Children under the age of 12

If you cannot have an adult join - make sure that you discuss this with the Instructors!

Why does WEMA request that a parent must join if the student is under the age of 12 years old?

There are several reasons that can be discussed here, but the one that we like to focus on is for reasons of practice.

When we train there is much information that is given in a lesson. With anyone who starts any kind of Martial Art Instruction, you feel out of sorts for a while. This can be a big deterrent for a young child until they become use to the routine of training and learning the basic techniques, there has to be an influence both at the school and at home for them to be able to more easily achieve this.

Remember you are trying to develop new habits with your child. New habits are hard to form even for an adult and takes 40 days to become routine in any persons life. GameBoy, T.V., music, friends and many other stimulants can become a factor of a child's ability to learn new habits and draw them further away from new habits.

Having an adult at home to train with the young student has a very positive influence on your child. Seeing an adult (mother or father) start to practice with their child is worth its weight in gold. This gives you the ability to show how habits are formed and to reinforce positive behavior. You both can commend each other when you get through something and laugh when you get stuck on something.

When you are at WEMA and learn a new technique, you must insure that you and your child practice as best as you can the technique that was taught. Having two people practice a technique is more fun than one person practicing alone. Also, having an adult join with a child ensures that the child will have better supervision and help while practicing at home.

Enjoy this time with your child and appreciate that you have something in common with them. As they grow older they will be exploring new ways of thinking. Now you will share in a new area of both of your lives, that will allow you to talk about things together. Integrity, honesty and perseverance are all apart of the training that you will receive with your child and since you will be learning together this will give you a unique opportunity to discuss these things with them because you have something in common. You are both being instructed in these things.

We hope you can see the value added by both or all of the family members taking this together.

The important thing is that you are growing stronger together!

From: Master Ray Blydenburgh