Would like your ideas about rewarding martial arts kids with patches?

Question

Hi, my husband teaches a martial arts class, just started, and we are putting together the program for the little ones (ages 3-6) we have patches for them to earn and would like to know your ideas to earn each acheivement patches such as.... (patience, respect, honor, discipline, great block, great stance, power kick, balance, honor, drive, and focus. Ideas are appreciated. Thank you.

Answer 1

Is he training girl scouts or WARRIORS?! lol. I've always been awarded with certificates. I got best side kick! YAY! Nothing more rewarding than the blood curdling, girlish scream of a man when is arm is being broken bit by bit...... Is that wrong?

Answer 2

We give patches for academic achievement, they have to bring in their report card and have all A's or B's, or they have to show an overall improvement from the last grading period, for example, a C to a B, etc.  They can get up to 4 per year.

We also have these plain, very small star patches, they have a board on the wall with their name.  Each class they get a sticker to stick on the wall next to their name, when they get 30 stickers, they get the star patch.

We also have "Best Form", and "Outstanding Attendance".  The best form is given at random and the attendance is earned quarterly if the student came 3 times a week for 3 months.

Some parents don't ever sew the patches on, or sew them all on once a year.  Others do a great job with them.  

James

Answer 3

I guess it would work. It should boost up their self esteem. It would be like awarding badges for boy scouts.

Answer 4

No, you aren't going to be taken seriously if you do that, give them praise, that's all they need to keep on going. Thing is, children tend to start expecting too much and it may backfire once they get older and they've outgrown these patches. What about when they're teenagers, Dojo Dollars? Do what you think is right though, maybe I just don't have enough faith in Children, but Children are fickle, and thing is, they want something if they get it. I would stick with the patience, respect, honor, and discipline patches though, and more of that sort, they teach morals and it'll turn out well, just don't give them patches for little things like kicks, make sure it's difficult to get them and that the actions are sincere.

Answer 5

I think that your heart is in the right place, but I can see this backfiring.  Either parents are going to go nuts having to sew all of these patches on or they'll go the lazy route and use cheap iron on stuff that never works and the kids uniforms look like c**p.  Then, of course, you are running the risk of parents asking, "Why did Susie get a 'great stance' patch and my Johnny didn't because Johnny's front stance is so much better...?"

You may also start to get a McDojo reputation if people interpret this as giving the kid some little token reward to keep him and his parents happy enough to keep writing the checks.  Especially if you're taking students as young as 3!  

What I do is tell my kids when they are doing well loud enough for everyone (including parents in the waiting area) to hear.  That usually gets the others trying harder so I'll acknowledge them as well.  I also make a point to talk to the parents and let them know if their kid did something really well that day.  That seems to motivate them just as well as a patch but without the hassle or expense.

But, it may work for you and you are trying so Good Luck!

Answer 6

I do this with certificates.

The kids love it.

I do not issue colored belt ranks anymore. The only colors I did use were green and brown.

Now I just use green and brown colored tape and certificates for level achievement only for kids.

I don't have 3 y/o's but that is a great idea.