Anonymous wrote:I was an instructor (4th degree black belt in TKD, 3rd in Karate) at a very traditional school. After school programs just cannot offer the same type of program that a martial arts school can. He should not be a white belt for a year. At lower belt levels it's less about skill and more about commitment. I've never held a white belt back assuming he had been in class consistently for several months. I have held plenty of red belts back when they didn't know the material or weren't showing the dedication and respect required by our school. The expectation levels increase with rank.

You are right to look for a traditional school. You will be amazed by the difference!

I have posted before about our TKD experience and this seems to be true. I see a huge difference with how they treat my young child just starting out and how they treat my older child who is a red belt. The expectations are completely different. Both children would have become discouraged and likely quit if they were a white belt for a year. It is different when they are more advanced. My older child has been a red belt for about a year and is more motivated than ever to continue.

I am also concerned that you said they do not split the group up by belt color for instruction. This should be a warning sign. I am glad you are looking into other places. We are in NOVA or I would recommend ours. Good luck.

I don't agree with the previous post that said don't tell the instructor. Your child is very young and no instructor of young children should be so rigid that they can't help a child with ADHD reach their full potential. Martial Arts for young kids is about building confidence, being physically active, and learning to follow instruction. Its usually fluid and adaptable to some extent. Sometimes, just moving a kid to a different row in the classroom can help, or engaging with that child more often without calling attention to what the child is doing wrong helps. I've seen plenty of instructors do this successfully. If the instructor is worth anything, he will work with your child and help him be the best student he can be. If he ignores you and goes back to status quo, its time for a new school.

I was an instructor (4th degree black belt in TKD, 3rd in Karate) at a very traditional school. After school programs just cannot offer the same type of program that a martial arts school can. He should not be a white belt for a year. At lower belt levels it's less about skill and more about commitment. I've never held a white belt back assuming he had been in class consistently for several months. I have held plenty of red belts back when they didn't know the material or weren't showing the dedication and respect required by our school. The expectation levels increase with rank.

You are right to look for a traditional school. You will be amazed by the difference!

Op here. He loves karate but he is discouraged because he has been going for a year and has not been allowed to a single belt exam, so while all of the other kids in his class are getting new belts, he is not allowed to test. The kids all do the same things they are not split up based on belt color. I am going to look for another school.

Hi OP, I would do ju jitsu. My kid does TKD for the skill and discipline and jujitsu for the fun and high energy. BJJ really is great (especially at a young age) and there is definitely no standing around!

OP. Is your son discouraged? You say that he loves it. If he is not discouraged then please do not project.

I was not very good at ballet then squash and now am not very good at zumba... but liked it and did/do it irrespectively.

I did not grow up in the US so this may be why I find it irritating that sport is presented as something so competitive, that kids should do only what they are good at,....
most of them won't be athlete anyway.... the way I view it it is great of your son loves karate and does not care about the color of the belt

Second recommendation for kicks. They keep the classes moving, too.

We've been really happy at Kicks Karate. They test every 3-4 months up until brown belt. At brown belt, they have to pre-test and get their belts signed before testing. I've seen them pull kids aside at earlier belt levels and tell them to skip a test if they really weren't ready. The belt tests are a huge confidence boost and the instructors are great. They get little prizes for good reporting cards, talk a lot about positive behavior outside of karate, and have a lot of fun. It's been great for my kid with ADHD.

Any belt factory will do!

Op here. We are in Beall elementary area in Rockville, any suggestions for a good program would be welcomed.

OP, where are you located? My DS also was good at other sports but TKD is his true love and we eventually dropped the team sports so he could really focus on this. Posters can give you suggestions rather than your one day a week aftercare. Yours sounds very convenient but once a week isn't enough and they need more than one instructor helping teach the class.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. This is not an actual studio. They come to our school's aftercare. So this an after school run activity. He is in 2 other sports where he really thrives however he actually loves karate (he does not love the other two sports). The instructor is the only person who ever comes to teach at our school and I have a feeling that he has not been doing it for a long time. There is a lot of time spent on talking.

I've trained at lots of different schools and taught at a few of them. Once a week is not enough for kids. They need repetition and drilling to get a lot of the stuff to stick. I would say twice a week is a minimum if you actually want to see improvement in attention and behavior, not to mention skill. Also, seek out your local karate or taekwondo school, not just this aftercare stuff. Real schools usually have a head instructor for the class and a couple of high belts who will walk around and help wrangle the kids. It sounds like your son may need someone to stick near him at the beginning and keep him from spinning out of control.

Also, it is very common for parents to enroll children who need a little extra discipline and routine. Most schools offer a free introductory class, so check them out, talk to the instructors, and see who is receptive to a child like yours.

he's not that invested - he's only a white belt.

After school karate does not really count

a white belt for a whole year is very discouraging for any kid

do some private lessons - that will make a HUGE difference

Good luck!