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.
How To Keep You Children Engaged- Part I
Part I- It’s In Your Perspective
Balance
The fluttering interests of children are a natural part of their curiosity. Children are interested in anything and everything new, exploring their world and gaining experiences that will help them grow into happy, healthy young adults.
I encourage the curious nature in my own children. I hope they see wonder in everything they come across and continue to explore into their adult years. However, I also have to recognize that my children will not have the ability to extrapolate and foresee the effects of their decisions, for good or bad. Kids truly live in the moment. We adults need to find the balance between letting them and looking out for their futures.
Keep Your Perspective
Your children will undoubtedly lose interest in their Kung Fu for periods of time. It’ll lose its shine, it’ll become mundane. At this time we will be tempted to let them quit to try a new sport or new activity, hoping to find one that they will want to endure with.
This is when we need to keep our perspectives absolutely clear and in front of ourselves. We need to identify, acknowledge and weigh the benefits your child has experienced because of their Kung Fu. We need to have the ability to foresee the benefits they have yet to gain. And we have to act upon their best interests.
People often talk about finding a “spark”, something that invokes a passion. The thing is, passion is built, slowly over time. We do not simply find it. We start with an interest, and it builds from there. Kung Fu can be their passion, given it has the opportunity to develop.
What Can Kung Fu Do for Your Child?
For me, this is an easy answer because I’ve experienced it first hand. My number one answer is confidence. They will gain confidence in themselves as a byproduct of developing a healthy self image and self esteem.
They will learn that they can accomplish their goals, but also that nothing comes for free. The value of their accomplishments will increase because they will know they earned it.
They will develop a drive to continue to accomplish and to push themselves beyond any limits they may come across. They will reject the idea of “I can’t”. They will reject mediocrity. They will plan and work towards their future.
They will learn discipline. This will help them stay motivated when things get tough. This will help them through high school and into university. This will help them get the job, excel in their field and build a life they can be proud of.
The will be healthier. Physically, emotionally and mentally. Kung Fu builds physical strength, and mental fortitude. They will become aware of their choices and consciously develop better habits. They will have the ability to manage tough situations.
They will have enough respect for themselves to say no. It could be their best friend or a romantic interest. When the time comes, they will have the confidence to say no when pushed towards something they are uncomfortable with or know to be wrong.
The will have respect for other people and the world around them. They will understand that their decisions affect more than just themselves. They can be the change they want to see in the world.
The Long Term
Of course, these changes occur over time. Many of our lessons are planted as seeds. Seeds take time and nurturance to grow, so not all benefits will be apparent at the beginning. It takes time to develop self respect and self discipline, to change or create habits. And like any practice, you only get to keep the benefits as long as you continue to train and apply yourself.
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.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of May 6
All Classes
In all of our classes this past week we have been focusing on content that will be important for the upcoming Tiger Challenge.
For the Lil Leopards and Tiny Tigers that means things like our animal postures, holding a crane stance and bean bag relays. For the Young Dragons we’ve been working hard on our Lao Gar, Da Mu Hsing and Stick forms. Although we are getting lots of practice in during class, it’s important that the students practice at home as well so they are well prepared for the tournament!
Not only does the Tiger Challenge provide an, often much-needed, training goal, it is also an incredible opportunity to develop our confidence. We want our students to grow into strong and confident leaders, and that often means stepping out of our comfort zone and doing something that might seem scary.
Every single one of our students has both the skill and the courage to participate and we are looking forward to seeing them there!
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.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of April 29
Lil’ Leopards
In Lil Leopards this week we got to do some pool noodle sword fighting! This activity is not only fun, but also develops skills like control, agility and an eye for detail.
Tiny Tigers
In the Tiny Tigers class this week we did head to head obstacle course relay races! Competition can be alot of fun as well as a good motivator. It drives us to work harder and gives us something to achieve. However, more important than winning, is trying to always shoot for our own personal best. If we can improve our ourselves just a little bit every time, that is when we truly win.
Young Dragons
For our Young Dragons Classes, we’ve been working on Stick form. Stick form is the first weapon form that we teach to our students. The stick acts as a basis for all other weapons and is integral to developing our ability to both wield and control a weapon in the most effective way. Once we master the stick, it opens up a wide variety of other weapons to pursue.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next open training is this Saturday, May 11 from 10-12noon.
The Tiger Challenge is fast approaching!! Please use the following link for more info.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Week of April 15
All Classes
This week brought an extra special event; our annual clean-up at Rotary Park in Stony Plain.
We participate in this event, not only as part of our commitment to community projects, but also in recognition of Earth Day, which takes place today, April 22.
This year was probably the best participant turn out we have ever had, with the majority of participants being students from our children’s classes, along with their families. We are so proud of our students for taking their Kung Fu out of the Kwoon and into the world.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The Tiger Challenge is fast approaching!! Please use the following link for more info.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, April 9-11
Lil’ Leopards & Tiny Tigers
In both the Lil’ Leopards and Tiny Tigers classes this week our main focus was on balance and agility. Using relays to the heavy bags, as well as obstacles along the way, we challenged the students to work on these skills while also developing their kicks and cardio!
Young Dragons Level 1
In our Young Dragons classes this week we spent the majority of our time working on our shoulder rolls. We typically introduce shoulder rolls slowly, to ensure that we are doing them safely. We have also come to recognize that our students can differ greatly in how they are able to both mentally comprehend the mechanics and then perform the steps physically. To help the students with this, we introduced shoulder rolls in a few different ways so that the students can try them all and find a way that works for them.
Young Dragons Level 2
In Young Dragons Level 2 we focused on sparring. For most students, this will have been their first exposure to sparring and so we made sure to move slow. Sparring is an excellent way to apply all of the things we learn in Kung Fu, but in a real-life scenario that is still monitored and safe. From the basic strikes and blocks…to staying calm and in control….it challenges us to utilize a wide variety of skills that we are constantly developing throughout our curriculum. Not only did they learn alot this week, but they all had a blast!
Special Announcements for All Classes
In recognition of Earth Day, we will be organizing a cleanup of Rotary Park in Stony Plain on Saturday April 20 from 10-noon. Please use the following link for more info.
The Tiger Challenge is fast approaching!! Please use the following link for more info.
Character Development in the Martial Arts
Kung Fu is about more than kicking or punching. Teaching empathy, respect and self discipline is key when it comes helping students develop into well rounded martial artists. These are the lessons that we strive to instil into all aspects of their lives, developing their character and ability to achieve their goals.
I would like to share an excerpt (with permission from his mom) from an email from a teacher of a Young Dragon. Joel has received a chih star on behalf of his teacher, his mother and his instructors, all of whom are proud of the kid he’s developing into.
“Joel is a crucial part to our classroom community. He is always willing to help in the classroom, especially with cleaning up and stacking chairs. His eagerness to assist his peers and his attention to keeping our classroom tidy is greatly appreciated.”
His mother let us know that Joel is the only child that stays at the school’s afterschool care program, and once the other kids leave for the day, he stays and helps his teacher cleanup.
It is not about the tasks a child completes, but about the spirit in which a child engages.
Information on our Chih Star program can be found here- https://www.silentriverkungfu.ca/childrens-badge-award-system
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, April 2-4
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopards class this week our main focus was on agility. Using an obstacle course, we challenged the students to maneuver around cones, jump over and crawl under bars, all while developing spacial awareness and control by not knocking anything over. These seemingly basic skills are essential in developing our Kung Fu and becoming successful martial artists in the future.
Tiny Tigers
This week in Tiny Tigers we worked on our balance. By practicing things like walking on a balance beam, holding a crane stance on dots and “tightrope” walking along a belt, we challenged the students to maintain their balance throughout. Balance is something that requires constant attention for the span of our martial arts careers. As we grow physically, as our skill increases and we attempt new things, as we age and need to modify and as we deal with injury or physical limitations, our center is constantly changing and shifting and we must be able to adapt.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we had a special guest instructor, Sihing Lindstrom. Sihing Lindstrom is our resident expert in grappling, but typically teaches the adult classes. So having him come in to share some of his skill and experience with the kids was very cool and very valuable. He covered a variety of things like break falls, scoot, bridging, as well as many other ground exercises. One of the students asked an excellent question at the end of the week.
“Why are we learning this stuff on the ground when we are supposed to always stay on our feet?”
The answer,
“Yes, the goal is to stay on our feet. But we never know what might happen. And should we ever be taken down, we need to know how to both defend ourselves in that position and gain back our control.”
Our goal, as always, is to develop well rounded martial artists with a variety of skills to prepare them for anything life might throw at them…both on and off the mats.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next opening training is Saturday, April 13 from 10-noon.
In recognition of Earth Day, we will be organizing a cleanup of Rotary Park in Stony Plain on Saturday April 20 from 10-noon. Please use the following link for more info.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, March 19-21
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopards class this week we got to do one of our favourite things! An obstacle course! Obstacle courses are a great way to keep the students moving, while also incorporating lots of Kung Fu. This particular week we focused on “protective” elements such as blocks and break falls, while also improving our agility.
Tiny Tigers
This week in Tiny Tigers we got to do some pool noodle sword fighting! From the outside, this activity might seem a bit chaotic, but it is actually quite structured and there are many important skills that we develop with this activity. Not only are we working on Kung Fu techniques like punches, kicks and blocks…but there is also a major emphasis on reaction time, footwork, stamina, eye for detail, and of course, good sportsmanship.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week, one of our main focusses was sparring. Our sparring drills can range from structured to free-sparring and they allow us to practice our skills in a very dynamic way. Over and above developing our technique, sparring is integral to our training in other ways. The number one rule in self defense is to stay calm. Our sparring curriculum allows us to practice this in real-time, while still providing a safe environment to do so.
Notice to Parents: In order to participate in more advanced sparring lessons, students with their yellow and orange belts will require sparring gear. To purchase sparring gear, please reach out to one of the instructors.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Spring Break takes place this week, March 25-29. There are no formal classes during this time. But make sure you are still practicing your Kung Fu!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, March 12-14
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopards class this week we played a running game that included various Kung Fu applications like “splats”, kicks, blocks, and our animal poses. At this level, we like to keep things fast paced and interesting while still working on all of the basic techniques that we will use as the students progress.
Tiny Tigers
This week in Tiny Tigers we used a relay drill to practice our stances, kicks, punches and break falls. Not only are these drills important for developing our Kung Fu, but they are also integral to developing our ability to both remember and follow instructions as well as emphasizing respect and awareness for our instructors and fellow classmates.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we put much of our effort towards our forms. Specifically Lao Gar. Our forms are developed as a means to practice a variety of Kung Fu in a short period of time. They include kicks, punches, blocks and stances in a variety of combinations that challenge us to utilize all 6 harmonies. Forms have been used for thousands of years for Kung fu training and there is good reason why. If your child ever wonders what they should be practicing at home, it’s their forms.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Spring Break takes place March 25-29. There are no formal classes during this time. But make sure you are still practicing your Kung Fu!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Feb 27-29
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopards class this week we had lots of fun with an obstacle course! Obstacle courses are a great way to keep the students laughing and moving while also sneaking in important Kung Fu skills that we want to cover. Speed, agility, stamina, strength, breakfalls, balance, blocks…each of these things could be found in this weeks obstacle course, making it feel like a game rather than work.
Tiny Tigers
This week in Tiny Tigers we practiced many of our basics such as kicks and punches. The students were challenged to run to an instructor, where they would then kick or punch one of our “clacker” shields. These shields make a fun clacking” sound when you hit them just right, making them a fun way to get immediate feedback on our technique.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we put most of our time towards our stances. Although we practiced this in various ways, the primary goal was the same. Horse Stance, Bow Stance and Cat Stance were the ones we focused on. These particular stances are used over and over in many of the things we do. Proper stances are so important in all aspects of Kung Fu and are the number one thing that we really try to emphasize. If we cannot remain stable and balanced on our feet, there is no way we will be able to absorb a blow nor administer a strike effectively. Stances are both literally and figuratively the base foundation of our Kung Fu.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next open training is Saturday, March 9 from 10-12noon.
Consistency and Engagement = Confidence
As instructors, we know that by practicing Kung Fu, our students will build confidence as they see that they are improving. And as instructors, we have a front row seat to these results. It’s inspiring to watch our students grow and become more confident in themselves, as they develop that “can do” attitude.
I have been having one on ones with both a student and their parent weekly for the past several months and the feedback I am getting is invaluable. I have watched this student in class become more confident in their abilities. They have gone from being quiet, shy and reserved and not really talking to me, to a student who went up in front of a crowd of parents and peers at our banquet to perform and accept an award with confidence.
This student, in the past 6 months, has grown exponentially. Their parents have seen this improvement and comment about it all of the time.
However, a big part of this equation is the fact that this student attends every class. Their parents see the benefits, and it’s only through their consistency in bringing their child to class and their engagement in their child’s training, that this confidence has been growing. And as long as they continue to stay consistent with bringing their child to every class, this student will see improvement in every aspect of their life.
Tania Brinker
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Feb 20-22
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopards class this week we had some fun with our parachute. Our parachute is a fantastic tool to develop many different skills. In this particular class we utilized it to work on our reaction time, following instructions and working together as a team. In addition, it also doubled as a secret hideout where we talked a little bit about what Kung Fu means and how it benefits us.
Tiny Tigers
This week in Tiny Tigers we worked on many of our basics, while also improving our cardio and stamina. Using our “musical dots” drill, the students would run until the drumming stopped, at which point they needed to hustle to the nearest dot. Depending on what colour they landed on, they were then tasked with various things like kicks, punches and different Kung Fu animal poses. It was a great drill to burn off some energy while practicing our Kung Fu!
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we spent much of our time working with our Stick. From various articulations to developing individual components of our Stick form, we used our time to really fine tune our skills. Besides the fact that it’s just super fun and makes us feel awesome to train with weapons, there are actually many other much more important reasons we include them in our training. Learning how to use one also teaches us how to defend, they tend to high-light the things that we need to work on in other areas of our Kung Fu and they are a tool to help build confidence, discipline and control. When we learn these things using weapons, we can easily transfer these skills to other areas of our life outside of Kung Fu.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Nothing at this time.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Feb 13-Feb 15
All Classes
Congratulations and job well done to all students that were able to participate in the banquet. After all of the hard work we put in leading up to it, we took the time this week to play some games and be a little silly.
In addition, being that this week is National Acts of Kindness week, we also talked a lot about Acts of Kindness and how even smalls acts can make big impacts. We emphasized that by doing them mindfully we become more aware of these impacts and also more aware of the opportunities we might be missing. All of the children should have come home with a Kindness Bingo sheet that they were challenged to complete during this week. We encourage them to try and get a full line, an X, or even better, a full bingo blackout!
Initiatives such as this are our most important. Kung Fu isn’t just about kicking and punching. It’s not just about what we do in class, but what we do and how we impact the world beyond the Kwoon walls. We know this concept as Wude (pronounced Woo-dah), which translates to martial morality. It embodies what we try to teach our students and what we try to practice in our everyday lives. Because Wude is such a key concept in our school’s intelligent curriculum, initiatives like this are also opportunities for our students to earn their green stripe.
Special Announcements for All Classes
Our next open training is Saturday February 24 from 10-12noon.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Jan 30 - Feb 1
Lil’ Leopards & Tiny Tigers
This week in both the Lil’ Leopards and Tiny Tigers classes we learned a little bit about drumming! Drumming is a very important aspect of our Traditional Tenets curriculum and is integral to both the lion and dragon dancing. Both of which we have been practicing alot in preparation for the banquet. Although many may not realize it, the drumming isn’t simply a beat for the lion and dragon to dance to. More importantly it is the heartbeat of these animals, bringing them to life.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we did some experimenting with movement. In Kung Fu, we continuously work on what is called the 6 harmonies, of which there are both external and internal. Our external harmonies are our feet-hands, elbows-knees and shoulders-hips. The concept is that by utilizing our body as a whole, we can maximize it’s efficiency and power. To re-iterate this to the students, we challenged them to jump up, jump forward, reach, punch, etc, by only using isolated parts of their bodies. For example, jumping with only our feet, no hips or knees, proved to be very difficult. But when we used our body as a whole, legs, arms and even our head/eyes by looking to where we wanted to go, we we able to jump the highest and the furthest every time.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The Chinese New Year Banquet takes place Saturday, February 10 from 5:30-9:30 at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church. The event is now sold out.
Our annual Silent Auction is now live!! Check it out at SRKF Silent Auction. You can also find more details in the auction article here Auction Details Article
National Acts of Kindness week takes place Feb 11-17. We will have a special challenge for students of all levels. Info will be posted soon and challenge sheets will be sent home with the students this week.
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Jan 16-18
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopards class this week we continued practicing our lion dancing and started to fine tune our banquet performance. We set up a practice “stage” and started to develop the finer details of our dance.
Tiny Tigers
As many of you are aware, the Tiny Tigers will be performing a Dragon Dance at the Chinese New Year Banquet this year. On top of all of the practicing we’ve been doing, this week we started to decorate our Dragon! I won’t ruin the surprise, but he is going to be very cool and every single student will have added their touch! It’s very important that all of our students know and feel that that they are an important part of the school. By including the students in the creation of their dragon, it will help establish that connection and that sense of pride.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we worked on a wide variety of syllabus content. Lion dancing, kicks, sparring, wrist/choke escapes, Lao Gar…to name a few. As we work towards the banquet, we are challenging the students’ knowledge and skill to the highest level so we can hi-light the progression they’ve all made over the Year of the Rabbit.
Special Announcements for All Classes
The Chinese New Year Banquet takes place Saturday, February 10 and there is currently only 1 ticket remaining (as of January 22). Hopefully you got tickets and we will see you there!
Children's Class Weekly Re-Cap, Jan 9-11
Lil’ Leopards
In the Lil’ Leopards class this week we read a book called “The Great Race - The Story of the Chinese Zodiac“. We followed the animals of the Chinese Zodiac through an exciting race and learned a little bit about each one.
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.
Young Dragons Level 1&2
In our Young Dragons classes this week we started some preliminary work on our demo for the Chinese New Year banquet. We are working on a few different things that we hope will show off all the hard work the students put in all year long!
Special Announcements for All Classes
The Chinese New Year Banquet takes place Saturday, February 10! Tickets are almost sold out 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