Frequently Asked Questions
Most of the calls I get are from parents looking for a new activity for their children. They have all happily agreed that they know NOTHING about Martial Arts. This page will answer some of the most commonly asked questions. Martial Arts is supposed to teach, amongst other things, self discipline, self respect and self worth. A lot of "selfs" I hear you say. Well, yes. It is an individual activity, not a team sport although a good martial art school will incorporate the understanding of helping your fellow students and working together to achieve goals. Karate is traditional and is a great activity for kids. Some styles of martial arts focus on competition. Karate for Kids doesn't. Seeing if you can do better than you did last class is all the competition the kids need. Everyone is different. Children over the age of 5 are welcome at Karate for Kids although we will consider teaching children who are nearly 5. The best way to see if karate is the right choice for your child is to bring them along to watch a class and let them have a go. Karate for Kids have a unique grading system which is designed to be encouraging and motivating. Not all classes have a different coloured belt each term but basically all kids grade each term as long as they have attended most of the classes for that term. Sensei James and Sensei Caroline are encouraging and supportive, well aware that some children are shy and unsure of new activities. They take the childrens' karate experience seriously and try to make every class enjoyable. There are no hidden fees at Karate for Kids. New Students pay $250.00 for their first term. This fee includes public liability insurance, their class fees, their new karate pants and belt and their first grade. Thereafter students pay the general class fee. For a more detailed explanation please go to the Classes page. When a student requires the protective mitts they are available from Sensei Caroline at $20 per set. The principal Instructor is Sensei Caroline Manly. She has been teaching karate for many years and has run the Karate for Kids school in the North Shore since she began teaching in 1991. Her assistant Instructor is Sensei James Shin. James is also black belt and started assisting in 2010. Both of our instructors are black belt instructors, fully qualified and insured and both have had the Department of Education Working with Children check done. Uniform Karate students wear a traditional outfit called a Gi. Students at Karate for Kids wear white cotton gi pants, white tee shirt and their belt. Please don't wear multi coloured tee shirts or tee shirts with designs or writing. Students who wish to wear the full gi including jacket may do so - ask Sensei and she will order one for you. No shoes or socks are to be worn on the training floor. This includes parents and siblings. Hair If you have long hair please wear it tied back. This goes for boys as well as girls. Wearing a bandanna over your hair to keep it out of your eyes is permitted. Necklaces, watches, rings, ear-rings, religious insignia etc Please do not wear any jewellery to class. Take it off before you enter the dojo. Food and Water Protective Gear All students must bring their protective hand mitts to every class. If you are prone to forgetting them leave them at the dojo. Sensei has a special bag for them. If you forget them you will not be allowed to do randori (sparring) or kumite (attack/defence techniques). Bowing Students bow when entering and leaving the dojo.Students bow to their instructors and each other. This shows respect for everyone in the dojo, as well as the instructors and the traditions of the school. General Behaviour Punching and kicking other students, being silly or talking while the teacher is talking may result in you sitting out for the rest of class. Toilet breaks Make sure you go to the toilet BEFORE you join the class. It is very disruptive when students leave the dojo to visit the toilet while the class is in action. If you find you really have to go don't wait - tell your partner you are going to the toilet and bow out of the dojo. Health and safety rules If you are sick, please don't train. Nobody else wants your cold or flu. If you have an injury, tell the instructor so they know to keep an eye on you. If you have asthma please remember to bring your inhaler and don't hesitate to use it if you need to. Parents & families in the Dojo Parents are very welcome to stay and watch classes but from outside the training floor. Our dojo is too small to accommodate spectators but you can sit outside the main doors. The view is quite good and Sensei will provide you with a chair. The following rules apply to spectators:
Why is being a good sport important? Being a good sport is more important that winning a game or being the best at something. That's because Karate for Kids values your good attitude more than your skill. We do not play competitive games in Karate for Kids. It really isn't that important that a person can run faster than everyone else, or jump higher. It just means they can run fast or jump high. The focus is on bettering oneself and being a good sport. Gradings happen at the end of every term. In order to grade, students need to have attended most of the classes during the term. If a term is 10 weeks long the students need to come to at least 8 of those classes. They need know all of the techniques they are going to be tested on, be up to date with their fees and be able to come to class on the day of the grading. At Karate for Kids we don't charge extra for gradings and we don't charge extra for the belts awarded. Some schools charge more than $50 for every grade and a new belt will cost you $15. We Provide:
No, Karate for Kids does not have contracts with their students. The only paperwork you must sign is an enrollment form. This gives the Instructors information about your health (eg, do you suffer from asthma), email and phone numbers and explains some of the legal stuff like what it means to be a student of martial arts. Some schools ask you to sign a contract so you are committed to train with them for a period of time. If you decide you want to stop training with Karate for Kids we just ask that you advise us prior to the end of the term. This way your place can be offered to a new student . The best form of advertising is word of mouth and at Karate for Kids we like to thank our current students for passing on information about our great school to other children. We offer a referral Thank You and happily give you a $20 voucher if you send someone along who joins our classes. You can use the voucher as a discount on your fees or to pay for mitts or towards the cost of a focus pad. The only restriction is that the person you introduce to Karate for Kids joins and trains for the term. The voucher must be used during the term that your friend joins. |
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