1. Studio Etiquette for Participants

• If you are waiting for class to start or end, please do not be disruptive to the class that is in session

• Please remove your shoes and place them in the cubicals before class

• Please bow when entering or leaving the learning place

• For your safety and safety of others, please remove jewelry except flat rings

• Eating and chewing gum will not be allowed during class

• Polite, respectful and courteous behavior is expected at all times

• Students should use the restrooms before or after class, except in case of emergency, as it can be a disruption during the learning process

2. Studio Etiquette for Observers and Guests

• At all times, visiting children under parent/guardian supervision must be well-behaved to prevent any disruption during the classes. Noisy, uncontrolled, children are a major distraction to the students and instructors. If a child under your supervision makes a mess, please clean it up before you leave so that other people can enjoy a clean atmosphere as well. If for some reason you are unable to clean it, please let us know immediately so we can remedy the situation

• Since children are always present, inappropriate behaviors, swearing, smoking, or drinking alcohol beverages inside or in front of the studio will not be tolerated

• Drug use, drinking and fighting by students are all behaviors that may result in dismissal from the studio as well as other consequences

• No food or beverage of any kind will be allowed on the Dojo floor

• Kempokan reserves the right to dismiss any student, participant or visitor at any time

• If you must use your cellular phone, please do so outside or in the "homework" room

3. Contact Information

You may contact us at anytime with questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns

By telephone:   860-227-6803

By regular mail:

                                        KEMPOKAN

                                183 ROUTE 81

                                KILLINGWORTH, CT 06419

Through e-mail on the "Get more Info" page

Parent & teacher conferences are available anytime, just see Tony to arrange an appointment

4. Uniforms and Equipment

We have found over the years that the uniform is an important part of the tradition and style of karate. It allows students, particularly children, to feel more comfortable in their surroundings. Additionally, it means that our school will enjoy a neater, cleaner and a more professional atmosphere.

Students should wear the appropriate uniform options:

LITTLE DRAGONS, PRE-TEENS, JUNIOR ADULTS, and ADULTS

• Full uniform of pants, top and belt

• Uniform pants, a Kempokan T-shirt and belt

• Full uniforms, including patch and belt are required on testing day as it is a formal occasion.

• At beginner levels, students wear a white uniform

• When students reach the purple belt level, they may choose to purchase and wear a black uniform, but not black and white together.

• Students may mix uniforms when they attain the rank of Shodan (Adult Black Belt)

• Blue uniforms in our school indicate someone either who is an instructor, assistant instructor, trainee instructor or who has gone through some training to be an instructor

• Red uniforms are indicative of the Teaching level of Shihan (Teacher’s Teacher)

Pre-teens and Junior Adults should also bring any sparring gear that they may need for class that day. We request that all students in these age groups purchase their own sparring gear whenever possible. Sparring and sparring exercises will occur unannounced during the week as well as on Saturdays.

To order equipment or uniforms, simply tell one of the instructors and we will order it the next business day. Sometimes, we are able to get items that we do not stock at a discount. If you have made full payment on a catalog item and we can get it for less, we will either credit your account with the difference or refund that portion. Remember that some items (to get the best price) take a full week shipping time. Purchasing Martial Arts equipment through the Studio enables our school to receive greater discounts.

5. Billing      **SEE TONY OR COLLEEN ABOUT THE 2008 BILLING PLAN**

We will bill our customers for their lessons on the 1st or 15th of each month. The first and best billing options is to make your payment on or prior to the week that your billing date falls on. This allows more time for teaching and less time for administrative paperwork. The second option is to arrange an automatic schedule with your bank that will electronically send tuition payments on either the first or fifteenth of each month. The week after the billing date occurs, you will receive a reminder of payment due. Payment is due before the end of that second week, or the student will not be allowed to attend classes. If you know that you will no longer be attending classes, we would greatly appreciate that information immediately so that your billing will be cancelled. Please be advised that if you do not notify us, you will still be billed for lessons.
 

6. Absences

Whenever possible, we always appreciate advance notification of weekly absences. If a student, parent or individual is aware of a two (2) week absence, a long-term absence, or has difficulty, making class for two (2) or more weeks, private lessons can be scheduled to make up class at no extra charge. If three (3) specific weeks are missed, two (2) private lessons may be taken at no extra charge. If a specific month is missed, a month can be frozen at no extra charge. Freezing a month will secure a fixed monthly rate and hold a spot in class. Depending upon the situation, missing one or more monthly payments raise the likelihood of additional fees or charges, or be subject to a price increase.

7. Events

Occasionally, we will have special events at the studio, including testing, guest teachers, special seminars, demonstrations, or activities. At the studio, we will announce any upcoming special events in class and display announcements on the bulletin board. If we have your e-mail address, we may also be able to send you reminders through the internet. Also, you can always check our website www.thekempokan.com for any news, updates and information necessary.

8. Drop Off and Pick Up

For the safety of our students, we strongly urge that if you drop off and/or pick up your child, that you do so right at the door. A parking lot can be a very dangerous area and all persons should be aware of the risks involved. We also highly recommend telling your children to wait inside the studio until you either physically walk inside to get them, or are parked immediately out front. At times, parking can become less than adequate and it is strongly suggested that you plan a drop off/pick-up routine with your child. We are not responsible for any incidents that occur in the parking area, in front of the studio, nor in the surrounding business areas.

9.General Programs, Procedures and Policies

KEMPO
We teach Goshin Kempo Jujutsu, or Kempo in all of our regular classes for children and adults. Kempo is a combination of Chinese Kung Fu, Japanese Jujutsu and Okinawan Karate. Unlike most systems, Kempo combines punching and kicking with grappling and takedowns. This provides for a unique art and a powerful form of self-defense.

CHILDREN
Classes for children begin at age three (3). We divide classes by age group to address the developmental needs of each group. We also divide classes by skill level, with separate classes for advanced students and Black Belts.
The practice of martial arts instills in children the qualities of discipline, respect and self-control. At Kempokan, children know that in order to earn their next belt, they must display these qualities at home, school and their parents have the final word in deciding whether they are ready to advance. Our instructors provide an invaluable resource to parents by helping exert a positive influence on their child’s development.
While still focusing on character development, we never lose sight of building solid, physical skills. The material for each rank is divided in such a way that the child can earn new belts at a reasonable pace, yet still feels that deep sense of accomplishment that comes with hard work. This sense of accomplishment can work wonders on a child’s self-esteem.

ADULTS
At Kempokan, our adult students want to relieve stress, get exercise and learn martial arts. Most adults enjoy the fact that learning martial arts stimulates the brain at the same time they are getting a quality, physical workout. Martial arts practice provides adults with a form of exercise that is much easier to stick with then most because it never gets boring. There is always something to learn. It is a complete combination of both physical and mental exercises become an endless and inspiring journey.

 
WEAPONS
We teach a wide range of Okinawa weapons including the Nunchaku, Sai, Tonfa and Staff. For more advanced students, we also teach a variety of Chinese weapons forms such as Staff, Broadsword, Double Daggers, and Spear.

 
INSTRUCTORS
At Kempokan, we realize that earning a Black belt and being qualified to teach are two very different things. Therefore at 2nd Degree Black Belt and after performing Assistant Instructor Duties we certify our instructors based on their teaching experience in addition to their martial arts skills. All our instructors have many years of experience in training students of all ages. All our instructors are fundamentally committed to the excellence of our programs.

TRAINEE INSTRUCTORS
Trainee Instructors is a dedicated group of very talented young people from various age groups. To be a part of this team, each student must attain the rank of green belt, attend classes on a regular basis, maintain consistent above average comments on report cards and remain loyal to the rules of the Dojo. Trainee instructors assist our instructional staff. We never let our trainee instructors run classes. As Trainee Instructors get older and gain more teaching experience, they may ultimately have the opportunity to become Assistant Instructors at 1st Degree Black Belt. Once an Assistant Instructor has proven that he or she can effectively teach on his or her own, that instructor can earn a teaching certificate at 2nd Degree Black Belt.

 
BIRTHDAY PARTIES
Karate Birthday Parties are available on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. The parties provide an introductory Karate class, host of entertaining games, pizza and cake.

CONFERENCES
We hold conferences anytime during the school year with parents to discuss a child’s progress with us. The conferences also provide a systematic channel for us to receive personal feedback.

HOMEWORK ROOM
School age children and their siblings are welcome to use this quiet study area to complete homework. For many parents this proves an invaluable resource as they are shuttling their children to various activities.

 
SOCIAL EVENTS
We run several different events throughout the year for various age groups to help foster a sense of community involvement. These events include movie nights with appropriate parental ratings, an annual picnic and holiday parties.

 
TESTING (see #10 below)
We do not charge any fees for testing. Testing takes place once per month. Our instructors will inform students when they are ready to test for rank. Students who have displayed the requirements appropriate to their rank in terms of memorization, skill in execution, and behavior will be given a test notification sheet. Testing is a reaffirmation of the student’s knowledge of the Kempo system. All students under the age of 18 must show continual improvements in the areas of self–control, respect and self–discipline. Parents please note that a signed permission slip is necessary for students to test.

LITTLE DRAGONS (AGES 4-7)

These classes are basic activity classes, but students are still working towards earning belts. Unlike in the classes for the older children, all Little Dragons are working on refining the same skills simultaneously. Some of the themes are physical in nature (i.e. Kicking, Stances, and Blocking etc.) while others relate to character such as respect, self-discipline, cooperation, etc.

Reminder: any rank held by a Little Dragon is striving towards a Junior Black Belt and in certain cases, may be advanced to the Pre-Teens class.

PRE-TEENS (7-12)

These classes are more traditional martial Arts classes, with the focus still being on Self-Control, Respect, and Discipline. Many students begin on the junior program, and advance to the full Kempo curriculum. At particular ranks (depending on the student), they may learn empty hand and Kung-Fu weapons forms. This age group is when certain students are afforded the right to become trainee instructors.

JUNIOR ADULTS (12-17) & ADULTS (17 and up)

Work on the full Kempo curriculum and may participate in empty and Kung-Fu weapons forms.

10. THE BELT TESTING PROCESS

Normally, on the first Wednesday of each month, a test will be held at the school. Students who have displayed the requirements appropriate to their rank in terms of memorization, skill, execution and behavior will be invited to participate at the next available test. Each student will in this way progress at his or her own rate and not pressured to meet a predetermined time deadline. We understand that people will be challenged by the physical skills and demands of the of the material in different ways and at different times. The study of martial arts is an intensely personal journey and any competition should exist purely within the individual. Something that may appear to occur naturally for some students will take more time and effort for others. A certain amount of personal frustration combined with hard work may yield great results in the testing process, especially regarding character-growth goals. For adults as well, the belt system can provide additional motivation to make positive changes in our own lives.

Each belt has a specific set of material to be memorized and refined, as displayed on the chart below. Adults and children take slightly different paths toward a Black Belt, also called a Shodan. Children progress through the same colored belts that adults do, but they learn only the shorter patterns first so they can focus on the fundamental movements and short bursts of speed, power and concentration. After displaying the necessary skills, they move on to the Junior Black Belt, where the focus is on memorizing and refining much longer patterns called forms. When they have completed learning the eleven (11) forms, they will have the opportunity to achieve the Shodan level. At this time, all expectations for the Shodan level that would be placed on an adult student will be placed on the child as well. Theoretically, the only difference between and adult Shodan and a child Shodan are age and size.

At certain belts, additional concepts are examined during testing process. For example, all students are initially expected to be able to memorize the movements, have age appropriate self-control and display power and effort in their movements. When the students reach a purple belt, they will be tested on the ability to keep the knees bent in their stances, bring their hands to the ribs (if punching) or keep them in a guard position (if kicking) and display good crane stances while kicking. All concepts are cumulative. Students striving for higher ranks are expected to be able to perform these concepts in all of their movements, not just the most recent material. If a student is physically, mentally or medically not capable of meeting certain expectations, the curriculum can be modified to suit his/her particular needs.

The test is composed of two parts. The first is the warm-up and review of material to be tested that day. Students will perform some basic kicks and punches as well as all of their required material as part of a larger group. The second part is individual. Each student will be expected to perform the material in front of the group. During this section, each piece of material and concept required for the new belt is awarded a separate score and the overall performance determines promotion to the next belt.