oss. I think gradings whether for children or adults is entirely down to the grading sensei. He/she will no the standard needed for a pass. Watch a grown man as he starts training his control and technique is just as novice as a child. Likewise i have seen and regularly train with a boy of 9 years old who doesn't move like a child. When it comes to grading spirit comes above technique. children like performing and let go in front of sensei to youthful enthusiasm. adults get worried curl up and go into a shell (watch carfully at your next grading at the white belts their eyes hit the floor, breathing goes, shoulders tighten and back hunches). the aim of karate is the perfection of character, not technique! what im getting at is show spirit, like the children do naturally, if you make a mistake do it proudly and strong,kiai hard and you will pass.

you were probably looking for some rating or marking chart but, 90% is what you cant see.OSS

In lower kyu ranks I think it's more of the effort put forth than techincal accuracy. Karate should be fun for them, there is plenty of time (a life time) to make corrections. I feel this goes for adults as well as children who are beginning their Karate training. At about 5th kyu their kata and techniques should be tightening up. If not, perhaps a little 1 on 1 with a senior student for awhile. Different people have different abilities and challenges, the best one can do is all you can ask.

We have different grades for children. They are trigradual (three stripes on each kyu). Kids pass only kihon, next only kata and finally - kumite. It definitely differentiate them from adults. Kids seem to mature with time and as they train all the time their technique becomes better in a vague point. But personally, I'm not sure if this method of grading will do. It's still incomprehensible for me e.g. what the kihon ippon kumite part in this grading is for? Teaching kumite doesn't require much time when you already have technique, and distance between exams is often much longer. I don't also believe in miraculously healing of a bad techniqe and experience shows that the more you train bad, the more you are becoming bad... at least you require much more time for improvement. So it's kinda doing the same work one more time.

Hi Linden-

What are your thoughts on my post?

Interesting post!

The below points are not 100% true in every case, but my observations are,

Children are more supple than adults, adults are stronger, so they can hold their stances and techniques better, but because adults are not as flexible as children, adults are not normally as good technically.

Adults have many things on their mind. Work, money, kids, home, time, everything around them. Children are free and their minds are not cluttered, so children tend to pick things up much faster.

Children are not as strong as adults, but adults are often, extremely tense.

I have children who started when they were 5 or 6, they had little strength and sometimes their technique was wobbly to say the least. Some of these kids are now 16+ and even adults, their karate is fantastic. They have speed,strength,technique, and even more important to me is the fact that they are good people. So I guess Master Hirokazu Kanazawa is right when he says 'We train today for tomorrow'.

Here's a few articles on kids and karate.

karate for kids

should kids be awarded black belt

Ossu
Linden

I don't have an answer for you, but this clip might give you some insight on the potential of a child.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0xAqExiD84