It’s important for all members of our Kung Fu 4 Kids to find there own niche within a quality martial arts program. We have therefore developed a structure to cater for children of all ages (4+) buy creating four Kung Fu 4 Kids levels of classes. Below you will find a brief description of each.
Hatchlings
A pre-cursor to our Kung Fu 4 Kids program these classes are for school-going Junior and Senior infants and is a ‘Recreational Kung Fu’ program tailored to focus open developing Concentration, Coordination and Confidence through introducing them to Kung Fu and exercise through martial arts orientated games and activities. The program is geared towards helping our youngest members find their voice and build there confidence as they are venturing off into the big new world of primary school. This program will help them in school and all other activities as they grow but of course the main purpose these classes is fun, fun, fun!
Our program teaches allot of the fundamentals of a traditional Kung Fu style, with our Kung Fu Kids enjoying learning how to punch and kick pads, jump, flip and roll and develop their coordination and concentration with dodging, catching and focus games!
Once child has reached 6 years old they can begin training in the full Kung Fu 4 Kids Program.
Little Cranes
These are our beginners between the ages of 6 and 8 who are training to build their fundamental motor skills through fun and games in a Martial Arts format. It is very difficult to obtain proficiency in sport skills unless the prerequisite fundamental skills are present. The fundamental skill phase of development begins in early childhood at about two to three years, and individuals have the potential to be fully proficient in most of them by about seven years of age. Complete development of the fundamental skills is very much dependent upon environmental influences in the form of practice, learning and teaching. We incorporate such activities as jumping, kicking, catching, rolling and spinning to help develop the necessary co-ordination for an active and healthy child. This class is open to both boys and girls and will see them progressing on a continuous assessment basis towards earning their first grade ‘White Sash’.
Shouting Cranes
These are beginners over the age of 8 years and also consist of those who have graduated with a minimum of a White Sash from the Little cranes programs. The basic building blocks of the Kung Fu program are the focus of this class. These are Kung Fu stance training, kicking, punching, blocking, footwork and jumping as well as self defence, stranger danger and how to cope with Bullying . The development of concentration and courtesy are another important aspect of our Kung Fu training. Grading from white to blue and blue to yellow is done on a continuous assessment basis with coloured stars awarded as a child shows dedication through practice and becomes proficient in specific areas of the grade. Continuous Assessment allows each of our own Kung Fu Kids to progress at their own pace while at the same time learning to set goals and see them accomplished through hard work. The regular awarding of stars helps to build confidence through their own achievements and teaches our members the benefit of focused effort.
Flying Cranes
Our Kung Fu 4 Kids will move from the Shouting Cranes class to Flying Cranes classes once they are deemed ready for the intermediate levels of the Kung Fu 4 Kids program. Generally these classes will consist of those working towards graduating from Stage 1 of the Junior program. Our Flying Cranes also have the chance to prepare for Wushu competitions, consisting of wrestling and Chinese Kickboxing events and will prepare the students to enter Stage 2 of the program and begin to work on Yang’s Martial Arts International Program. This program builds upon the fundamentals of the Shaolin Longfist styles and introduces Whitecrane Kung Fu to their program. (Not suitable for beginners.)
Fighting Cranes
Our most advanced students work within the Fighting cranes program and at this stage in their training the Kung Fu 4 Kids program merges with the Shaolin levels 1 and 2 from our Master, Dr, Yang, Jwing Mings YMAA International program.
Also at this level of training, each grade after stage 1 (completion of green sash), the student must must partake in an element of Kung Fu sparring at each grading from Purple to Black sash. This is where the application of the traditional training and the Sanshou practice come under scrutiny and where the students really begins to see and results of the hard work during the foundation grades.
From the fighting cranes program there is a progression into the YMAA Teens club, where our teenagers will find a friendly, sociable, enjoyable yet challenging environment to carry on their training. (We welcome beginners into our YMAA Teens club from 12 – 16 years.)