Children’s Badges Award System
At Silent River Kung Fu, we teach kung fu as a mental discipline as well as a physical discipline. The skills kung fu teaches are as useful at home and at school as they are in kung fu class. By taking the discipline and work ethic they are developing in their kung fu class and applying it at home, Little Leopards, Tiny Tigers, Young Dragons, and Roaring Lions can earn badges as a reward for their efforts. Each badge earned serves as a constant reinforcement of the concept of progression and improvement through discipline and effort.
There are six different badges a Silent River Kung Fu student can earn and proudly wear on the pants of their uniform. The five animal badges are worn on the left leg and the Chih, or ambition Stars are worn on the right leg. Each of the animal badges incorporates challenges from five Big Ideas. These big ideas will give a child a sense of respect and appreciation for themselves and the world around them.
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Physical fitness activities, even repetitive ones, can be fun. Naturally these activities do more than just provide fun. They can make family members healthier as well as bring families closer together. Learning new physical skills will give a child more confidence and self-esteem. All the techniques will serve to strengthen their body and prepare them for the future rigors of kung fu. If good technique and teamwork are emphasized, the child will learn many important lessons that extend beyond the activity.
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One goal of kung fu is to develop the individual physically while instilling a sense of respect for others. With the physical skill, each student is taught humility and they learn to apply empathy by developing responsible citizenship skills and appreciation. This begins with the children developing an understanding of their community and how it works.
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It is important for the development of self-esteem and confidence that children are adequately equipped to deal with an emergency when there is no adult present. In our expanding world, there are times when they will not be under the immediate protection of a parent or other adult family member so they must develop the ability to care for themselves.
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Family is an important part of every child’s life. An understanding of other family members and a respect for the family structure and heritage will serve to strengthen their family. Part of learning respect is developing an understanding of the world and an appreciation for its balance and harmony. These skills give the opportunity to reinforce values about family, environment, and conservation.
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Two skills that are important in the development of discipline and respect. Creative skills require patience for success. Patience goes a long way toward developing discipline that will serve an individual in every facet of their lives. Communication is a big word for a child but an important one. Communication skills are necessary to develop understanding and respect of others.
Follow the badge links below for the requirements for each of the five animal badges and the chih star. A student is expected to complete all the requirements of each category to earn an animal badge. Since the majority of the requirements will be completed outside the confines of their kung fu class, the monitoring and confirmation of much of their progress and achievements is the responsibility of the parents. When a student has completed all requirements, a progress report is completed and signed by a parent and presented to the chief instructor. Many of the requirements will be impossible without parental assistance but remember, we want to reinforce the concept that personal discipline and effort yield personal rewards and results.
