Hey 4GK Families!
As I am sure you know, our age-specific martial arts program, SKILLZ, is one of the most popular and widely used children’s curricula on the market. We are able to break down and focus on each child’s individual stage of development to help them progress faster and further!
As our students progress at 4GK Martial Arts they will move through our programs, gaining access to newer and more exciting challenges with each new belt. But what happens when they meet all of the goals in a program? The two main pathways of the moving up process are Aging out and Graduating out. Students Age out by simply turning the appropriate age for the next program, and passing that programs’ Pre-Evaluation. For kids with the necessary developmental skills, the opportunity to move up is one option. But it may not always be the best option.
Graduating out of a program takes a little longer but also adds a host of benefits that choosing to Age-out does not. While there are many benefits to graduating I would like to focus on what we have come to see as the top 3 reasons to Graduate out of a program.
1) Increased Confidence for Their Age
When a student graduates this means that they have completed all of the requirements for that program, met all of the milestones, and are now considered to be above the stage of development for their current age as compared to a child who isn’t enrolled in our program or similar childhood development class. This means that things will still be challenging but each student will be better equipped for these challenges. Therefore, when they graduate to the next program, they will be able to keep up with those students or even be able to learn and progress faster!
2) Better Technique Than the Average Student
Another observation we have noticed of students who graduate is that when they move up to the next program their technique is often on par with, or better than that of their peers. This is because they have had many more months of training than the rest of their peers. This means higher scores on testings, an easier time adapting to new curricula, and a better understanding of what the instructors are asking for. This is why a martial arts student who graduates from one program to the next, such as moving from the Core Skillz class to the Extreme Skillz class, kids will graduate immediately into the intermediate level of the higher program.
3) Habit of Achievement
Finally, students who graduate from one of our Patchogue martial arts classes make achievement a habit. These students will learn to set more goals earlier by reaching higher ranking belts instead of skipping the last few when they age out. They will also find pride in being among the highest ranks in class, wearing the advance level uniforms, and being a role model for their peers.
If belt testing is on the horizon as you are reading this blog, feel free to ask your instructor about how graduating at 4GK Martial Arts works, and what you can expect if this is your first time!