Fort Bend TaeKwonDo
Weekly Update
January 22, 2018
SKILLS STRIPES FOR THIS WEEK
On Monday and Tuesday, students will have a shot at earning their PURPLE/RAINBOW stripe:
Early Skillz – Crawling (and Running on Tuesday)
Basic Skills – Memory
Kids and Teen/Adults – Form
On Wednesday and Thursday, students will have a shot at earning their BLACK stripe:
Early Skillz – No class on Thursday, January 25
Basic Skills – Fitness
Kids and Teen/Adults – One Steps/Sparring
THERE WILL BE NO CLASSES ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 26. Mrs. Chapman will be at the Taekwondo America Winter National Tournament in Columbus, Ohio.
Basic Skillz, Kids, and Teens/Adults will be able to earn their purple/rainbow stripe any time between now and testing. Students earn this stripe when they can perform their form as required.
Kids and Teens/Adults will also be able to earn their black stripe any time between now and testing. Students earn this stripe when they know their one-steps (white, yellow, orange, and senior orange belts), or spar as required for their belt level.
Throughout each testing cycle, we work on 6 skills that work on developing our taekwondo experience – but also work on teaching strength, focus, and confidence.
The skills are color-coded for easy reference. Each skill must be mastered at an appropriate level in order to earn a stripe on your belt. Because we color code the skills, each color stripe represents a different skill that’s been mastered at the appropriate level.
All classes work on the same color at the same time. However, because we are an age-based school, the skills are different for the different aged classes. (We can’t expect a 4-year-old to be able to do what a 7-year-old can do, essentially.)
An integral part in learning taekwondo for our students in our kids and teen/adult classes is the mastery of a form. A form is a pattern of moves put together to develop an understanding of how we move the “taekwondo way.” Forms also help develop balance, power, and focus. We teach forms in a rotational style – meaning that each level (beginners, intermediates, advanced) rotate through their level of forms as a group and we focus on teaching one form to everyone in class.
So that you can practice at home to our forms videos at fortbendtaekwondo.com/forms, here are the forms each group will be working on throughout this testing cycle:
Basic Skillz: Chon-Ji
Kid and Teen/Adult Beginner belts (White and Yellow Belts) – Dan-Gun
Kid and Teen/Adult Intermediate belts (Orange through Sr. Purple Belts) – Do-San
Kid and Teen/Adult Advanced Belts (Blue through Sr. Red Belts) – Jun-Gun
All black belts will continue to work on their rank-specific form, which is what is already taught in class.
If you have any questions about the curriculum, please be sure to email or call Mrs. Chapman.
SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR THE WEEK
Due to the Taekwondo America Winter National Tournament, the following schedule changes take place this week:
NO CLASSES FOR EARLY SKILLZ STUDENTS ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 – All other classes will run, but Mrs. Chapman will be in Ohio. Nicholas, Katelyn and Marcus will be running classes.
NO CLASSES FOR ALL STUDENTS FRIDAY, JANUARY 26
FEBRUARY TESTING REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Testing for students to earn a new belt rank is scheduled for February 5 – 7! We hold a formal testing every 8 to 9 weeks so students can advance in belt rank. We hold a formal testing so that students can show parents and families the hard work they’ve done over the past two months, but, more importantly, to show them that they can succeed when the pressure is on. Attending a testing leads to having confidence when put on the spot in daily life activities such as speaking in front of a class and going on a job interview.
Students who have 6 stripes on their belt are eligible for testing.
Students are to wear full formal uniform: jacket, pants, & belts. White t-shirts should be worn under jacket. All orange belts & higher must bring all gear to testing. Students & all spectators are expected to be exhibit the tenets of TaeKwonDo during testing. Failure to do so will result in removal from the premises. Students who arrive late forfeit their right to test.
Late registrations are subject to $10 late fee.
Students testing for black belts must test on testing day, and not at make-up testing.
Testing Times
Please note you are to test at the time for your CURRENT belt rank/age group – not what you’re testing for!
- Early Skillz – Monday, February 5, 5:30 p.m.
- Basic Skillz – Wednesday, February 7, 5:30 p.m.
- White – Senior Purple Belts – Monday, February 5, 6:30 p.m.
- Blue – Red Belts – Tuesday, February 6, 5:30 p.m.
- Red and higher ranks – Tuesday, February 6, 6:30 p.m.
- Make-Up Testing – Wednesday, February 7, 6:30 p.m.
Our belt rank ceremony will take place Thursday, February 8 at 6 p.m. at the school in our formal uniform.
Fees:
$50 for all Skillz students, and kid, teen, adult white through sr. blue belts
$55 for kid, teen, adult brown through 1st degree probationary belts
$85 for 1st degree recommended through 2nd degree decided black belts
Registrations are due by Friday, February 2. Students registering after this date will incur a $10 late fee.
Please sign up at the front desk or online here: https://uplevelpages.io/?i=1w
Please note: If you sign up online, please know that you’ll need to complete a registration form for each child. Our new system will not allow you to sign up multiple students online. If your membership fees included testing fees, please use the standard code so that you’re not charged. If you need the code, let us know!
NEW TESTING REQUIREMENT FOR TESTING THIS YEAR -Testing Readiness Form
Because we want students to observe our tenets both inside and outside of our school, we are implementing a new testing requirement for ALL students – a Testing Readiness Form.
This form has two sides – a side for parents to complete, and a side for a teacher to complete. Both sides must be completed for any student attending school – whether its pre-school, elementary, junior high, or high school. Students who do not attend school only need the parent side completed.
This form will need to be turned in by February 2. Its available at the front desk today. On online version will be available shortly.
If you have any questions, please let us know.
GAME ON! – PARENT’S NIGHT OUT
Think your child plays too much video games? Our new parent’s night out experience takes your kids from being in front of the screen to actually being inside the screen!
Our students and their friends will be transported to a magical 8 –bit land and the only way to get out is by completing different video game themed activities.
Whether it is playing life size Pac-Man, building their own super kart, or dodging barrels from a giant gorilla, your kids will have a blast and burn off tons of energy.
As always, we expect that this Parents Night Out will be filled up fast so don’t procrastinate! Only 30 number of spaces available!
When: Saturday, February 3, 7 to 10 p.m.
Where: at Fort Bend TaeKwonDo
For: Students and their friends and siblings ages 7 and older
Cost: $30
Students are allowed to bring to snacks.
To register, sign up at the front desk or complete the online registration form here: https://uplevelpages.io/?i=1x
BOARD BREAKING CLINIC FOR KIDS/TEEN BLUE BELTS AND HIGHER RANKS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Our board breaking clinic will focus on testing board breaking techniques, tips, and of course, breaking boards!
Due to our survey results in our closed Facebook group, we’re moving the clinic to Friday night.
This clinic will replace the Advanced and Black Belt Classes on that evening.
Friday, February 2
7:00 p.m.
For blue belts and higher ranks in our kids, teens and adult programs
Cost: $20 per attendee
NextLevel Program Members receive this clinic at no charge. NextLevel Members should use their regular code to input into the registration form.
Sign up at the front desk or online here: https://uplevelpages.io/?i=2w
COMING UP…
National Taekwondo America Tournament – January 26 & 27, 2018 in Columbus Ohio
NO CLASSES – JANUARY 26
Board Breaking Clinic – 7 p.m. Friday, February 2
Parent’s Night Out – 7 to 10 p.m, Saturday, February 3
Testing Registration Form Due- Friday, February 2
Testing Readiness Form Due – Friday, February 2
Path to Mastery Hand Outs Due – February 5
February Testing – February 5, 6, 7
February Belt Award Ceremony – 6 p.m., February 8
Bully Awareness Community Event – Saturday, February 10