The Karate Kids Program is an extracurricular activity that takes place during the lunch recess in the elementary school’s gymnasium. The 40-minute class combines elements of fitness and character education with basic, non-contact martial arts movements.
Operating in 6 District School Boards
Our program has run in over 250 elementary schools across several school boards and runs in approximately 85 to 100 schools each year. To date we have over 48,000 students across the GTA participate in the program! The program is offered to students in grades 1 to 5 (grade range at a school depends on the Principal's decision).
The 40-minute, lunch hour recess class is a combination of three components:
1) Non-Contact Martial Arts: authentic movements originating from masters in Japan.
2) Fitness: games and drills that teach fitness techniques while developing fine motor skills and increase levels of strength and endurance.
3) Character Education: lessons in respect, responsibility, integrity, kindness, self-discipline and honesty. The program incorporates the individual initiatives of each School Board into the monthly lesson plans.
Unlike many other sports that may be intimidating for some children or revolve around competition, the Karate Kids Program is an activity where children can develop skills at their own pace!
THE SPECIALIZED CURRICULUM
In the Karate Kids classroom, learning martial arts is only one part of the overall experience!
We believe that for everything we “say we do,” such as developing confidence and respect, there should be a specific class plan and technique applied to ensure that desired outcome. We feel that the development of each child's self-confidence is an essential part of our program and therefore we have incorporated several forms of acknowledgment into the curriculum. This includes running a Leadership Team that each student has a turn on during the 12-class course. We conduct lessons on determination, mindfulness, goal setting, and respect in the class and award achievement belt stickers to keep students focused and motivated while they work towards their goal of earning a higher colour stripe for their belt!
One of our most important goals during each class is to make certain our students feel like they are being seen, heard, and acknowledged during the class for their efforts and attitude! When a student receives that individual attention and connection from an instructor that they admire, it helps to build their confidence!
PROGRAM FEE
Taking place one day per week during the lunch hour recess, this 11-12 class program delivers non-contact Martial Arts to children right in their own school gymnasium. The total fee is approximately $199.00 plus HST (varies depending on program length) and parents are given monthly payment options for convenience. The program fee includes a Karate Kids team T-shirt, a karate belt, and a graduation ceremony where students will be awarded with their next-level stripe for their belt.
OUR INSTRUCTORS AND OUR TEACHING METHOD
The Karate Kids Program is taught by responsible and professional instructors who make our specialized curriculum fun and engaging.
Extra Instructor Certification: All our instructors must undergo an extra certification process to teach the specialized Karate Kids curriculum.
UNIFORMS AND MATERIALS
The Karate Kids uniform is made up of a karate belt and a team t-shirt. Students are encouraged to wear their Karate Kids uniform each week to foster social belonging and teamwork in the class.
ACHIEVEMENT STICKERS FOR BELTS
Bonus achievement stickers for the students’ belts are awarded throughout the program based on the Character Education lessons and team efforts. These stripes are accumulated on the student's Karate belt until they are ready to earn their final stripe at the graduation. A total of 6 team effort stickers will be handed out during the program to all students for participation, plus students have a chance to earn up to 3 bonus stickers for individual efforts.
GRADUATION CELEBRATION
On the last day of class, a graduation ceremony is held at the school (or in some cases at a local Martial Arts Centre). Parents and family members are invited to attend so that they may be there to watch what their ‘Karate Kids’ have learned in class. This is also the time when the students are formally acknowledged for their hard work in class, sticking with a commitment, and reaching their goal! A coloured stripe will be presented to students at the ceremony for them to add to their belt.
EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE
As an extra service, a parent information booklet is emailed to all parents upon registration so they have complete program details and a full layout of what their children will be learning.
We also employ a designated Program Manager for each school to monitor the classes, inform parents about events (such as the graduation), and to notify parents immediately if their child has missed a class. This individual manager is also on hand for customer service calls or emails at all times during the week! This way parents have ONE Karate Kids representative to communicate with who is aware of all details and on goings of their child’s class.