Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Jan 2-4
Lil’ Leopards
As part of our Lion Dancing curriculum, the Lil’ Leopards got to learn a little bit more about our lions this week. They had the opportunity to interact with them and even go inside to see what it is like to be inside a full size lion.
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers this week we continued to develop our Dragon Dancing. Using a long belt, the students were challenged to stay together as a team and navigate their way through various obstacles. One of the trickiest things in Dragon Dancing is making the dragon move in such a way that it appears alive. Rather than following the person at the very front of the Dragon (ie. the dragon head) we follow the person immediately in front of us. This creates a lifelike effect that simulates better how an animal like a dragon, would actually move. So if the person in front of you jumps, you jump. If they run, you run. And even if they fall, you fall!
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we spent much of our time focused on Stick. The stick is our school’s base weapon and helps us develop many skills that we will go on to utilize with many other weapons. We worked on various techniques such as Single Articulation, Double Articulation, Nunchuks and more. Dynamic Control is a very important aspect of our Kung Fu training and teaches us many things. Incorporating weapons into our training emphasizes the importance of control and that we must always have control over not only a weapon, but our body and our mind as well. A weapon is also a valuable tool in recognizing our weaknesses. If there are flaws in our stances or technique, adding a weapon to the mix will show us exactly where those flaws are. And finally, by learning how to use a weapon, we are also learning how to defend against one. By learning how to fight, we hope we never have to.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next open training takes place Saturday January 13 from 10-noon.
The Chinese New Year Banquet takes place Saturday, February 10! Tickets are 60% sold so don’t wait! For more information, please refer to the following article,
https://www.silentriverkungfu.ca/blog/2023/12/18/chinese-new-year-banquet-tickets
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Dec 12-14
Lil’ Leopards
In Lil’ Leopards this week we continued to work with our lions. Oftentimes you will see some of the most talented lion dancers incorporate “stacks” into their dances. Stacking is when the tail will lift and support the head, up into the air, in various ways. It is a very advanced skill involving precise timing and perfect form. The Lil’ Leopards started to learn what is called a “single leg stack” working with an Instructor as their tail.
Tiny Tigers
In our Tiny Tigers class we continued working on our Dragon Dancing and every week we are getting a little bit better! By working in teams, and utilizing pool noodles, we practiced staying connected to our team-mates, having to match the leaders’ speed, movements and direction. We also got to learn a little bit of Lion Dancing, and like the Lil’ Leopards, were introduced to “single leg stacking”.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week, our main focus was on our 6 Harmonies curriculum, most specifically our Opening Bow. We use our Opening Bow to both start, and end our hand forms. It is the most important part of our forms in that it both sets our tempo and intensity for the form itself, and, no matter what happens in the middle, it allows us to finish strong.
Not only is it the most important piece of our form, it is often the hardest to master. In an attempt to approach it in a fun and different way, we came up with a “secret handshake” that included pieces of our opening bow. It was a little tricky, but we got the hang of it by the end!
Special Announcements for All Classes
Christmas Break takes place from Dec 22-Jan 1 with classes resuming Tuesday January 2.
The Chinese New Year Banquet takes place Saturday, February 10! Tickets are now on sale. For more information, please refer to the following article,
https://www.silentriverkungfu.ca/blog/2023/12/18/chinese-new-year-banquet-tickets
Respect
Kung Fu transforms lives. A student can expect to achieve a full grade point improvement in their grades at school within a year of starting kung fu. Everyone training with us experiences an improvement in their ability to manage stress and conflict. These benefits are both byproducts of discipline and respect — the two main things we teach at Silent River Kung Fu.
From the first moment a student walks through our doors, their lessons on respect begin. We create a level playing field by dressing uniformly and addressing every student by their last name. The students’ instructors do not demand the students’ respect, they work hard to earn it. The power of example is the most powerful teaching tool available.
Parents, your positive engagement is a crucial component of your children’s education. As parents, our influence through the example we set can help reinforce the lessons our children are learning or at their worst, they can undermine them. We must remain mindful that our actions influence our children.
Getting your children to class on time is an absolute necessity if you want to set a positive example. Respecting the value of other people’s time is one of the most important lessons a person learns in their lifetime. Your children rely upon you to get them to their classes and therefore they rely upon you to get them there on time. Late arrivals disrupt the entire class and publicly affect everyone by undermining a keystone value of Kung fu.
Something that has been happening outside of our school but within sight of all our students, is how our students’ parents and family are treating our planters in front of the school window. Sitting on the planters and/or placing your toddlers on them, trampling the plants, is damaging a project that our students built and managed themselves and which they have been trying to nurture. Ironically while we are busy on the mats teaching our students about discipline and respect, our lessons are being undermined in real time by the public disrespect being shown to the project so many of them worked so hard on over the summer.
Parents, please recognize the important role you play in helping us foster a positive and productive learning environment for your children. It does take a village to raise a child.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Dec 5-7
Lil’ Leopards
This week was our first Lion Dancing practice with our Lion heads! We spent the class learning how to navigate an obstacle course with our lion heads on, as well as how to maneuver our heads to make them look alive. Lion dancing is one of our best tools in becoming successful martial artists. And although we have always worked on preliminary skills that will help us when we finally learn to lion dance, this will be the first time in SRKF history where students at the Lil Leopards level will participate in a lion dance, in their own lions.
Tiny Tigers
In our Tiny Tigers class we had some fun with a special clapping drill! Although this might seem to be just a fun game, it was also a creative way to solidify our lefts and rights while also practicing the cross body motions that will be integral to sparring. Being able to move our entire body with a punch, rather than just throwing that single fist out, is what will maximize our power.
Yes, we are already thinking about these things even at this level!! But as far as the kids are concerned, it’s just plain ol’ fun.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
This week we utilized some of our time to focus on our 4 main kicks. Front thrust kick, Roundhouse, Side Heel and Spinning Back Kick. These are some of our Keystone Principles that act as the basis for all other kicks and combinations there-of. We worked on various things such as our body alignment, foot position and trajectory of power. Even at our higher levels we need to return to the basics in order to keep our foundation for everything else strong.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Christmas Break takes place from Dec 22-Jan 1 with classes resuming Tuesday January 2.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Nov 28-30
Lil’ Leopards and Tiny Tigers
As we continue to prepare for the Chinese New Year banquet, both the Lil’ Leopards and the Tiny Tigers got to learn a bit about drumming. Drumming is an integral part of both dragon and lion dance. More than just providing a rhythm for the dance, the beat of the drum symbolizes the heartbeat of the lion and dragon. A heartbeat is needed for the lion or dragon to come alive and so when the drum stops, so does the lion or dragon.
With our own drum sticks and drum, we learned a 3-star drumming pattern as well as thunder drumming. Thunder drumming was, by far, the favourite.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
This week in our Young Dragons classes we continued with our Lion Dancing. As a special addition, each student got an opportunity to do some lion dancing in one of our lions. Being inside a lion adds a whole different dimension of challenges to the dance. Your vision is extremely limited, you can easily become disoriented, sound becomes muffled and it can become very hot and uncomfortable. So not only does lion take an extreme amount of physical skill, but with these added challenges, any successful lion dancer needs to be very strong mentally as well. All of these things is what makes lion dancing such a valuable tool in developing our skills as martial artists.
In fact, it is known throughout the Kung Fu community that a traditional school is judged by the quality of their lion dance.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The next Open Training takes place Saturday December 9 from 10-12noon.
As it gets colder, please remember that we do not open the doors until about 3-4 minutes prior to the start of class. If your child will be waiting outside, please remind them to dress appropriately for the weather.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Nov 21-23
Lil’ Leopards
Our last Lil’ Leopards class was an extra special one. Each student received their very own lion, crafted by the I Ho Chuan team, to take home and decorate. Moving forward we will be practicing our lion dancing each week in preparation for the upcoming Chinese New Year Banquet on February 10, 2024. Lion dancing is not only a traditional tenet of Kung Fu, but is an incredibly valuable tool to build on so many skills that make a successful martial artist. Strength, power, speed, timing, team work; all skills that are transferable to any other aspect of Kung Fu. And on top of all that, it’s just a whole lot of fun!!
Tiny Tigers
We utilized our Tiny Tigers class this past week to start preparing for the banquet as well. The Tiny Tigers will be demonstrating their skills using our traditional Dragon Dance! Dragon Dancing is a challenging facet of Kung Fu. It takes a great amount of stamina, focus, strength, hand/eye coordination and a whole lot of teamwork. As a team of 9 dancers, the students have to work together flawlessly to make the dragon come alive. This week we started to work on some of the basic movements and even practiced some circle formations. The students did amazing and we are looking forward to working on this more!
Young Dragons Level 1&2
For our Young Dragons classes this past week we were surprised with a special Master Instructor Class! Sifu Hayes led both classes, covering a variety of skills and techniques. Horse stance, bow stance, side heel kick, slide stepping and more…all basic, but very important skills that need to be mastered in order to support all of the more advanced Kung Fu we will end up learning. We are so fortunate to have 4 active Master Level Instructors at our school, including Sifu Hayes. And when one of them is able to participate in our classes to this degree, we are very grateful. The students were all very attentive and focussed and every one of them was able to take something away from this special class.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The next Open Training takes place Saturday December 9 from 10-12noon.
Lil Leopard Lion Dance Classes
Hello Lil Leopard parents,
As part of our intelligent curriculum, we are focusing on our traditional tenets, the Lion Dance! The Lion Dance will help introduce our youngest students to the significance of the dance, which is to bring good luck! We will be learning how to Lion Dance while working towards a performance at our Chinese New Year banquet.
In order for us to prepare for the banquet, your engagement will be key. On November 22 we will be sending home a lion for you and your child to finish decorating and make their own. Please make sure their name is on the inside!
We ask that starting December 6, that you bring your child’s lion to every class for us to start learning and practicing our lion dance. Each week, we will post a short video with what we covered in class so that you can practice with your child.
Our Chinese New Year Banquet is on February 10, 2024 and we encourage you to attend with your child. You and your child (and/or your whole family) will experience amazing Chinese food, lion dance and dragon dance performances (both from children and teen/ adults), performances from our I Ho Chuan team and a Black Belt ceremony where a select few students are promoted to the rank of black. Tickets will be available soon!
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to one of your children’s instructors.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Nov 7-9
Lil’ Leopards
In this past week’s Lil Leopards class we got to play with our parachute! Our parachute is always fun for the students, but it serves several other purposes. A high level of individual dynamic control is needed, as well as a strong commitment to team work, to manipulate the parachute into doing what we want. These skills will all be transferrable as the students progress through the ranks.
Tiny Tigers
In the Tiny Tigers class we utilized scarves to work on our opening bow. Our opening bow is a complicated sequence of techniques that opens and sets the pace for our many hand forms. Although we don’t start to learn the bow in it’s entirety until Young Dragons, it’s important to start working on the movements early, simply because it’s so complicated. The scarves add a colourful visual that make the movements a little more obvious as we learn. Although many students are not aware, our bow is also a unique “signature” to both our school and our lineage.
Young Dragons Level 1
For our Young Dragons 1 class, we carried on with the breakfalls and shoulder rolls from the previous week. In Kung Fu, there are certain skills that all of our students need to achieve in order to progress. But at the same time, we recognize that we are all unique individuals and we all learn just a little bit differently. When it comes to something like shoulder rolls, many students find them very intimidating, and so confidence is key.
With this in mind, we exposed the kids to a few different options to try and help boost their confidence in their forward shoulder rolls. Once we can get the kids to roll with confidence, then we can start tweaking and perfecting. And after only the one class, we were very pleased to see that all of the students were able to utilize at least one of the options to both improve their skill and increase their confidence.
Young Dragons Level 2
In Young Dragons Level 2 we did something a little different. Over the last couple weeks the students have really impressed us with their skill level with breakfalls, and so we decided to take the opportunity to expose them to some more “real life” situations in a safe and controlled environment. Using our “triangle stepping” application, the students were challenged with performing a proper breakfall after being tripped to the ground. Oftentimes, when practicing breakfalls, it is against our natural instinct to force ourselves to the ground. By having someone else force us to the ground (in this case still safely and controlled by the instructors) the students were able to feel how a breakfall would actually work in a more realistic application. All of the students improved significantly in just the one class. And now that they know how it would “really” feel, they can utilize that in future practice.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The next Open Training takes place Saturday November 25 from 10-12noon.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, October 31-November 2
Lil’ Leopards
In this week’s Lil Leopards class we celebrated Halloween! In these special classes we try to practice our Kung Fu with different games. Games can be a great way to show the kids how hard work can also be fun! In this particular class, we played our animal racing game, with a twist. Instead of only running like different animals, we challenged the students to run like some of the different costumes that were in the class.
Tiny Tigers
This week in the Tiny Tigers class we did a favourite of most of the kids and ran an obstacle course. Obstacle courses, like games, are a great way to incorporate many important physical aspects including endurance training, balance and strength training, as well as cognitive skills like following directions and problem solving.
Young Dragons
As we approach the time of year where slips and falls become increasingly common, it’s important to direct our attention to things like breakfalls and shoulder rolls. Which is why we made this our main focus this past week. As we progress with these things, and become more comfortable, they will also start to become second nature in real life situations. If we know how to fall properly, and if we understand how to minimize impact to certain parts of our bodies, we can often reduce accidental injuries or even avoid them altogether. So not only are these things important in Kung Fu applications like grappling, but they are just as important out on the playground.
Special Announcements for All Classes
If you fundraised for the Break-a-thon, please submit your sheets, along with the donations, as soon as you can.
There will be no classes during Fall Break, November 13-17.
The “7 Days In The Life Of The I ho Chuan” Challenge starts Monday, November 6!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, October 24-26
All Classes
In this past weeks classes, we hosted our annual Break-a-thon. It was an amazing success and every single child broke their 10 boards, if not more. For a little more insight into how board breaking helps and supports our Kung Fu, give Master Brinker’s recent article a read.
To make this event even better, we have (so far) raised $4724! If you haven’t already submitted your sheet and donations, please make sure to do that.
This week we also held our Halloween classes for our Tiny Tigers and Young Dragons. It was so great to see so many kids dressed up for Halloween! We had lots of fun with various games and activities, all inspired by Kung Fu.
Special Announcements for All Classes
This Wednesday, November 1 will be the Halloween class for the Lil Leopards. Feel free to wear your costumes!!
Please note there are NO classes on Halloween, October 31.
If you fundraised for the Break-a-thon, please submit your sheets, along with the donations, this week.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, October 17-19
All Classes
In all of our classes this week the focus was on the upcoming Break-a-thon. The Break-a-thon is one of our main events every year for a few different reasons.
First, the physical benefits of the board breaks. Obviously, the skill developed in the preparation and execution of board breaks speaks for itself. Tight fists, straight vectors, solid techniques. It is impossible to leave after a single night of board breaks without an increase of skill and understanding. There is no better way of gauging the effectiveness of a technique or the strengths and flaws of your execution than by putting yourself to work against a board. We understand this can also be a daunting endeavour; your instructors will always be there to provide guidance and insight. We are invested in your success.
This is also a huge opportunity to build confidence in both children and adults alike. Nothing feels quite like breaking a board with your fist. The feeling of accomplishment never fades. Even when a student has a failed attempt, it becomes that much more of an accomplishment and success when they finally do break that board in half. During our break-a-thon every student will break ten boards. We never let a student leave the kwoon feeling defeated; we’ll take the time to ensure every student, three years old or eighty-three years old, successfully completes ten board breaks.
Last, how our break-a-thon ties into the concept of Wude, or martial morality.
We encourage our students to engage in the spirit of the Break-a-thon by engaging the people around them and talking about our charities. Spreading awareness of these issues goes further than a dollar donated. Empathy is the key to correcting the wrongs we see in the world. Awareness is the first step towards empathy.
Nothing is for free; our actions as well as our inactions affect our world and those who share it with us. Alternately, the efforts and energy we put into our Kung Fu, especially the mental and social aspects, will return tenfold to us.
Any student who engages in the Break-a-thon at this level also earns the green stripe, the Wude stripe.
For more information on the organizations we support, or to get a pledge form, please use the following link,
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our Halloween classes will take place Thursday October 26 for Tiny Tigers and Young Dragons and Wednesday November 1 for the Lil Leopards. Feel free to wear your costumes!!
Please note there are NO classes on Halloween, October 31.
The children’s break-a-thon classes will take place Tuesday October 24 and Wednesday October 25!! Please feel free to come in and watch!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, October 10-12
All Kids Classes
Throughout the kids classes this week, there was a common theme with Lion Dancing.
In Lil’ Leopards we practiced balancing and jumping up onto heavy bags with just one leg. These are beginner skills needed for when we eventually learn how to “stack”.
In Tiny Tigers we practiced hopping from dot to dot while using scarves as our lion heads. This drill imitates a special lion dance that is done while walking and jumping across small platforms atop tall poles.
And in Young Dragons we worked in partners, one head and one tail of a lion, and practiced our cues and starting steps that lead us to the “stack” or “volley” techniques.
As a traditional martial arts school, lion dancing is an integral part of our Kung Fu training, not only for the historical significance, but for the ways it supports and improves all the other areas of our Kung Fu. Stamina, strength and control…speed, agility and power…all things that both good lion dancers, and good martial artists, need. If you want to improve your kicks…lion dance. If you want to improve your sparring…lion dance. If you want faster and more powerful punches…lion dance. If you want to develop your eye for detail…lion dance.
Although the connections may be difficult to see at first, the fundamentals of the lion dance can be found throughout every other aspect of our training and it is an essential component to becoming a successful and well rounded martial artist.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child what they would name their lion if they had one.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next open training is Saturday October 21 from 10-12noon.
Our Break-a-thon is coming up the week of October 23! If you you have any questions about this, please reach out.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, October 3-5
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopards we had the opportunity to learn some new skills! One that we will continue to develop well into our later years is called “power of the instep”. Power of the instep is an exercise that not only strengthens our legs, but also becomes extremely important in things like lion dancing or in defensive situations where we have to avoid a low strike. It is also a technique that teaches us to defy gravity for a brief moment, and “fly”. And a martial artist that can fly is one to be reckoned with.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child to show you what “power of the instep” looks like.
Tiny Tigers
In Tiny Tigers this week we got to do one of our favourite things and play with our parachute. To the students, the parachute is all kinds of fun. But within it are hidden various skills like hand-eye coordination, quick thinking, self control and listening; all while working together as a team. And all of these things transfer to every other area of our Kung Fu.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child to show you a horse stance.
Young Dragons Level 1 & 2
This week in the Young Dragons classes we were delighted with a surprise demo by some of the members of the I Ho Chuan Team (pronounced “Eye Hoe Shwaun” or “Ee Hoe Shwaun”). The I Ho Chuan is a team of teen/adult Silent River Kung Fu students that dedicate the year to mastery. They fulfill various requirements throughout the year, including but not limited to pushups, situps, form reps, maintaining a weekly public blog and acting as mentors to all students in the school. Although made up of students from every belt level, it is especially important to those seeking their Black Belt, as it is also a year long grading.
In order to inspire our Young Dragons students, and to show them where all their hard work is headed, we got to see some of team perform live and then had the opportunity to ask questions. Not only was it an amazing show of martial arts skill, it was very very cool to watch!
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child how many pushups and situps an I Ho Chuan team member needs to do in one year.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next open training is Saturday October 21 from 10-12noon.
Our Break-a-thon is coming up the week of October 23! If you you have any questions about this, please reach out.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, September 26-28
Lil’ Leopards and Tiny Tigers
In both the Lil’ Leopard’s and Tiny Tigers classes this week we got to do one of our favourite things. Pool noodle sword fighting! Aside from the fact that pool noodle sword fighting is super fun and exciting, it also help us develop many other skills. One of the main aspects we focus on with this game is our ability to block, and then immediately counter with a strike. This is a skill we need as we progress through the ranks and get into sparring. In addition, and perhaps less noticeable, it helps us hone our reflexes, develop our eye for detail and promotes good sportsmanship and etiquette.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child to name one instructor from their class.
Young Dragons Level 1 & 2
This week in Young Dragons we focused on our Wuxin curriculum and worked on both our wrist escapes and choke defenses. This type of training can sometimes be intimidating. Although we know and trust our partners, having someone grab your arm or put their hands up by your neck (at this stage we only simulate a choke by putting our hands on our partners shoulders) can cause some panic and anxiety. But this is why this practice is so important. By simulating these situations in a safe environment, we not only practice the physical part of the escape, but more importantly, we practice remaining calm and keeping a clear mind. Remaining calm is the first, and most important step, in self defense.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child what animal choke defenses we practiced.
Special Announcements for All Classes
No announcements at this time.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, September 19-21
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopard’s class this week the students were challenged with races as different animals. Bears, penguins, gorillas…all animals move a little bit differently. By trying to mimic how other animals move, we can learn how to best move our own bodies.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child to race you like their favourite animal.
Tiny Tigers
This week in Tiny Tigers we did a couple different drills for practicing our balance. Balance is a key skill in Kung Fu. With all of our kicks, we need to be able to support ourselves on one leg, while moving the rest of our body as needed. This is not an easy task and requires incredible balance and control. Developing our balance now will be integral as we move towards our black belt.
Kung Fu At Home: Challenge your child to hold a crane stance for 30 seconds!
Young Dragons Level 1 & 2
This week in Young Dragons we spent much of our time practicing our stick. Stick is the basis of all other weapons. Once we master the stick, we will be able to utilize all of those skills for other weapons such as nunchucks, broadsword and spear. No matter how cool all these different weapons might be, our weapons curriculum isn’t just about learning how to fight with a weapon. More importantly it’s about how to fight against a weapon.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child what weapon they are most interested in learning.
Special Announcements for All Classes
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation takes place on Saturday, September 30. Please join us for an online discussion about bullying from 11am-12noon. See our events page to register.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, September 12-14
Lil’ Leopards & Tiny Tigers
This week in both the Lil Leopards and Tiny Tigers classes we utilized obstacle courses. Obstacle courses are great ways to not only practice our Kung Fu skills, but also life skills. In addition to break falls, kicks and punches, we also develop things like patience, following instructions and both spacial and self awareness. Not to mention how fun they are!
Young Dragons 1 & 2
In the Young Dragons classes this week we spent a large portion of our time on combinations. Combinations are how we link, or string, several techniques together so that they flow in such a manner that each technique compliments and supports the other. The Jab/Reverse/Hook/Uppercut is a great example of such a technique and is one we practice frequently. It is also a great example of how when we use our entire body to support a technique (or combination of techniques), we are able to maximize the efficacy.
We challenged the students a little further this week and, starting with Jab/Reverse, asked them to add 1-2 techniques that they thought worked well. We were very impressed with both their creativeness and their ability to apply their knowledge in coming up with some pretty cool combinations.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next Open Training is Saturday September 23 from 10-12noon. All students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, August 22-24
All Classes
This week brought our Parent Viewing Classes. This is an opportunity for the parents and families of our students to join us inside the Kwoon to see how a typical class is run.
When Covid required us to limit the number of people in the Kwoon, we realized how much more focus our students had without the added distraction of an audience. The difference in their progress was so extremely noticeable, that we made the decision to continue without spectators for the benefit of our students.
Although this decision was one of the best we’ve ever made, we also see the value in still having parents and families be able to engage on occasion, which is why we implemented the Parent Viewing Classes. It’s important that you are able to see for yourselves the positive influence Kung Fu has on our students.
We were so pleased to see so many of you attend these classes and we hope to see you all again at the next one.
Special Announcements for All Classes
“Back To School Week” starts tomorrow, August 28. Although there will be no formal classes this week, there is always Kung Fu!
The SRKF Annual Potato Bake will be held Thursday August 31 starting at about 5pm. Bring your own toppings, lawn chairs and reusable plates/cutlery. We hope to see you there!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, August 8-10
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopard’s class, the students were challenged with an obstacle course. Obstacle courses are one of our favourite drills at this level. We are able to incorporate so many essential skills like balance, speed, agility, critical thinking, etc, while having loads of fun. And of course, all of these skills will transfer as the students progress to higher levels.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child to tell you their last name.
Tiny Tigers
This week in Tiny Tigers we worked hard on our Keystone Principles. Our Keystone Principles are our basics of Kung Fu. Kicks, punches, blocks and stances. Although it sounds simple, there are actually many, many different types of these things. Some of which we don’t even know about or learn until after we have earned our blackbelts. However, this week we did get to learn a new kick called the Axe kick!!
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child to show you an Axe kick. If they don’t remember that’s okay too!
Young Dragons Level 1 & 2
This week in Young Dragons we spent most of our time on Lion Dancing. Lion Dancing is not only a traditional tenet of Kung Fu, but it is an integral method of improving ones skill in the martial arts. Endurance, coordination, rhythm and timing, team work, strength, agility….you name it, it is covered in Lion Dancing. All of these skills transfer to every other area of Kung Fu…our kicks, punches, forms and beyond. Some of the best lion dancers prove to also be the best martial artists. On top of all of these benefits, the students love to lion dance. And this week we had the opportunity to get inside some of our lions and really see what it’s like.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child what stepping pattern we use when we hear the 3-star drumming.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The next open training is Saturday August 19 from 10am-12noon.
Back to School Week takes place August 28-31. Watch for upcoming announcements and mark your calendars for the traditional potato bake that will be held Thursday August 31.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, August 1-3
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopard’s class we explored our sense of touch using a variety of different balls. By passing them around in a circle, we also worked on developing our control. Being able to control objects like balls, or in future, weapons, as well as always being in control of our bodies and emotions, is vital to becoming a successful martial artist.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child to tell you the 3 rules of concentration.
Tiny Tigers
This week in Tiny Tigers we utilized our parachute. Although it may not seem like it, the parachute is a fantastic tool to develop our hand-eye coordination, team work, reflexes and more. It’s one thing to simply flap the parachute (which we do for fun sometimes) but it’s another to manipulate the parachute to do what you want it to. Using the parachute, we will try to bounce or move different objects, trying to keep them on the parachute as long as possible. This takes quick reflexes, foresight and dynamic control; all important skills that we will utilize when we start to learn about different weapons.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child to show you a “perfect” horse stance.
Young Dragons Level 1 & 2
Leading into a long weekend, we like to finish our classes with a fun game. But even our games incorporate important aspects of Kung Fu. This time around, we played Tic Tac Toe, but with a twist. The students were challenged to toss their dot from a specific distance, onto the giant Tic Tac Toe board, in an effort to be the first team to get 3 of their dots in a row. Within this game we worked on stamina, quick problem solving, attention to detail and dynamic control…along with a bunch of fun and laughter.
Kung Fu At Home: Ask your child if they have done their homework (if they have forgotten, it was to practice the opening bow of Stick form). They got an extra week to work on this!
Special Announcements for All Classes
The next open training is Saturday August 19 from 10am-12noon.
Year Round Opportunities
We strive to ensure our students always excel and enjoy well earned success in all aspects of their lives. When it comes to our youngest students, a very large factor in their success in Kung Fu will be the perspective of you, their parents and guardians. If you do not see the value that we provide your child, you will not be inclined to continue to bring them to classes.
Because we recognize this, we have many opportunities for the parents to get to know us as instructors, and to see first hand what we are providing your children. You always have access to us, either in person when you drop off/pick up your kids, but also through WhatsApp, email, text, phone call. We are available to you.
In addition, we have several yearly events open to you, and specific days set throughout the year for you to connect with us. Every event listed here, plus every other event at our school, can be found on the Our Events page on the website.
January/February- Annual Chinese New Year Banquet and Black Promotion Ceremony; student demonstrations (including your kids!), lion and dragon dances, Benevolent Foundation presentations and much more.
March- Biannual Children’s Class Recitals AND Parent/Instructor Interviews (during spring break)
May- Annual Tiger Challenge; our intraschool tournament
August- Biannial Children’s Class Recitals
October- Annual Break-a-thon
November- Parent/Instructor Interviews (during fall break)
Again, the specific dates for each of the above opportunities can be found on the Our Events page on our website.
Lastly, the most powerful tool that we have for you and your kids would be the One-on-One’s. These can be booked anytime with any instructor through the website. If your child has their heart set on a specific instructor but their schedule does not work with yours, you can reach out and we will do everything in our power to be available when you are.
And parents, the One-on-One’s are for you too. If you ever need to connect with your child’s instructor, you can book for yourself.
