Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Oct 28, 2024
All Classes
This week we had our special Halloween classes! The students were invited to wear their Halloween costumes and it was filled with all sorts of fun and games.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next Open Training is Saturday, November 9 from 10-12noon.
Fall Break takes place November 11-15. There will be no formal classes during this week but there is still always Kung Fu!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Oct 21, 2024
All Classes
This week we had our annual Break-a-thon!!! Every year we use this event for a couple different reasons. Firstly, breaking boards is a really great way to get immediate feedback on our skill and technique and is an incredible way to build confidence. We were so proud of all of our students and were really pleased with how this years event went! Secondly, we use this event as a means to raise awareness and to fundraise for our three main charities, SCARS, Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Center and Healing Hands. A huge thank-you to everyone that took part!!
Special Announcements for All Classes
October 29 and 30 will be our Halloween classes. All students are invited to wear their Halloween costumes!!
There are no classes on Halloween Day, Thursday, October 31.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Oct 14, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
This week in Lil’ Leopards we had an opportunity to meet and learn about some of our lions. At Silent River Kung Fu we continue to practice many of the traditional tenets of Kung Fu, one of the most prevalent being Lion Dancing. Not only are Lion Dances fun to watch and participate in, but it is also an integral part of our regular training.
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers this week we worked hard on improving our Horse Stance. The Horse Stance is one of our main stances that we use to practice our kicks, punches, and forms and is one of the best tools we have to build strength and endurance in our legs.
Young Dragons Level 1 & 2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we worked on our Vocabulary of Motion curriculum. Vocabulary of Motion is how we take single techniques (words) and put them together into a coherent sequence (sentences). It’s one thing to master a punch, or a kick, or a block one rep at a time. It’s another to be able to put these techniques together in a way that makes sense for an applicable situation. By practicing our techniques in sequence, we can learn to move, react, and adapt in a more efficient way.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next Open Training is Saturday, October 19 from 10am-12noon.
Our Break-a-thon is fast approaching! The Tiny Tigers and Young Dragons will be doing their board breaks on Tuesday, October 22 and the Lil Leopards will be doing theirs on Wednesday, October 23. Parents/Guardians are invited to come into the Kwoon on those days to watch!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Oct 7, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
This week in Lil’ Leopards we were challenged with bean bag relay races that tested both our listening and cardio. We also focused on our 5 animals of Kung Fu postures and the 3 Rules of Concentration. Ask your child to show you the 5 animals!
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers this week we focused on some Dragon Dancing. Dragon Dancing is a team effort that requires perfect timing and incredible attention to detail. The students were challenged with maneuvering individually through various obstacles while also staying together as a dragon.
Young Dragons Level 1 & 2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we had a special opportunity to work with Sihing Lindstrom. Being our resident grappling expert, Sihing Lindstrom covered a wide range of grappling skills with the students. Ideally, we never want to be taken to the ground in an altercation, but if we are, we want to have the skills to be able to still defend ourselves, with the main goal of getting back to our feet as quickly as possible. Ask your child if they remember what the set of techniques that we worked on was called. (Answer: Takedown Situation)
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next Open Training is Saturday, October 19 from 10am-12noon.
Our Break-a-thon is fast approaching! The Tiny Tigers and Young Dragons will be doing their board breaks on Tuesday, October 22 and the Lil Leopards will be doing theirs on Wednesday, October 23. Parents/Guardians are invited to come into the Kwoon on those days to watch!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Sep 30, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
This week in Lil’ Leopards we did an obstacle course that incorporated some board breaking drills. Board breaking is something that we can use to test how well we are performing our techniques. With proper technique, that board WILL break!
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers this week we focused on perfecting our kicks and punches by running relays to the bags. We were further challenged to hit the bags so hard that a bean bag sitting on top would fall off!! We are proud to say we were successful!
Young Dragons Level 1 & 2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we worked on our Lion Dancing and for the first time we did a Lion Dance obstacle course! The students were challenged with navigating through various obstacles while both animating the lion AND carrying their “lettuce” without dropping it! This drill was a hit and I’ve promised to do it again soon.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The Break-a-thon is fast approaching! Check out the website for more info.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Sep 23, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
This week in Lil’ Leopards we played with our parachute and worked on many things. Listening to and following instructions, team work and hand/eye coordination to name a few. These are all valuable skills that will support us even beyond our Kung Fu.
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers this week we focused some of our time on Dragon Dancing. Dragon Dancing takes alot of skill and helps us develop things like hand/eye coordination, timing, reflex, stamina and team work. In a traditional Dragon Dance there are 9 dancers working together to make the dragon come to life.
Young Dragons Level 1
In our Young Dragon Level 1 class this past week we learned a new technique with our stick called the Helicopter. As the name suggests, this involves spinning the stick over our heads. This is a very complicated and advanced technique, but the students did a fantastic job with it! If they would like to practice at home, but need a refresher, login in to your Memberspace account and access the livestream videos. You will find a helicopter demo in video #38.
Young Dragon Level 2
In Young Dragons Level 2 we spent the week developing our Broadsword. As we progressed, we were able to find many similarities between the Broadsword, and our base weapon, the stick. Two completely different weapons, yet very similar when we look closely.
Special Announcements for All Classes
There will be no classes on Monday, September 30 in recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Day.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Sep 16, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
Last week in Lil’ Leopards we worked on a variety of skills at different stations. Kicks, balancing and bean bag tossing were some of the main ones. The students did an amazing job!
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers last week we carried on with our Dynamic Control curriculum using bean bags. In partners, the students were challenged with getting as many bean bags through a hoop as possible. One student would toss, and the other would try to “catch” it with the hoop. This was a great drill to work on both hand-eye coordination as well as teamwork.
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this past week we worked on various stick skills and techniques. Not only will these skills will be transferrable to other weapons as the students advance, but by learning how to use a weapon, we also learn how to defend ourselves against one.
Special Announcements for All Classes
There will be no classes on Monday, September 30 in recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Day.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Sep 9, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
Last week in Lil’ Leopards we had some fun with pool noodle sword fighting!!! It may look like alot of chaos (and it is!) but it’s also a great activity to work on some really important skills like self control, eye for detail, reaction time and even empathy.
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers last week we spent some time working on our Shoto form. This Shoto form is a weapon form that was developed specifically for the Tiny Tigers level. It is a sequence of simple techniques, using a small short sword (wooden and safe!) where we can start to develop our dynamic control. It also incorporates counting to 10 in Mandarin, which acts as both a sound focus and a cue to help us remember the moves.
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this past week we learned a new kick call “Stiff Swinging Kick to Spine”. This kick is a super fun one to learn because, although there are still technical aspects to it, a huge factor in being successful is just going for it…which the younger students love. In fact, the more you fall, the better you seem to get!
Special Announcements for All Classes
There will be no classes on Monday, September 30 in recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Day. In show of support, we would like to invite all students to wear an orange shirt on Wednesday, September 25 or Thursday September 26.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Sep 2, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
Last week in Lil’ Leopards we worked on a variety of skills with an obstacle course! Breakfalls, blocks, agility, speed and endurance were all included as the students navigated through all kinds of fun obstacles. At this level, obstacle courses are a great way to keep the students engaged while also getting lots of practice in.
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers last week we played a “giant-sized” game of Tic-Tac-Toe that challenged us in many ways. Speed, hand/eye coordination, attention to detail and even problem solving! The students had a blast with it. It’s always fun to mix in these types of games to incorporate the fun and silliness that kids need in order to learn.
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this past week we worked on our jumping skills. Through a variety of jumping challenge (Squat jumps, Frog jumps, Thrust Jumps, Knee Jumps, etc) we challenged the students to get as high as possible. Not only do these drills increase our leg strength, which will translate to more power, but they are directly related to our success with flying kicks.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next Open Training takes place this Saturday, September 14 from 10am-12noon.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Aug 12, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
Last week in Lil’ Leopards we worked on our Dynamic Control. By utilizing scarves, we were challenged to throw and catch, while also moving and staying in control. These types of drills are integral to developing the skills needed to eventually wield weapons.
Tiny Tigers
In the Tiny Tigers classes last week we focused on our kicks and punches. These types of basics are so important to our Kung Fu and are the basis upon which our combinations and forms are built. By running relays to the heavy bags we were able to get lots of practice in while also having alot of fun!
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this past week we continued to work with our lions. There are 2 dancers in a lion and it takes a tremendous amount of teamwork and collaboration to bring the lion to life. We challenged the students with various drills that tested their ability to synchronize between the head and the tail. What makes this extra challenging is the inability to talk to or see each other while in the lion but the students remained super focused and did an amazing job.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Back to School Week takes place Aug 26-30, 2024. There will be no formal classes this week.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of Aug 5, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
Last week in Lil’ Leopards we challenged the students with an obstacle course! Obstacle courses are an exciting way to incorporate several drills all into one, while also keeping the students constantly moving. Breakfalls, blocks, kicks and crane stance were a few of the techniques that were included, along with the class favourite, the balance beam!
Tiny Tigers
In the Tiny Tigers classes last week we focused on reaction time and accuracy. The students were challenged to react as quickly as they could by striking moving targets and blocking incoming strikes. We also worked a little bit on our dragon dancing!
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this past week we worked on bringing our lions to life. The most successful lion dancers are those that are able to capture the imagination of the audience and make them forget there are people inside. In order to do this, the lion needs to be doing regular “life-like” things that are recognizable to the audience. Conveying happiness, sadness or excitement are some of the things we practiced, along with recognizable behaviors like yawning and sneezing.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Back to School Week takes place Aug 26-30, 2024. There will be no formal classes this week.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of July 29, 2024
Lil’ Leopards & Tiny Tigers
In both the Lil’ Leopards and Tiny Tigers classes last week we worked on our Keystone Principles. The Keystone Principles are the basic techniques that provide the building blocks for our Kung Fu, and include our stances, kicks, strikes and blocks. We challenged the students with a variety of these as they worked their way through different stations.
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this past week we worked on our reaction time. Our ability to react quickly is integral to success with many things as a martial artist, including how quickly we can react to a threat. This week we played a new game that challenged our reaction time, as well as provided alot of laughs.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next open training is this Saturday, August 10 from 10am-12noon.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of July 22, 2024
Lil’ Leopards & Tiny Tigers
In both Lil’ Leopards and Tiny Tigers last week we got to do an obstacle course! An obstacle course is a great way for us to incorporate various different drills all into one. There is a sense of competition and urgency that creates excitement and energy, but also various stopping points that challenge them to apply their Kung Fu skills.
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this past week we challenged the students, in teams, to come up with a team combination. A combination is a sequence of techniques linked together in a way that makes sense and flows. They were also given some specific requirements in that their sequence needed to include at least 1 strike, 1 block and 1 kick. Building a strong combination is not an easy task. It becomes harder in a team because you now have to factor in everyone’s skills and opinions. The students did amazingly well and we were so pleased with some of the insights that they discovered during this activity.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next open training is Saturday, August 10 from 10am-12noon.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of July 15, 2024
Lil’ Leopards & Tiny Tigers
In both Lil’ Leopards and Tiny Tigers last week we got to do some pool noodle sword fighting! The majority of drills and activities that we do in class are very structured. However, pool noodle sword fighting gives us the opportunity to apply some of the things we are learning in a very organic and free-style way. The student are challenged to develop their eye for detail and reaction time by reading their opponents’ movements and blocking and countering effectively.
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this past week we found ourselves with an amazing opportunity to work 1-on-1 with an instructor on our Stick form. Working 1-on-1 can be incredibly beneficial as the lessons will be specifically geared to the individual student. Unfortunately this is a rare occurrence in a typical class setting, which is why we also offer the weekly Zoom 1-on-1s to all students. Students that regularly utilize the 1-on-1s are able to improve and progress at an incredible rate. Visit the website’s Student section to book.
Special Announcements for All Classes
No announcements at this time.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of July 8, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
In Lil’ Leopards last week we did something a little different and read the book “Big Bear Hug” - by Nicholas Oldland. This story explores themes around environmental sustainability and anger management. Our goal isn’t only to build physically adept martial artists, but also well balanced, confident, empathetic human beings that will go on to accomplish great things in the community and the world beyond.
Tiny Tigers
Last week in Tiny Tigers we worked on a couple of basics, our horse stance and our front thrust punch. These two things are keystone principles that we learn very early in our training and that we continue to perfect as Black Belts and beyond. If we want to be good martial artists, we better have a good punch!
What is the favourite drink of a Kung Fu martial artist?…….Punch 😂
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this past week we learned a new defensive application against a haymaker! We have many different defensive techniques meant for various different attacks. Grabs, chokes, haymakers, weapons…to name a few. All of the defense applications we learn are very versatile and can be altered in the moment depending on the specific situation. Our goal is to teach our students a wide variety of applications, so that if the need ever arises, they can respond without hesitation.
Special Announcements for All Classes
No announcements at this time.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of June 17, 2024
Lil’ Leopards and Tiny Tigers
This week in both Lil’ Leopards and Tiny Tigers we worked on our animal poses and had some animal races. Although it is always fun and entertaining to mimic animals in play, there is a much more important underlying lesson in these types of activities. Many different techniques in Kung Fu are based on the movements of animals. Our 5 main animals of Kung Fu are the crane, leopard, snake, tiger and dragon. Animals, unlike humans of today, react to situations quickly and with confidence. They don’t spend time second guessing and their bodies do what is needed to support their intent. This is a lesson that we will learn over and over through to our black belt and beyond.
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this week we focused on our Dynamic Control curriculum. For Young Dragons Level 1 that meant working with our Stick and for Level 2 that meant learning more about the Broadsword. Dynamic Control is a very important part of our training. Not only does a weapon give us an advantage over an opponent, but alternatively, learning how to use a weapon also teaches us how to defend against it.
Special Announcements for All Classes
No announcements at this time.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of June 10, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
This week in Lil’ Leopards we did an obstacle course. As we worked our way through, we encountered several different stations where we had to kick or punch through small hoops with extreme accuracy or risk the hoop flying!
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers this week we were given many challenges using bean bags. Things like throwing and catching with one hand, tossing the bean bag back and forth between two hands and even tossing the bean bag up and trying to catch it with our foot! Not only were these drills lots of fun and filled with laughter, but they also teach us much about hand/eye coordination and dynamic control, both very important things that we will need once we start utilizing weapons in our training. We also got to play a game of “Horse and Snake”!
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this week, in teams of 2 we were challenged with doing as many reps of a particular technique as we could in only 20 seconds, while still maintaining our technique. We were also tasked with counting our reps and then reporting them afterwards. It was pretty cool to see that in only 4 minutes total time, the 2 classes completed over 3300 reps of these techniques!! Well done everyone!
We also had a special a warmup leader this week in Young Dragons 2; Todai Blake Carlson! He did a fantastic job getting everyone warm…and sweaty!
Special Announcements for All Classes
There are special announcements at this time.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of June 3, 2024
Lil’ Leopards
This week in Lil’ Leopards we got to hone our skills on one of our instructors! It was a good thing he was geared up because our kicks and punches are getting pretty awesome!
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers this week we got to play with our parachute. The parachute provides opportunities for developing many skills; team work, hand-eye coordination and dynamic control to name a few. On top of that, we always incorporate specific techniques like kicks, punches, pushups, etc using our special Kung Fu dice! Ask your children what items we were able to toss right up to the ceiling working as a team with the parachute!
Young Dragons
In our Young Dragon’s classes this week our main focus was on what we call “Vocabulary of Motion”. When we work on various techniques, repetition is a key component for improvement. So we will do 20 reps of a kick, or a punch, or a block…with the intent on improving that specific technique. But when it comes to a more real-life application, we also need to be able to string together several techniques with both flow and purpose….creating a sentence…rather than just individual words. Ask your child is they remember the first 8 techniques in the sequence that we practiced!
Special Announcements for All Classes
There are special announcements at this time.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of May 20
All Classes
A huge congratulations to all students that participated in this past Saturday’s Tiger Challenge Tournament. Not only does the Tiger Challenge motivate us to work hard in a physical capacity, but it also challenges us to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. It is not easy to speak in front of a panel of judges. It is not easy to put your skills on display and be scored and ranked. It takes a tremendous amount of courage and every single student should be very proud of what they accomplished.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The Farmer’s Day Parade will take place on Saturday June 1. SRKF will be entering a float and all students are welcome to join! Please note that children 12 and under need to be accompanied by a parent.
Our next open training is Saturday June 8 from 10am-noon.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of May 13
All Classes
This past week we continued working on various aspects of Kung Fu geared towards the upcoming Tiger Challenge. The Tiger Challenge is a great way to generate motivation and momentum in our training. It is also a great way for our students to set and work hard towards a goal.
If unsure, the following are some things that the students can be practicing at home.
For the Lil Leopards and Tiny Tigers, practicing the longevity of their crane stance as well as the 5 animal postures will be a great way to prepare.
For the Young Dragons, it will be important that they know and practice their board breaking combinations in advance. Other than that, the single most important thing to practice will be their forms. Their forms will benefit them in all events, from the obstacle course to sparring. If ever in doubt, practice your forms.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The Tiger Challenge is fast approaching!! Please use the following link for more info.
The Farmer’s Day Parade will take place on Saturday June 1. SRKF will be entering a float and all students are welcome to join! Please note that children 12 and under need to be accompanied by a parent.