August 17th, 2013
Family Day demonstration
The third Saturdayof every other month is Family Day for our Youth Program Classes and on that day parents and guardians are invited to watch or join in the class with their children. On all other days, parents and guardians are not allowed to watch Youth Program classes. This policy is in place so that children’s attention stays focused on the class and not on their watching parents. Before this policy, a few parents sat in the dojo and used the time to drink coffee, read newspapers or worked on their computers. Homma Kancho remarked that parents at the youth classes were starting to look like they were at a baseball game and decided to close the Youth Program classes except for Family Days.
Special demonstrations were held on Family Day in August by visiting international uchideshi students in special training during the AHAN Nippon Kan Summer Marathon.
Aikido Nippon Kan does not hold testing for Youth Program members and promotions are awarded twice a year based on attendance and instructor recommendation. Many martial art dojos use fees for promotions and testing as a major source of income. It has always been Homma Kancho’s opinion that dojos that take money in this way should not be in business. It is Nippon Kan policy not to charge any fees for promotions and monthly Youth program class fees are only $25.
Reported by
Yuji Kosakowski
AHAN Nippon Kan Youth Program Instructor