JUNIOR BLACK BELT is an innovative and exciting new program concept.
JUNIOR BLACK BELT is a specialized program in Martial Arts for ages 8 to 15.
The program curriculum includes TaishinJitsu (Self Defense), Kumite
(Sparing), Kata (Forms), Weapons (ancient traditional forms with
sword, staff, nunchaku, etc), Musical and Creative Forms as well as
Synchronized Forms and Tournament competition.
JUNIOR BLACK BELT is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Martial Art of Internationally acclaimed TAISHINDOH and through this training concept is a means for youth to realistically enter the World of Martial Arts.
JUNIORBLACK BELT
TAISHINDOH & TAISHINJITSU
Dear Parent and prospective student.
The
following narrative about our Youth Karate program will add
a NEW and exciting dimension which has been several years in
re-development, and will start in the Winter 2006 Session. This
new and exciting activity is our Junior Black Belt Program which we
believe will be an exciting, innovative and creative leisure-time sport
activity for the Young Student.
Our
Junior Black Belt Program has the sanction and approval of World Class
Martial Arts Black Belt Organizations which are listed on our Web site
www.taishindohUSA.com As a Martial Arts Teacher of more
than forty years and having reached the highest levels of World Class
Martial Arts myself, I am extremely excited and proud to offer this
program again after more than a quarter of a Century!
Our
Junior Black Belt Program is not a “try it and if I like it” type of
program, rather, that has already been established by your child being
in our regular classes and having been in of one of our regular
scheduled Tournaments and has been promoted to at least Yellow
Belt. The Junior Black Belt Program starts with a step
above! It is a regular scheduled sport and athletic program
sponsored by the Recreation Department that is like no
other! While youth try other sport programs to get the
“best fit” so to speak, none has the awesome prestige, admiration and
mystique from youth, as the title of Black Belt!
Our
Junior Black Belt Program could be for everyone! Junior
Black Belt is a commitment to excellence! Junior Black Belt is a
commitment to learning to set goals, learning to plan and work the
plan, and to carry out the plan to its goal which is Junior Black
Belt! This is NOT just another leisure-time “try it”
activity for something kids can do in an hour or so, rather the Junior
Black Belt Program is a integral component of the World Class
Taishindoh and Kids Karate World programs.
(www.kidskarateworld.com)
More
often, parents seem to choose a multiple series of recreational
and leisure time activities during the week for their children
with a rationale that a child should be exposed to as many different
free time activities in order to provide for a more well rounded
experience, and that eventually, the child will choose the one he or
she likes best. My experience of more than forty years of
teaching a unique type of sports and athletics is that too many
activities can be counter productive!
With
all of the added educational responsibilities and academic challenges
required of children today, that after “home work” and “Faith
Instruction,” I believe that “free time” should be used
judiciously, and that recreational and sport and athletic activity
should be chosen wisely in order to create a more proper balance in
growth and development. In Junior Black Belt, I believe
that it is better for Children to learn to enjoy and thrive in one or
two “Free Time” activities, than it is to be exposed to many, and not
do well in any!
In
Junior Black Belt, students begin to learn at an early age to set goals
for themselves, and after having made a commitment to achieve a stated
goal, to learn to see it through! Students in our
Junior Black Belt program learn to prioritize their time, as they have
determined that this is a major aspect of setting and achieving goals
for themselves! Junior
Black Belt is NOT a VANITY program! We do not have a child’s
Black Belt in our program! Junior Black Belt training deals with
operative words called “TRAINING and EARNED!” Junior Black
Belt training involves learning to focus on task; developing
coordination, hand/eye abilities, dealing with frustration, dealing
with the “I can’t or I’m bored or tired” attitudes. Junior Black
Belt trains youth to THINK, to Learn how to Learn and to Learn when
they are Learning and to learn to enjoy and savor the moment as a
REWARD! Junior Black Belt teaches youth that there are REWARDS in
helping others, and improving upon themselves oftentimes without
expecting material rewards is a reward in itself, it is called
development of character! “No Ice Cream, Cookies and Milk, Happy Meals, or Game Boy’s, to occupy a Child’s time. No
superficial rewards for being quiet or behaving! Rewards in
Junior Black come through personal accomplishment brought about by
training, desire and effort!”
No
Balloons, nor “cutesy” and fancy head bands. No camouflaged
belts, and No “jumping through hoops” to impress Parents!
Junior Black Belt is a World Class Martial Arts discipline and training
regimen! The Adult Junior Black Belt instructors and volunteer
instructors have nearly 200 (collective) Years experience! We again
invite parents to view our Web sites, www.taishindohUSA.com and
www.kidskarateworld.com to review the qualifications of the Director
and support Black Belt personnel and philosophy of teaching youth, and
as one recent TV. automobile commercial states, “if you can find a
better deal, buy it!”
The
Junior Black Belt through Taishindoh International and Kids Karate
World is an EARNED Black Belt awarded after long and dedicated training
which includes learning to research Martial Arts History and writing a
report on selected topics.
The
average young person in our community is usually involved in a seasonal
type of scheduled sport through school, ie: Baseball, Basketball,
Swimming, etc. Some young people become active in two seasonal
recreational activities and then take time off! The “downside” of
these activities are they are Seasonal and the number of players are
limited, only so many can play! Not so in Karate! Not so in
our Junior Black Belt Program! Junior Black Belt training is only
limited by the students desire to achieve excellence, and to learn that
Karate training is not instant gratification, rather training is
“Learning to Learn” and enjoying the knowledge that one has achieved a
milestone through personal effort!
An
“up-side” of Junior Black Belt is that the Student learns to Train and
Work in the program while having fun, NOT PLAY! Playing can come
at another time, in another activity! In Junior Black Belt,
students choose this sport and athletic activity as their GOAL because
they have determined that Karate has more of a personal challenge! The
student has determined that by achieving the stated goal, that he or
she has earned the coveted Junior Black Black Belt and has
accomplished a very unique milestone that few other youth can or will,
and will carry the lessons learned throughout their
lifetime!
As
I have stated, Junior Black Belt is for everyone! We encourage
Parents to be involved with the student in this program! This is
not a typical Recreational type of activity! There are lessons to be
learned and parents can help their children by attendance,
encouragement and support! Junior Black Belt is a major Martial
Arts program as well as major sport and athletic undertaking.
Junior
Black Belt is a program for the student who has the potential to
achieve for him or herself, and desires to rise to a higher
aspiration. Black Belt is a major accomplishment at
any age, but for the young student, the accomplishment and lessons
learned in Junior Black Belt, are something that youth will carry
through a life-time, and lesson’s learned and friendships gained, will
be cherished for years to come.
The
Junior Black Belt Program is not to be confused with Adult level
training! There is an infinite amount more training and
skill level development involved. The Adult level can usually be
achieved by age 16, (but not guaranteed) and is normally two to three
years of additional training and competition beyond Junior Black Belt
to achieve and earn the coveted Shodan (Adult 1st Degree).
Students
involved in the Junior Black program can continue with training through
their school years and have every opportunity to graduate from High
School with more than an “Athletic or Varsity Letter, as they will have
earned a minimum of an Adult Second Degree Black Belt in Taishindoh
Karate which is recognized not only as a World Class Martial Art, and
recognized as a major training program in Self Defense by World Class
Law Enforcement Training programs, but may have qualified for the
Basic Teaching Certificate from Taishindoh International which can be
of more value in future endeavors than participation in normal
secondary level sports programs.
Time Table for Training toward Junior Black Belt!
(Example)
We
encourage Parents to think about this program narrative explaining
Junior Black Belt, and seriously consider if the demands and
requirements for the Junior Black Belt Program is a sport and athletic
activity, is a commitment which is right for your child and your
support. Junior
Black Belt is usually a Three Year program! Please be
advised that the Three Year program is not necessarily Three Callander
Years, but is mainly determined by the actual time in hours per week,
month, quarter, year, etc a student presents him or herself for
training. Taking time off at any time during a given year, is
taking time off from training! Junior Black Belt is a year around
program, it is not seasonal dependant!
Junior
Black Belt training can start at any new Recreation Department Session,
ie:, Winter-Spring, Summer, and Fall. Training in Junior
Black Belt leaves a lot of time for other individual and family
activities, and we encourage that. The Junior Black Belt
training program requires that youth train at least twice per week, and
approximately every third Thursday evening for Demonstration Team
practice and training!
COMPETITION! TOURNAMENTS!
International Event
Our
program sponsors two competitive events per year (Spring and Fall) and
are held at Orange High School, and are mandatory as part of training
. Our Tournament is an Invitational Tournament meaning that we
only invite other Karate Schools that we believe hold to the highest
standards of Traditional Martial Arts. International Teams from Canada
and England continue to be part of our program, as well as US teams
from Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
Competition
is a major component in Junior Black Belt training, as the student has
the opportunity to have his or her skills evaluated by impartial adult
Black Belt Judges from other Martial Art disciplines, and besides, what
would Black Belt be without demonstrating the “Learned Skills?”
Students
and parents must understand the importance of training. There is
no substitute for training! Junior Black Belt cannot be
accomplished by attending a one hour program once per week! Think
about that! Our Junior Black Belt program stands above all
others, and the reason is TRAINING and COMMITMENT
PARENTS
are a major reason why youth in the Junior Black Belt program will
succeed! Parents are the folks who help encourage, support and
provide the car pools to bring students to class! Parents are to
be commended and honored for their major contribution to the Junior
Black Belt program.
DEMONSTRATION TEAM!
Fun!
Fun! Fun! The Demonstration Team is made up of the Students in
the Junior Black Belt Program. The very special skills of creative and
Traditional Forms (Kata) as well as Self Defense techniques and many
other specialized forms are demonstrated by the Students at various
Public Showings. This is one of several venues where Students
“get to strut their stuff!” Several years ago, our Demonstration
Team was featured twice on National TV (ESPN) at local Professional
Sporting events. Starting in 2006, the Demo Team will be featured
at Public locations such as “Beachwood Mall during Holiday Seasons and
Orange Jubilee in May, as well as other local Community Events
throughout the Year.
The
Demonstration Team practices on the average of every third Thursday
(time to be announced), or as needed depending on the difficulty of the
program for Public Showing. We are indeed proud of our Demo
Team who are the Students involved in the Junior Black Belt Program as
they have found the time and have the desire to aspire to a higher
potential. However, all of this could not happen without the full
support and cooperation of Parents who also have committed themselves
to become part of the “Transportation Team” among other duties.
After all, what good is the finest skill development program, if you
can’t get to it? Parents are a major part of the working
relationship with Teachers toward the single purpose of encouraging and
helping the Student to stay on course.
Please
be advised that Demo Team does not only feature singe events, but is a
highly skilled TEAM effort! Each member is part of a huge “stage
Play” so to speak and each person has a part to play and arriving to
practice ON TIME is essential to make the program complete.
Therefor, one can see the importance of practice and attendance.
Demo Team is a commitment, and must be supported by Parents in order
for a child to achieve success.
TRAINING UNITS and CURRICULUM
There will be a special and Unique Gi (Uniform) to identify the Junior Black Belt program. Certain
other traditional equipment is required, ie. Staff, nunchaku, as well
as specialized clothing for special events, Ninja, Lion Dance, Hakima
First Year: First Year, Competition White Gi
Ukemi (Falling and Rolling technique) Stances Kata ( 3Forms) Self Defense (JuJitsu) Synchronized Forms (two or more performers) Traditional Forms (Nunchaku, Bo, staff, kama, etc) Kumite (Sparing) Training for Junior Ninja Team Training for “Lion Dance” Team Tournament Competition (Min: 2 @ Year) Demonstration Team Practice, approximately every third week or as needed for Public Demonstration Testing for Rank (color belt) Demonstration Team Patch (if earned to be worn on Gi) Black Belt Club Patch (for Gi)
Second Year: Competition Gi w/Taishindoh logo T-shirt w/ Taishindoh Black Belt and “Character and Honor” “Aspire to a higher potential”
Ukemi (Falling and Rolling) Stances Kata (3 Forms) to Blue Belt = 5 Heians + BSD Self Defense (Jujitsu) Synchronized Forms Traditional Forms (Nunchaku, Bo, Staff, Kama, etc) Kumite (Sparing single and multiple attacks) Training for Junior Ninja Team Training for “Lion Dance” Tournament Competition (Min: 2 @ Year) Demonstration Team Practice Developing Creative Personal Kata (Form) Begin to think about research and writing report for Third Year. Pre-test for Brown or Red Belt #1 Test for Junior Brown Belt # 1 (Brown with Black Stripe)
Third Year: Competition Gi W/Taishindoh logo T-Shirt with Logos.
Ukemi (Falling and Rolling) Various Waza JuJitsu Kata (4Forms) NSD, BO, etc, Creative, Synchronized Tournament Competition (Min: 2 @ Year) Competition Team Performing Creative Kata Performing Bo, Nunchaku, etc Performing all Kata Submit Research paper Performing Junior Ninja Team Performing “Lion Dance” (24 Month, average) Pre-test for Junior Black Belt #1 Final Test for Junior Black Belt # 1(Black with Brown Stripe) (30th Month, average) Pre-Test Junior Black Black Belt #2 (36th Month, average) Final Test Junior Black Belt #2 T-Shirt “I survived the Taishindoh Black Belt Test (year) “Champions for Life” Presentation Certificate of Rank
Nomination to weekend extravaganza in Pittsburgh, Pa. International Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet. Suggested attendance to this outstanding event is encouraged.
The progression of skill level attainment in Junior Black belt is as follows.
Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Brown/Purple, Brown/Black, Junior Black level 1, Junior Black Belt level2.
The
listed requirements for promotion to Junior Black Belt are minimum
requirements, and from time to time during Training, we may elect to
add an extra feature of training to the program which is designed to
enhance and develop additional skills.
For further information, call Ron Balas @ 216 691 9391
Fax: 216 382 5523