Students at all Family Karate Schools have many goals they can set for themselves. We encourage setting and achieving goals to nurture character-building traits such as confidence, self-esteem, discipline, pride, motivation, respect, perseverance and the willpower needed to survive in today's world!!!

Promotions

Stripe System

Monthly Awards

Yearly Awards

Merit Badge Program

Black Belt

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Promotions

    We use a traditional Belt system - White, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Brown and Black. All students begin at White belt unless they have achieved Black belt rank with another martial arts style - they will wear a White belt for a period of at least one month which is an evaluation period.

    Students receive a FREE student manual which lists the requirements for all belt levels from White to Black. Students are scheduled for a grading when they have completed the requirements for their current level. Being promoted through the ranks is an incredible confidence booster!!!

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Stripe System

    Students receive stripes on their belts for attendance and for proficiency in the performance of their belt level Kata (pre-arranged set of moves against imaginary  opponents). This gives students more short term goals to strive for.

    Stripes denote rank within the particular belt colour. Being promoted from belt to belt can seem like an eternity (especially for children) and stripes are a great way to motivate students to keep training!!!

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Monthly Awards

 Student of the Month:   One student from each Family Karate School is named Student of the Month. They are presented with a certificate which is a testament to how hard they have been working. This not only increases self-confidence but gives the student a feeling of pride, a sense of accomplishment, and gives self-esteem a tremendous boost!!!

Perfect Attendance:   On the last class of each month students are recognized for perfect attendance. They are applauded by the whole class which is an incredible confidence booster - we stress the importance of attending class on a regular basis and this is our way of rewarding students for their perseverance!!

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Yearly Awards

    Student of the Year: Certificates are awarded at each Family Karate School for Student of the Year. This award is given to students who train consistently all year round, have an exceptional attitude in class,  and never give up on their goals.

    Best Attendance for the Year: This certificate is also awarded at each Family Karate School. Attendance is simply added up for the year and the student with the highest attendance record receives the award.

    F.K.S.A. Best Overall Attendance: This certificate is given to one student of the Family Karate Schools Association for best overall attendance from all schools.

    F.K.S.A. Appreciation Award: This award is given to students of the Family Karate Schools Association for outstanding contribution - also a certificate!!

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Merit Badge Program

    Apart from belt promotions, stripe promotions, and the monthly and yearly awards, all Family Karate School students are enrolled automatically in the Merit Badge Program.

    This involves 10 embroidered patches that are to be worn on the left arm of the GI  (Karate uniform). All badges are awarded twice per year - January and June. The first 5 badges are called the Power Series:

Perfect Attendance: You must attend every class for 4 months to achieve this badge.

Academic Achiever: This is for the student (children and adults) that shows exceptional progress and/or maintains good grades at school - for adults it could be a course at work.

Exceptional Progress: For the student who excels or for those who keep plugging away at it no matter what.

Spirit: For the student who kicks the hardest - punches the hardest - kiai's the loudest and always gives 110%.


Leadership: This badge is awarded to our Green, Blue and Brown belts for always volunteering their time in class to help out.


    The remaining 5 badges are called the Excellence Series which are in three levels - Beginner (White, Yellow, and Orange  belts), Intermediate (Green, Blue, and Brown belts), and Advanced (Black belts). These are awarded for excellence in Sparring, Kata, Fitness, Stances, and Kicking.

Black Belt

    This is the big one!!! Everyone has this long term goal. There is nothing magical about it - all it takes is a lot of hard work and perseverance. You must be a minimum 16 years old to obtain this rank although younger students may achieve the rank of Junior Black Belt (Black Belt with a White Stripe down the centre).

    Your training doesn't stop at Black belt. There is a manual called the 'Black Belt Syllabus' which outlines the requirements for advancement through the Black belt ranks.

    Students will have a lot of ups and downs along the way but if you keep training hard, you will get there - I guarantee it!!!!
 

Shihan Lou DeAdder


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Page updated May 8, 2010