Teaching youngsters is not always easy and not always welcome in some schools. Sil Lum Kune entered this world with some trepidation. Partly it was the prospect of dealing with young children and the problems that can be associated with them and partly because the teachers need specialist skills and understanding to train young children.
From a shaky start the classes have been a resounding success.Four instructors within the association specialise in teaching the children, the ‘Ninja’ class as it is called, is for 4 years old and upwards, although a few aged three have snuck in and done well!
Sil Lum Kune Ninja classes are for children only, starting at four years old initially they went up to eight but it has proved popular up to around ten years of age. Many of the children quickly move through the belts and are keen to join in the classes with the older children and adults as well.
There is a subtle difference between the Kung Fu and the Ninja Class, the syllabus is simplified but nevertheless taxes these young stars of the future.
The emphasis is on discipline, confidence, balance, co-ordination, but above all fun.
Having fun is an integral part of being a child, it is important for their development. However creating the balance between discipline and fun is essential if they are to progress. Any form of martial art is about balance and there have been many cases of children arriving at Sil Lum Kune’s Ninja classes because they have not achieved that balance at other schools.One parent said that her son had loved doing martial arts and he was desperate to do well but he was in tears every lesson. He often felt bullied, humiliated and sometimes hysically hurt by other members of the class. She was delighted to find a class that was dedicated to training children. It was important for this lady to see her child develop physically and mentally in a safe environment.
All the instructors within Sil Lum Kune are registered through the Child Protection Agency. All the instructors have achieved their Level 3 Coaching Qualification with the BCCMA and a whole module of the coaching course is dedicated to Child Protection.There is a way to talk to children, an instructor must be mindful of what he says and how he says it. An instructor needs to be up to date with what the children find interesting and provide interaction that is both informative and creative.
Teaching children well is not an easy task and getting across the right message is essential if the child is to progress. We are not in the business to create a band of ill-mannered thugs who think they can go back to school and bully their associates. Far from it, we are teaching the children the basic rights and wrongs of their actions. Those that think they may be able to use their skills destructively do not last long. They soon move on and we can only hope that they have learned some good from our teachings.Parents get involved too, without the parent’s support it is not always possible for the child’s potential to be fully realised. They can help with the techniques the child has to learn and enable them to practice. Kung Fu in particular is very family orientated, starting the children young builds strongly on this sense of family.
The children are encouraged from the age of seven to compete nationally and at this years British Championships 140 children from Sil Lum Kune took part. All the children loved the experience and it added to the sense of camaraderie that has built up within these classes.At the end of the day teaching children is hard work but then so is Kung Fu but seeing those kids standing up for themselves and others and competing against children far bigger and stronger than themselves and winning is fantastic.
It is a great sense of achievement for the instructor seeing the development of those kids from nervous, awkward individuals into confident, co-ordinated martial artists.
Written By Alex Hyde.
For more information on our 'Little Ninja Training Program' please call:-
Sifu Paul Burkinshaw - 0797 342 1860