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SKS Junior Character Manual 2017

“A Black belt is simply a white belt who never quit!”

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Sensei Christopher Feldt Samurai Karate Studio Last Update: 8/4/2017 2:25:18 PM

Building Character & Creating Leaders!

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My Character & Life Skill Workbook

Copyright © 2017 Samurai Karate Studio, LLC. All rights reserved.

ISBN-10: 1534638881

ISBN-13: 978-1534638884

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author,

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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This SKS Character & Life Skill Workbook

Belongs to:

___________________________________________________

Enrollment Date:

_____ /_____ /_____

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their

skin, but by the content of their character.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Samurai Karate StudioCharacter & Life Skills

Training Program

As part of our Junior belt curriculum, we have included a character and life skill principle for each belt rank.

To our knowledge, there is no other martial arts school in Columbia, SC that places this kind of emphasis on character development – making it important enough to include it in their curriculum.

While everyone aspires to be a Black belt, we want our Junior students to become a Black belt in life.

We often define this concept as Black Belt Excellence.

We have created a character & life skill book that includes the following themes that corresponds to a specific belt rank:

Goal Setting Relationships Focus Kindness Black Belt Attitude Bullying Respect Self-Discipline Courtesy Stranger Danger Loyalty Environmental Self-Defense Integrity Healthy Eating Confidence Leadership Patience Community Honor Fitness Responsibility Teamwork Gratitude Practice

We have designed this program in a way that encourages discussion and requires completion of a worksheet.

Please don’t worry, the homework assignment does not require a lot of work or effort – just the right amount of detail to get the student thinking about how they can improve their character and behavior.

When students hand in their completed assignments for each rank, they will receive a LEADERSHIP stripe for their belt.

When students complete all of the character and life skill assignments, they will be awarded a special patch, that can be worn on their left shoulder, just below their flag patch.

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Black Belt Excellence PrinciplePractice these principles at home, school, dojo, or church

White Belt with Yellow Stripe

Goals - “Goals you set are goals you get!”

You need to create a plan to help you achieve your goals! You can’t get a Black belt or straight A’s unless you make a plan to achieve these types of goals. Use the attached chart throughout your training, to plan your short term and long term goals.

□ Please complete the SKS goal planning worksheet. Make copies so you can use it multiple times throughout your training.

Relationships - How you see yourself and present yourself to others is important

in establishing a strong relationship. As a student of SKS, we consider you part of our extended karate family.

□ Complete the “About Me” worksheet and submit prior to graduation.

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SKS Goal Planning WorksheetWhite Belt with Yellow Stripe

Short Term Goals

Dojo: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Home: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

School: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Long Term Goals

Dojo: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Home: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

School: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Guardian Signature: _______________________Date: __________

Instructor Initials: ______________

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Guardian Signature: __________________________________ Date: _______

Instructor Initials: __________

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Black Belt Excellence PrinciplePractice these principles at home, school, dojo, or church

Yellow Belt

Samurai Karate Studio Student Oath Test

Date: ____________________

Pass: Yes ___ No: _______

Note: Student must recite the oath by memory and present in a loud, clear and confident voice

(Students under 7 are not required to memorize)

I will develop focus, intensity, and discipline through my study at Samurai Karate Studio.

I will be an example of leadership, courtesy, and respect for everyone that I meet, and invite them to join me on my quest for black belt excellence.

I will be honorable and loyal to my God, my family, my country, and my instructors.

I will remain goal-oriented, motivated, and dedicated and always choose to do my best in all that I strive to achieve.

Instructor Signature: __________________________

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Black Belt Excellence PrinciplePractice these principles at home, school, dojo, or church

Yellow Belt

Focus - the “4 laws of focus” Karate requires focus of the mind and body to achieve success, whether it be on the dojo mat, in school or at home. Studies have shown that students who exhibit good focus do much better in school. The 4 areas to focus on are:

Focus with your eyes Focus with your ears

Focus with your mouth Focus with your body

Focus is an important character trait that is required throughout the day.

Kindness – “the ultimate form of self-defense”

When we treat others with kindness and respect, it changes the way people look at us. Kindness also can have a ripple effect - much like a pebble thrown into a pond.

Imagine if we all treated each other with kindness and respect, the world would be a much better place! Yes?

Think about each act. On a scale of 1-10, how would you grade each act? Holding the door open or picking up a pencil for a friend is a level 2 act. Raising $100 for a charity would be a level 10 act!

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SKS Focus WorksheetYellow Belt

Focus - the “4 laws of focus” Karate requires focus of mind and body to achieve success. The same can be said for school or work.

Focus with your eyes Focus with your ears

Focus with your mouth Focus with your body

Please check off when you have practiced good focus at each location for a full week.

Home Focus with your eyes ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Focus with your ears ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Focus with your mouth ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Focus with your body ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

School Focus with your eyes ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Focus with your ears ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Focus with your mouth ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Focus with your body ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Dojo Focus with your eyes ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Focus with your ears ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Focus with your mouth ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Focus with your body ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Guardian Signature: _____________________ Date: ____________

Instructor Initials: ________

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SKS Negative Thoughts Worksheet

Yellow Belt

Two Wolves is a Cherokee Indian legend and illustrates the most important battle of our lives – the one between our good and bad thoughts.

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Our thoughts can be our own worst enemy. That is, if we let them. Think about how you may be “feeding” your negative thoughts by allowing them to rule your mind.

Next time you have a negative thought, catch it and ask yourself, “What is this thought doing for me?”

Negative Thought ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Did You Do To Change It? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Guardian Signature: _________________________ Date: ___________

Instructor Initials: __________

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SKS Acts of Kindness WorksheetYellow Belt

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Guardian Signature: ____________________ Date: __________ Instructor Initials: _________

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Black Belt Excellence PrinciplePractice these principles at home, school, dojo, or church

White Belt with Orange Stripe

Character

Black Belt Attitude A person of good character is someone who can stand out from the pack. People like to “hang out” with people who have great character because it’s easier to be friends with someone you trust, is honest, is determined, loyal, kind, respectful, the list can go on and on.

As a student of SKS that is on the path to Black belt, we ask our students to maintain a Black belt attitude not only in the dojo, but at home, school and church.

Students can be rewarded for Black belt attitude by their instructor or by their family by posting their deed on the BBE board.

By now, each student 14 or under should have started collecting their BBE cards. We have provided a sheet to keep track of your BBE accomplishments.

Life Skill

Bullying

Bullying is a major crisis in the US school system as it’s estimated that 1/4 (or more) of all students will be bullied by the time they graduate high school. Bullying can many different forms and it’s important to understand what bullying is all about and the steps you can take to help eliminate it.

Please review the Bully Worksheet, sign and turn in. Sign the up-stander bully certificate and we will post in the dojo.

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Samurai Karate StudioBlack Belt Excellence Program

White Belt with Orange Stripe

The BBE program is designed to encourage our students to “live the martial way” wherever they go or whatever they do. Examples of BBE might be an act of kindness, self-discipline, compassion, integrity, honor, perseverance, courage, etc.

The act can be as big as you want or as small as you want. The point is to recognize and reward the positive behavior that is demonstrated.

Turn in 10 cards - receive a Black Belt Excellence certificate

Turn in 25 cards - receive a red star for your uniform lapel

Turn in 50 cards - receive a medal

Turn in 75 cards – Patch and 15-minute private board breaking lesson

Turn in 100 cards – Patch and 30-minute private weapon lesson

Turn in 250 cards - ice cream party for the student and up to 5 friends

Name added to plaque ceremony

Each student is responsible for turning in their

own cards. With each award, the count is reset to zero.

Check off box each time you complete.

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SKS Bully WorksheetWhite Belt with Orange Stripe

Bullying in schools is a serious problem today. It is estimated that 160,000 children stay home from school each day for fear of being bullied. Please review these bullet points with your child to better help them understand how they can deal with a bully.

The student will be quizzed for his or her knowledge of these key bully concepts.

Recognize

There are 4 types of bullying, that include:

1. physical - hitting, punching, tripping, spitting 2. verbal - name calling, making fun of, using profanity, screaming or yelling 3. social - excluding someone from your circle of friends, “clicks”, not letting you into a game 4. cyber - using the internet to taught, humiliate, embarrass

Refuse

1. Bullies pick on kids who they perceive as being weak. So change the way you stand, sit and walk. Keep your head up and walk with a purpose. When approached by a bully, don't be afraid to put your hands out and challenge them to stop.

2. Learn how to use the power of your voice. With your hands up, speaking softly won't deter the bully. You need to be loud, clear and confident in your voice. "Stop and leave me alone”.

Encourage friends to be “up-standers”, people who can either stand up to the bully or at least support the victim being bullied.

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Report

If the student is unable to manage the bully on his or her own, then it’s very important that they notify their parents and an adult at the school, preferably a teacher or administrator.

Parents should keep a record of each incident including who, what, where, and when. When talking to a school official, always remain calm. The schools really do want your child to be safe, but they don’t always have the staff to watch everything that goes on in the classroom or on the playground.

Parent Initials: __________ Date: ________

Instructor Initials: _____

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Black Belt Excellence PrinciplePractice these principles at home, school, dojo, or church

Orange Belt

Character

Respect - “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Having self-respect means that you have pride for yourself and you take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.

Having respect for our peers means that you do not insult, harass, or intimidate others.

You can also have respect by looking for the good in others.

If we treat each other with courtesy and respect, there would be less conflict in the world.

Life Skill

Self-Discipline - It takes 21 days to create a habit

If we make a plan to create a good habit, sometimes it is easier to break the plan down into monthly, weekly or even daily plans.

Pick something that you know you want to become a good habit and complete the self-discipline chart.

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SKS Acts of Self Discipline Worksheet

Orange Belt

Research shows it takes 21 days to turn an act of self-discipline into a habit. Chose ONE act of self-discipline that would really make a difference at home, school, the dojo or church; and check off the days you complete this act:

My act of self-discipline is:

___________________________________________________

You can use this sheet multiple times if you are trying to create a powerful habit!

Parent Signature: __________________________ Date: _______ Instructor Initials: ________

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Thank you for reviewing our SKS character curriculum.

There’s more than 50 pages included, with the original journal

book.

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