Karate price for my son. Am I being ripped off?

momoyama

Jo.G wrote: »

As a matter of curiosity, what is the youngest age you would accept as a black belt?

This summer I got my first student to full Black Belt. By the way, I don't grade my students at that level, so they have to meet a certain standard. This student has been with me since middle 2004. It's taken him five years to get his full Black. We're talking about him grading first Dan next Christmas. He's 12. I suppose I'd consider a little younger, though not much. A lot of it depends of maturity.

Jo.G wrote: »

For example, if a child started at age 5yrs, trained each week, progressed and improved, completed and passed each graduation, would you keep them at the level below black belt until you felt them mature or old enough to pass the black belt graduation?

I'd keep them at every grade until they were ready for the next one (by whatever is meant by "ready"). As an international organisation (in which I'm one of the Masters) and as a club, we're constantly reviewing grading criteria and standards. Regards being aged five, insurance for under-6s is hard to come by. Every legitimate Martial Arts Coach that I know that I value at all that teaches anyone younger than 6 does so with a modified program. Any grades are sub-junior grades (sometimes called "mon" grades, though Judoka will interpret "mon" differently) with the student moving into junior grades later on.

Jo.G wrote: »

As I believe your 5 year minimum training would still only place them at 10yrs.

Yes. I would still consider this too young. But again, there are mature 10 year olds and immature 30 year olds. It's all a guide. Maybe your 8 year old is mature beyond his years. I don't know. Please allow me to maintain my questioning mind as I know that there are bad dojo out there. Other posters mentioned the "McDojo" culture.

Jo.G wrote: »

By the way, I wouldnt want my 9 year old to teach a class. Nor would I want to pay for classes and then find out it had been run by a 9 year old.

I never said that. What I will do (and any good Sensei will do, IMHO), as part of the junior Dan grade's development is ask them to go and teach (say) techniques 1-4 and a the front kick to the white belts whilst I teach everyone else. That junior Dan grade will have an adult grade quietly watching from a distance. I would never have someone that young teach a class.

Jo.G wrote: »

He has taken the class for warm ups and through basic stances etc under the supervison of the instructor, as do all students heading for their first dan belt.

Green belt standard at my dojo. I strive for my standards to be high but I'm nowhere near as high as some dojo I've trained in.