RANKING REQUIREMENTS

At Connecticut Kenpo Karate, every class has requirements in order to rank up to another belt color. The text below will explain the requirements.

Little Dragons

Little Dragons are provided with stripes for their belts each month as a reward for good listening and attendance.
Little Dragons can and have achieved their yellow belts while still in this class.

All Other Levels

Each Level is designed to be challenging to the student’s age and attention level.
Each Belt Sheet has requirements that are broken down into three levels.
· 1st Red Stripe shows a basic understanding of about 1/2 of the material on the requirement sheet.
· 2nd Red Stripe shows an understanding of all the material on the requirement sheet.
· Black Stripe (3rd Stripe) shows a working knowledge of the material on the belt sheet with a level of proficiency. Once the 3rd stripe is earned, the student is eligible to participate in promotion night.
Beginner Dragons are reviewed each month on their skills to determine eligibility for another stripe.
Advanced Dragons, Juniors and Adults are reviewed constantly for eligibility.
Promotion Nights are held one Monday per month and family members are invited to attend and celebrate the success of the students.

Student Creeds

Beyond Martial Skills, Self Discipline and Conditioning, we teach our students personal responsibility for their choices and actions. Though memorization is required, the importance of these creeds is for our students to understand their content and meaning.

“I intend to develop myself in a positive manner and to avoid anything that would reduce my mental growth or my physical health”
“I intend to develop self-discipline in order to bring out the best in myself and others.”
“I intend to use what I learn in class constructively and defensively, to help myself and my fellow man and never to be abusive or offensive.”
“I intend use common sense before self-defense.”
“We are a Black Belt School. We are on a quest to be our best!”

Dragon Belt Requirements

Our dragons program is designed to challange students who are 6 to 10 years old while not over whelming them to the point of frustration. As they get older and their rank increases the challenges increase appropriately. The program is designed to develop all the skills required to achieve a Junior Black Belt.

Additional Ranking Requirements

Junior Belt Requirements

Our Junior program is designed to challange teen age students who are older while not over whelming them. As their rank increases the challenges increase appropriately. The program is designed to develop all the skills required to achieve a Junior Black Belt.

Junior Black Belt Transition

Students who have tested before a board of Connecticut Kenpo Karate Studio Black Belts and achieved the level of Junior Black Belt have completed a great accomplishment. They have joined an elite group. Those students will transition toward their Adult Black Belt by completing all the requirements on each of the Adult Belt Level sheets that they did not learn on their way to Junior Black Belt. As each level is achieved their Junior Black Belt with be striped to show their progress toward their Adult Black Belt.

Adult Belt Requirements

Each belt level provides challenges to each student. Instructors provide detailed instruction in a way that is meaningful to each individual student. Our goal is to provide each student with the tools necessary to accomplish their goals whether they are fitness, personal protection, a Black Belt or the friendships of the students and the staff.

Black Belt Promotions

Students testing for their Black Belt will be required to present their skills to a Board of Black Belts from the New England Martial Arts Teachers Association (NEMATA). In edition to presenting their skills, the student is required to write a martial arts thesis. This is a private test on which the material is confidential. Students who accomplish this level are now addressed as Sifu (“See-fu”), which means teacher.

NEMATA will oversee all promotions beyond the initial black belt test.