Kid's Programs

Dubuque Karate Club Mission Statement

To help build strong leaders at school, at work, and in the community following the traditional Tang Soo Do values of integrity, honor, and loyalty, and instilling family values in each of our students through the professionalism and caring of our instructors.

Kid's Class Schedule

New beginner classes start every 2 weeks.
  • Little Dragon beginner classes 4 to 7 years old, held Tuesday & Thursday 5:45 - 6:30
  • Karate Kids beginner classes 8 to 12 years old, held Tuesday & Thursday 6:30 - 7:15

Intermediate and Advanced classes are held on the following days and times:
  • Monday & Wednesday 4:15 - 5:00
  • Monday & Wednesday 5:00 - 5:45
  • Tuesday & Thursdays 4:15 - 5:00
  • Tuesday & Thursdays 5:00 - 5:45

Students are assigned to their class times and days by their head instructors.

Little Dragon Program

(A Special Program of the World Tang Soo Do Association)
A message from Grandmaster J.C. Shin

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the WORLD KARATE KIDS PROGRAM. Our Little Dragons Programs introduce children ages 4 through 7 to the positive influence of the martial arts by stressing self-discipline and positive values.

One of the best gifts you can provide for your children is the opportunity to possess the power of a successful life. What are the powers? Patience, Concentration, Humility, Self-Discipline, Self-Control, and a Strong Healthy Body with good Mental and Physical Coordination. Our Karate Kids Program is unique in the physical education area, as it is not merely a form of "self-defense." It is a Total Learning and Improvement activity. Children learning Tang Soo Do begin by practicing the basic skills, which are the foundation of this art. These skills improve and build coordination and balance.

We are professionals in this field and are dedicated to your child's development, growth and achievement. After a few months of training, each child should show dramatic changes, such as lower anxiety levels, and increased sense of responsibility, and heightened self-esteem. Most will also begin to show improvement in their school studies. Their training by one of our qualified instructors could be the priceless gift of starting your child off properly on their road to a happy, successful life.

I look forward to working with each child and their families as they begin their magical journey on the road of our Tang Soo Do Program. I proudly introduce you to this studio and our instructors, who are licensed and fully trained professionals for this specific program. We believe in, and value, the education and character of your child.

Sincerely,
Jae C. Shin
President & Grandmaster
Your Child's Success is OUR GOAL!

The Little Dragons and Karate Kids Programs: An Alternative to Sports

In years past, practice of the martial arts was limited to male adults. As the martial arts spread to countries outside of the Orient it has become acceptable for women and children to train. As we progress even further, we now see that accepting children as young as 4 years old is beneficial both physically and mentally as long as the program is geared towards their skill and comprehension levels.

Each year, the demand by parents for children to participate in sports is growing. Many parents are embracing the martial arts as an alternative to sports. In addition to toning the body, martial arts training also enhances the capabilities of the mind. Our dojangs (martial arts schools) are seeing younger and younger children enroll every day. The World Tang Soo Do Association has created the Little Dragons Program to assist these children in their growth.

Through our efforts to improve the quality of our programs here at the Dubuque Karate Club we have developed a program for our younger children, ages approximately 4 through 7 and 8 through 12, to assist them in their readiness for the formal training of older practitioners.

The benefits of a martial arts training program for children have been proven to contribute tremendously to a young child's positive character and many other areas of their lives.

It is our belief that the traditional values we instill and the standards of our program will improve the quality of your child's life.

What Can Children Learn in the Karate Kids Program?

This program is designed to develop a positive character in today's children by utilizing strict guidelines and a fun atmosphere at the same time.

RESPECT: One of the basic premises of the martial arts is respect. We first teach respect for themselves and all around them, then we teach technique.

SELF-DISCIPLINE: While we use the theory of an oriental warrior's disciplinary training, the instruction is geared more toward teaching children self-control as their minds and bodies mature.

COORDINATION: A child's physical and mental coordination will improve through our routine of technical training.

BEHAVIOR: The discipline and rules of conduct in our classes combined with bowing, answering "yes sir/ma'am," and other attitude requirements, help steer the child's behavior in a positive direction.

CONFIDENCE: Children discover self-value and pride through our training with the attitude of "I can do it."

PATIENCE: Many children have grown accustomed to instant gratification common in our hi-tech world. Our classes will help to bring out their inner calmness and endurance. As they experience achievement through the progression of our belt system, they will learn to pursue goals with an "always finish what you start" attitude.

CONCENTRATION: Developing powers of concentration through our training is assisted by our code of "all out effort" which must be performed by the child in every class. Children learn the three keys of concentration; focus mind, focus eyes, focus bodies. This is one of the most important benefits of our program. These powers of concentration are transferred into a child's academic performance.

RESPONSIBILITY: Children in our program learn that you must not only do the right thing, but you must do the right thing for the right reason. Personal responsibility means that our children must choose the correct path on their own and accept the consequences for incorrect actions.

COOPERATION: Group training with other children teaches the skill of teamwork. Teamwork skills are valuable for use throughout the course of life.

BETTER HEALTH: A formal training program helps to develop a child's physical being both inside and out. Better mental and physical health improves all other areas of a child's life, such as eating and sleeping habits.

GROW WITH A SENSE OF JUSTICE: By utilizing our warrior's honor codes, children will mature and grow with a sense of fairness. Our instructors will enforce the right way and wrong way throughout our lessons.

"Understanding How To Work With Young Children In Karate" by Janell Edwards

Children are special. We all know that, but knowing how to best work with young children in karate is a hard thing to understand. It's hard to know what to do, how to act, what to say, how to say it, etc. I'm learning something new each and every day I assist the kids, as I'm sure most of us are.

I've been assisting the Little Dragons and Karate Kids now for three or four years, I think. I've lost count (can you believe that?). But I remember my first day as an assistant in the 5:45pm kids class because it was a rather horrifying experience for me. Not having been raised with young children in the family and not having babysat, I was a bit frightened of this new experience I was to embark on. I basically hovered on the side or near the back of the dojang and just tried to keep my head on straight. I thought to myself, "I have NO idea what to do!" Where do I start? Was I supposed to focus on the kids that were misbehaving or the kids that were doing a great job? Was I to focus on teaching them karate or teaching them social skills? Was I to be a role model or a strict dictator? Was I supposed to be their friend or their enemy? The answer, of course, is all of the above.

How to accomplish these things is no easy task. However, the process one goes through in trying to learn and understand how kids learn---why they do what they do---is really what makes each of us a better karate assistant instructor and instructor.

I took an "Educational Psychology" class and a "Foundations of Education" class last Fall which taught me a number of things about how children learn. Both classes were extremely insightful. In fact, I was going to site research from my textbooks and quote articles written about the cognitive abilities of students, positive/negative reinforcement, social function and behavior, etc., but when I really thought about it, assisting in karate classes (yes, even the 5:45pm class) is all based on just being human and showing the students that you care about them and are passionate for their success, period. That's what I see it boiling down to. I don't think any research article can help prepare someone for that "aha!" moment when a student and instructor make a connection in karate-and in life.

Kids are AMAZING creatures. An assistant instructor or Instructor can be teaching a front snap kick, for instance, and without a moment's hesitation, a karate kid can blurt out about how their dog threw up on their shoes this morning. Wow! We can be telling the students to line up quickly and quietly yet some small being will be doing Darth Vader sword sparring with their little buddy in line behind them, even making the correct Star Wars noises! It's simply amazing. These small human beings are creative far beyond their years! If the instructor says to get into the kemajaci "horse-riding" stance, there's sure to be a student who starts bouncing up and down on their "horse" starting in on a cowboys and Indians scene, oblivious to anyone else. In order to harness this creative nature, we must all remember that each of us was once young, inquisitive, and full of energy just as these karate students are.

I believe that what the karate students do in class is never "wrong", though it may be "misdirected" or "misguided" attention and energy. It's not wrong to be creative but it's not following the directions of the instructor to be making loud noises when the class is supposed to be quiet. How to handle improper behavior has long been a question every adult has encountered, especially myself, with assisting in the 5:45 class. Each comment...each word that comes from our mouth makes a direct impact on the student, whether we realize it or not. Though we don't intend to do so, a harsh "Stop it!" or "Knock it off!" on top of an already bad day can put a small child spinning into an uncontrolled downward spiral of bad feelings, causing more improper behavior, or creating angry tears, or even creating a near tantrum.

Following are a few rules and tricks I've picked up through my (relatively few) years of assisting in the 5:45 kids class. These "rules" per se, also come from watching extremely wonderful and talented black belts in our ATKI club and how they interact with the children. Each day I assist in class I try to learn something new about what works with the kids and what doesn't work. I want to continually try to make the most positive impact I can make on the students at our club, and on anyone in life, really. The following are some key findings I have learned that may help all of us in understanding how to best interact with young, short-attention-span karate students:
  1. Don't tell, "show".

    You've heard that "actions speak louder than words" right? Well this is true.

    Learning comes from DOING and from IMITATING. Not from static rote listening or memorizing. Research shows that the most of us learn the least from lectures. To better sum it up Confucius said:

    "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." - Confucius.

    This also works in reverse-students should show the instructor what they know rather than instructors tell the student what they should know. For instance we should ask the student who isn't sitting properly something like "Show me how a good student sits in karate-Good job!" or for a student who's not paying attention "Show me how a Red Dragon student comes to attention-Excellent!" This is more effective than merely telling them over and over to put their feet together and put their hands at their sides. Having the students respond to us by showing us (just as we show them) involves an understanding and a connection-which does not happen by "telling." (If that were the case, each of us would have had spotless rooms while we were growing up, right!?)

  2. Don't correct the wrong behavior, but teach the right behavior.

    This goes along with the "positive/negative reinforcement" idea. Constantly correcting a child can be disheartening to both the student and the adult. Another way to look at it is to not walk around focusing on what students are doing wrong, but focus on what the students are doing right. Then, give advice on what they can do even better. Even if little Johnny is being very unruly for everyone in a five-mile radius, try to always say something positive first, such as "Wow, you have such great energy in those kicks! Now let me show you how you can kick even higher by doing this____and remember to do this____". Then hold out your hand, Johnny kicks it, and you've just reinforced a positive trait even when two seconds before you might have been tempted to harshly discipline Johnny for not listening. Finish the interaction off with a smile, a thumbs up or a high five and a "great job Johnny", and in those few seconds you might have changed Johnny's entire day. Maybe his week. Maybe even his year. That's the kind of impact we have on children. Especially if he's troubled at school or has poor support at home (as a lot of children do these days). You just never know the impact you can impart on a child by being positive and showing compassion to those who need it most.

  3. Don't overlook the "lost middle".

    It's easy to focus on the students who need the most help and the ones who are doing the best, but it's extremely important to remember that the "average" student needs to be praised and corrected as much as any other student. The "lost middle" usually doesn't receive much, or any, attention since they behave, do the minimum needed, and stay under the radar of the assistants. This phenomenon happens in schools as well and it's something to be aware of. We only tend to know the names of the worst students and the best students, (right?) but we should make a very concerted effort to know the names of the shy and middle-of-the-group- students as well. They are the most likely to fall through the cracks and not progress or get disheartened and drop out.

  4. Never look down on a karate student.

    Face it - our size alone is intimidating to a four, five, or six year old. Then when we puff out our chest and use an "I mean it" voice, it can simply be overwhelming to even the bravest of the brave student. Never use your size/voice/height/etc. to get a point across (unless absolutely necessary) because it could make the student shut down-or-start bawling, and then the entire class will stare at you in shear horror wondering why you made a little kid cry. Rather, try to seek creative ways to gain attention from a child, but always do it on his or her own level. Bend down. Look him/her in the eyes. Ask why they're doing what they're doing. Did they have a bad day? Did something happen? Are they feeling sick? Show your understanding yet enforce the rules they must follow. Explain it calmly. There are only a few instances where one must do the "THAT'S IT" voice and attitude. Used sparingly, students know when they have crossed the line.

  5. Differentiated learning styles.

    Each of us has a particular style of learning. Some of these styles include:

    a) Auditory learners = listening
    b) Visual learners = seeing
    c) Kinesthetic = tactile

    Remembering to use different ways to communicate is essential to capture the entire karate audience. Though something like 40% of us are visual learners, there are some people who learn best by listening. That's why we should use a combination of methods when teaching and assisting the kids. We say "ahup chugie", we show what it looks like by doing a front snap kick, and then we go around the room and let students actually kick your hand or a pad for a visual/tactile representation. Whether we realized it or not, doing all of these things is differentiated teaching to capture the attention of various learning styles.

    On this same note of learning styles, one of the most striking classes I've assisted was in a 5:45 class that Mrs. Trowbridge taught. We're all used to raising our voice to capture the attention of students. As the students get louder, the instructor has to get louder, and so on. To counteract this in an experiment, Mrs. Trowbridge decided to lead a class without speaking. Not the instructor nor assistants were to make a noise. The students were lined up, started stretching, and began class all without a single verbal command. It was truly amazing. They watched the blackbelt with big eyes and followed her moves exactly. They did what she did. It is what learning is all about, right!? It was a true testament of the will, but the results showed that we do not need to raise our voice, or worse, yell, to get a point across. The students learned to watch closely in order to know what to do next, and it was one of the most amazing classes I've been in, and I'm sure the students will agree.
In summary, knowing how to act and what to say to young karate students will always be a mystery to me, and perhaps to others out there who assist in class. But my point here today was to convey the importance of understanding when working with students. It is not our "job" to assist and help karate students, it's our "opportunity" to make someone else feel appreciated and important.

Look at each of these young students as the future of our club, and the future of America, and put into their heads what you'd like to get back out from them. Goodness, love, attitude, and always a spark of the creative and unknown. Whether we realize it or not, kids do listen, and they listen very closely to us. We are all in the position to be a role model for each and every one of the students, whether they are a behaved student or one who needs some assistance. Keep that in mind the next time you assist in class and are walking over to a student to help and correct them. Treat them as you would want to be treated, treat them with the utmost respect, and what we get back from the students will be far greater than we ever expected.
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