've had students as young as 13 practicing with the adults, and students as old as 17 practicing with the teens.

How do others out there structure their youth programs? At what age do your teenage students begin practicing with the adults? I'd greatly appreciate some comments and insights.

Thanks in advance.
Josh
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Old 07-10-2005, 10:02 AM   #2
aikigirl10
Dojo: Aikido of Ashland
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 395
United_States
Offline
Re: Structuring Youth Aikido Programs

Try having beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes
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Old 07-10-2005, 06:18 PM   #3
giriasis
Dojo: Sand Drift Aikikai, Cocoa Florida
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 823
United_States
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Re: Structuring Youth Aikido Programs

Currently my sensei has his program set up as open for ages 5-17. We have classes Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Monday and Wednesdays are primarily for newer and younger students. We try to group children of the same age and if possible similar rank together. Thursday is an advanced/ teen class. If a child is not a teen but reaches an advanced rank then they usually take the Thursday class. Saturday is a mixed class -- all ranks and all ages. But we still sort according to age then level. What helps is to have at least two other adults in addition to the instructor on the mat to help out -- especially with the younger ones.

As far as ranking goes we start the children out at 10th kyu (yellow belt) and they work their way up to 6th kyu (brown belt) once they pass their 5th kyu test they are permitted to join the adult class. About a year ago we had about 9 teens test for their 5th kyu, but they didn't seem to keen on joining the adults classes as they still were too intense for their taste and well training with someone their parents ages just isn't "cool". So sensei made the Thursday class more teen focused and encourages them to take the adults basics and beginner classes. If a younger child reaches their blue belt (8th kyu) sensei will start deciding to allow them to enter the teen/ advanced class. This decision is based on maturity level. He plans on adding an additional teens class as we have still maitained a large number of our teens and they are approaching their 4th kyu.

The way sensei has the program structured is that by the time a child in the kids program reaches their 5th kyu they have a solid grounding in the basics of aikido -- more so than most adults at a 5th kyu level, which is about 6 months of practice for an adult where some of these teens at 5th kyu have been training for 5-9 years some even more.

Anne Marie Giri
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